I have changed my mind, why I WILL be replying to applications in 2020.

In December 2019 I wrote about no longer replying to candidates who applied for jobs and this understandably caused some interesting debates. It wasn’t an easy decision for me to make, it took me about 12 months to come up with that decision and it was mostly to protect myself from aggressive, disappointed candidates, people who accused me of being discriminatory and people actually threatening me. I simply did not need the hassle or the stress in my life and I did not deserve it.

But since I put an advert out 3 days ago, I have received over 300 CV’s in less than 3 days. 2020 has changed everything as well as a lot of peoples’ views. It has changed peoples’ priorities, it has changed peoples’ opinions, we have seen an overwhelming response of kindness, love and support. But we have seen a high level of people attacking peoples’ opinions and politicians’ decisions. Some people have even become experts in criticising the experts on a subject they knew nothing about 6 months ago! However, you are getting through 2020, as long as you are doing everything you can within your power to protect yourself, and everyone you love, whilst being kind, then you are doing well.

Anyway, back to my 300 CV’s. It is so nice to be back chatting to people, candidates I’ve spoken to before, new candidates, chatty ones, not so chatty ones, people who have applied for the job who have none of the experience needed at all, candidates who have made spectacular spelling mistakes on their CV, who have made me laugh out loud by what is perceived as important information on CV, and then the golden nugget of a candidate who I spoke to just a few hours ago who is BLOODY AMAZING, all of who have taken the time in this crazy world to apply for a job. Who either want a job because they’ve lost theirs, who are worrying about the future of their current job, or some whose priorities have changed, and they’ve realised what they’re doing just is not right for them. Some have invested 10 seconds in sending off a CV having not read any of the advert and some have written detailed and bespoke cover letters. Some have phoned to make sure I have received their CV, some candidates have called to discuss the role before they apply as they wanted to check something first. But every single person I have called to discuss their application has been genuinely chuffed to hear from me and that has lifted me immensely. It has made me see how important communication is and how a little bit of kindness goes a long way to making someone feel slightly better. Especially if they are having a bad day. As we have all had those recently and we’ve no doubt got more to come.

I have spoken to candidates who have lost loved ones to Covid-19, I have spoken to candidates who have had loved ones recover from it as well as still recovering. I have spoken to candidates who have lived on their own in Lockdown and have found it tough. Candidates who are doing voluntary work to help, to ones who are doing courses and passing with flying colours. I have had some conversations that will stay with me an exceptionally long time as we have let barriers down quicker than we normally would. I have proper belly laughed with candidates over the funniest or silliest of things. And as it gets to Friday afternoon and I still have 80+ CV’s from just today to look through, I have decided that from this week on, I will get back to as many candidates as I possibly can to let them know if they have been unsuccessful and I won’t just ignore them to save the abuse I’ve had in the past. As I like to think the people who were of that mindset before, have changed. Have learnt something in all of this and they too are a little bit kinder. As this recruiter has done a U-turn and with most people who do so, they have done it because of peer pressure or because they made a mistake. They simply reviewed something in a different time, with a different perspective and it was the right thing to do. Will I always get back to as many candidates as technology allows me to? Not sure. If the abuse accusations start again, I might review it, but I like to thing those special few candidates have also done a U-turn. A girl can dream.

Email: jo@winhurstrecruitment.co.uk

Tel: 0115 975 6513

@winhurstrec