Editor, Publisher

Most companies that post help wanted ads in newspapers are generally very good about replying to jobseekers in relation to these ads.  However, there are still many companies that don’t.  These staffing departments routinely overlook the task of mailing out short but polite rejection letters to jobseekers that are earnestly seeking employment with them.  What are some possible reasons for neglecting this once customary procedure? 

Main Reason Employers Don't Send Response Letters

Well, I believe that the great majority of cases have to do with the fact that many recruitment teams simply don’t have the time to carry out this usually tedious task anymore.  Staffing departments at large companies can receive anywhere between 50 to a 200 job inquiring letters a week and not to mention the countless inquiries they may receive in the form of phone calls and emails.  They’re usually understaffed and overtaxed with a multitude of duties and in order to stay on top of their more pressing assignments, less important tasks such as routinely whipping out response letters to jobseekers unfortunately have to be eliminated. 

Other Reasons For Not Sending Response Letters

Time may be a big concern for large companies with upscale recruitment departments devoted to promoting workforce diversification, ensuring company-wide fair hiring practices and overseeing placement of new employees, but what about smaller companies?  Is time a big factor for a company with less extensive staffing operations?  Would a 4-person operated auto shop or a sole proprietorship that has only 2 people on its payroll be driven by the same time constraints as a larger company?  Would smaller operations be forced to abandon popular recruitment practices because of timing issues as well?  I say yes.  Smaller companies are faced with some of the same challenges that larger companies are plagued by, but they can also encounter additional ones, problems that may be inherent to solely operating small or novice staffing operations.  See  possible problem areas below. 

Job Ads May Provide Clues

While no jobseeker can predict with certainty which companies will be courteous and produce replies and which ones won’t, jobseekers can at least scan job ads for what I call faint giveaways to potential non-replying companies.  The key thing to look for in the ad is a post office box with the omission of a company’s name.  Usually this is a good indicator of a company that may have no intentions of replying to jobseekers.  These companies usually like to avoid including their business name to avoid receiving phone calls or further correspondence from applicants curious about the status of their resumes.

Employers Testing Out Alternative Reply Methods

Like I said earlier, for the most part, employers are good about following up with jobseekers.  Many try to get back to applicants within 3 to 6 weeks by conventional mail.  Others are testing out email to help in responding to applicants.  Not only does email appear to improve a company’s response time, but it can also help to shave down the amount of time clerical workers spend on typing letters and stuffing envelopes and can also help to reduce a company's postage costs. 

Also still, other companies are looking ahead to online feedback boards as a convenient way to update candidates on the status of their resumes.  What’s an online feedback board?  Well, it’s a job update page that can be conveniently accessed right from a company’s website, which illustrates a full list of job applicants (naturally home/business addresses omitted) responding to a particular job opening, the job title again, job description, the various sources the ad ran in, dates the ad ran and the hiring official’s decision concerning each resume submission.

Don't Keep Holding Your Breath

If you’re a jobseeker that mailed a resume and cover letter to an employer more than 6 or 8 weeks ago and you still haven’t heard back from them, more than likely YOU WON'T.  More than likely they’ve already found somebody for the job and just decided not to waste a stamp notifying you of the fact.  And as badly as I’m sure you wanted the position, still try not to lose sleep over it.  This is obviously a company that you wouldn’t have wanted to work for anyway.  If they didn’t bother to send you a response letter or even a cheap postcard with the simple line written on it, “We have already regrettably filled the position,” then you definitely don’t want to waste anymore valuable energy worrying about it still.  Besides, any company that doesn’t care about the negative image it might be subtly projecting to the public, even in a diminutive sense by not responding to 30 or so applicants, is a company that a jobseeker should take great measures to avoid. 

Stay Positive

Instead, you should mentally pump yourself.  What do I mean by this?  Well, start by reminding yourself of your many good qualities.  Remind yourself that you’re a worthy person that deserves to be regularly treated in a courteous, professional manner and that it’s always a company’s loss when they choose not to explore your credentials further.  Work hard to keep a positive attitude throughout the rest of your job-hunting experience.  Keep reminding yourself that you have many skills/capabilities that are valued by companies around the globe.  Remind yourself that any company would be lucky to have you working for them someday.  Remind yourself of the great things that you've accomplished in either school or in previous working situations.  Think about times when a former boss might've told you that you did a great job organizing a huge event or at writing an important letter or at completing a project way before its critical deadline.  Seriously think about the different things that you've accomplished at school, at work or in volunteer situations and keep reminding yourself of them. 

Whatever you do, don't mentally beat up on yourself. Trust me, a smart employer will invite you in for a job interview soon enough.  So, in the meantime, keep your head up!