News for the Hospitality Executive |
Why Hospitality Employers Are Poor
at Replying to Job Applications
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by Jeff N Ross, Managing Director, Hospitality Graduate
Recruitment
LUZERN, SWITZERLAND, September 28th, 2007 - �Why do hospitality employers not respond to job applications?� � This is a question that I often get asked by young hospitality students and alumni. A fair question if this is indeed the case, and seemingly it is. Just this month I visited 3 hotel schools in Switzerland and during the question and answer session at the end of my presentation, I asked if anyone had directly experienced this scenario. Approximately 70% of the students indicated that they had submitted job applications in response to an advertisement, and they had never received a response from the prospective employer. There are of course two sides to every coin, and one can empathise with both parties. On the one hand, from an employer�s perspective, the volume of applications (especially via email) to a job posting can be extremely high and consequently very time consuming to process. This in itself, of course, is no excuse not to reply. Quality and relevance of job applications are perhaps the biggest factors behind lack of employer response, and the feedback we have received from certain hospitality employers is that if the applicant cannot make the effort to produce an error-free cover letter (or email) and CV, then they are not prepared to invest time in any response to the applicant. Harsh words, but understandable to an extent in situations where an application has clearly been sent without thought or suitability to the job posting. The moral issue remains however, whether every applicant is entitled to a response and some feedback about their job application. In an ideal world, yes indeed! On the other hand, from an applicant�s perspective, the consensus is clear. All applicants want and expect a response to every application they make, even if it is a simple regret from the employer. What can be done therefore to narrow this expectation gap? Applicants should:
There is no easy solution for managing and responding to applications,
and ultimately each employer must evaluate the impact that their response
processes have upon the applicant, and future recruitment needs.
General innovation in recruitment strategy and methods are becoming a clearer
priority for many of the world�s leading employers, and rightly so.
About Hospitality Graduate Recruitment (h-g-r)
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Contact:
Jeff Ross, Managing Director
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Also See: | Retaining Hospitality Graduates: Employer, Graduate and Recruitment Perspectives / Jeff Ross / July 2007 |
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