just some honest feedback to job seekers out there

[dotty.]

I have spent several hours this week reading through cvs and selecting possible job candidates, i made 3 appointments to interview the only 3 possibly suitable applicants, 2 didn't even turn up for the interview and didn't bother to cancel, the third turned up but had obviously lied on his cv as he knew nowt about retail, and so i have wasted alot of time on nothing, so sod taking on a new person, we will manage and dish out overtime to existing staff, obviously there is a lack of interest in actually working when you can survive on benefits.

[starone]

How rude not to turn up for the interview and even worse not to cancel. I would have thought it was great just to get an interview and with jobs being so difficult to get I would have arrived early after reading up all I could about retail and your particular market. Can't understand these young people. They can't want jobs very badly.

[marval]

I agree with Star, when I was job hunting I would never just not show up. I would not lie on my CV either, too easy to get caught out.

[dotty.]

Starbuck their cvs were very well compiled and presented and one of the women i had personally taken the cv off was at least in her 30s and not a youngster looking for a few hours whilst at UNI, it's not good when it takes so long to plough through cvs and make a decision on who is suitable, and people wonder why they don't get a reply if they don't make the cut! it's tough enough trying to get to interview the possibles let alone send refusals to the no hopers!

[pastafreak]

You don't say what age these no show applicants are-but maybe you should look for mature applicants-those who do know what it means to work,who have responsibilities.

[dotty.]

the bloke who came and had made up stuff on his application must have been nearly 60 pasta, he was white haired anyway, as i say the woman in her 30s never turned up, the other one i have no idea on his age though he was at uni.

[starone]

Yes - I had automatically thought of young people looking for a job but I should have realised because my daughter who is 54 is looking for a job but seems to stand no chance although she is well educated and dresses well. I think it is because she is too old but perhaps there are other reasons.

[MASS1961]

I thought date of birth was necessary on a cv?

Have earlier been updating mine as I have seen a job I wish to apply for.

[dotty.]

There is going to be a new asda opening near us next year, apparently they prefer mature applicants, as no ages are put on cvs theses days i just go by either the first impression or the info on the cv, age dosn;t come into it at all.

[dotty.]

no, it isn't the case that cvs should have an age on as it is considered discrmination if an applicant is screened on an age basis.

[Jeza]

Survive on benefits Dotty. I think you mean exist.

Maybe the no shows had a valid reason for not attending.

[dotty.]

obviosuly not valid enough to bother ringing in, it's frustrating

[MASS1961]

if that's the case dotty, i'll remove my d.o.b. from my c.v. Although from my employment history it will be pretty obvious i'm not straight out school. 24 years in 1 job, 6 in another and 5 in the current one.

[dotty.]

that's the point of a good CV and a good recruiting person, they take the time to read the CV and from the information they should be able to compile their own 'timeline' and work out someone's rough age, the focus should be on the content and it should be enough to get an interview

[hc4361]

I have never omitted my date of birth from my cv nor any application form.

[IggyB]

How annoying, sadly its probably the result of scatter gun applications to any and all jobs out of desperation and in the same way that employers now tend not to communicate with those not getting selected for interview I suppose applicants are now also finding it harder to communicate if they change their mind or get a different job. Not saying it right though but it maybe one if the reasons for the massive growth in recruitment consultancy firms, they should at least sift out the rubbish and make sure the firm were informed is some changed their mind etc.

Good luck on the next recruitment drive

[Maydup]

I've had the same experience Dotty and I have no answers but I do wonder if we need to think about our recruitment proceses in this modern world.

I know that most people look for a new job online now, so on the rare occasion we have a vacancy, we advertise on our website, on local job search sites, we tweet the job, we facebook the job and we post it at the job centre, but despite having quite a high number of applicanats, none of them seem to actually want the job when the time comes. Just as you describe we have 50% no-shows - what more can we do? Is there a new method altogether that we don't know about?

[emmie]

i honestly can't see why candidates don't show up, that is stupid and rude. Perhaps they have pencilled in any number of interviews with potential employers and taken up another option, but they could have the decency to contact you to say they won't be coming.

[abstibus]

Em
Could it be to do with the fact that they are required to show 'evidence' that they have applied for jobs to get JSA? A man I knew used to refer to the local paper as the Job Seekers' Bible, and just chose advertised jobs fairly randomly with no intention of following up. Then he was able to show his 'evidence'.
I posted about this a long time ago - this man is still not working, but does plenty for cash in hand.

[Kjohn]

I recently needed 3 new members of staff (in a hurry), so I rang our local job centre & asked if there was any way of them sending me some applicants that they thought would be suitable for the positions (rather than me advertising & getting loads to sift through). They told me they had a placement team, I told them my requirements, they said they had to place ad on their website but they could withold it. They sent me 8 people & 4 were very suitable so we kept all 4. Give it a try, it worked for me.

[chelle7272]

Hc In a lot of cases most personal details would be removed before the person/s responsible for interviewing would see an application/ cv due to equal opps employment law.
Dotty I understand your frustration, been there recently myself.