We've Carefully Reviewed (4 Minute Turndown)

Question

After putting in my job application (and having to paste in descriptions and other info even after attaching a resume), in less than 4 minutes after submitting, I received a 'We've carefully reviewed ... and are moving on to other candidates'.  That is unconscionable in my mind.  I'm trying not to be angry and disgusted.  I know I wouldn't like to work somewhere that does this, but I wish there was somewhere we could post a warning to other women about these types of places.

Anonymous · Answer

I have the unique perspective of having been on both sides of this sort of situation. I have worked (and still do work) in staffing, and I have been a poorly-treated candidate many times as well. I agree that Glass Door is a great place to warn other applicants of your treatment (and also maybe bring it to the attention of the company).
Don't waste your energy being angry. On the one hand, I can completely sympathize. You put yourself out there and get an insincere response. There are tactful ways a company can handle responses like that, even if they or their tracking system screens out a candidate almost immediately. They are clearly not doing that, which shows they are either inexperienced, unfamiliar with their applicant tracking system (many have optional delays to prevent this exact situation), or (worse) they just don't care.
But, on the other side of things, recruiters have to make intelligent decisions about candidates based on very little information. They are often inundated with applicants for a position (many of whom are literally just clicking 'apply' to any job that shows up in their search) and sometimes have something very particular the hiring manager is looking for ('no one from company X' for example, or no one with more than 2 jobs in the last 10 years). You'll never know what caused your nearly immediate rejection, but know that the hiring process in many companies is broken. Take a minute to pity the recruiter who couldn't manage to delay the 'no thank you' email, and then move on. Job searches take a thick skin but you'll eventually find something new!

Laura West · Answer

Oh boy. I feel your pain -- that's happened more times than I care to count. 'Careful review', my foot! My suggestion ... if you know which company did this, write a review about the application 'process' on Glassdoor. I check out most companies or organizations there, and I really appreciate the honesty. I'm so sorry this happened. Applicants really do deserve better!

Kirstin · Answer

Keep in mine the questions you are answering on the application not just the resume you’re posting. 
Often times if the job says “degree required” and does not say “experience in lieu of degree will be accepted” then if they ask “do you have a bachelors degree” those are automatically knocked from the pile. I am not saying to falsify your application, because that’s not okay. But I wouldn’t say it’s a poor reflection of the company overall.  Unfortunately, recruitment teams are often spread thin and requirements are becoming much more stringent (if I bill a client for a degreed engineer, they better be a degreed engineer, or various positions require degree for safety sign offs) and these are easy ways to remove candidates that don’t meet the minimum qualifications.

Alexis Amsden · Answer

You can post a review on Glassdoor, and check and see if there are forums on the website Reddit dedicated to the company, you can ask about their process and leave a review there as well. If it helps, get your resume reviewed for free at a local career center to see if it is ATS compliant, that could help cut down on the copy pasting in some instances. That sounds really frustrating, and I hope you have better luck in the future!

Anonymous · Answer

Having someone personally advocate is critical.  Most of us can’t make it past the ATS with our resumes because it’s all algorithms.  If you know anyone there connect and let them know your applying, send them a copy of your resume and ask if they can feed it directly to the recruiter or hiring manager.

We've Carefully Reviewed (4 Minute Turndown)

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