In this blog, Gemma from our Member Services Team, looks at a new campaign from CharityJob, and why it’s important for an organisation to reply to all job applications.
It can be daunting applying for a new job.
Not to mention stressful.
We’ve all been there; trying to find the time to concentrate on your job application, updating your CV from memory and hoping you haven’t missed out anything important, hurrying to catch the deadline of a job advert that you’ve only just seen but really liked the look of.
So after all that effort, surely the least we can hope for is a reply? An acknowledgement that the experience was at least worthwhile and that our application was valued?
Unfortunately not it seems, as a recent HCI blog suggests that up to 75% of applicants never hear back from employers after submitting a job application.
The last few years have been tough and extremely busy for recruiters in most sectors, especially the VCSE sector, but new research by CharityJob found that 79% of jobseekers would not apply to an organisation in the future if they had ignored a previous job application. That’s a damaging statistic that employers can’t afford to ignore.
That’s why CharityJob have launched their #GetBackToMe campaign to encourage all employers to get back in touch with all candidates, no matter what stage their application has reached. By finding the time to reply to all applicants, an organisation not only enhances its reputation as an employer, but also increases their future hiring potential. Read the latest CharityJob blog to find out more about the campaign and how you can adopt its principles in your organisation’s own recruitment practices.
As an organisation, VONNE has always tried to adopt good practices to get the best out of our staff and services. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer and have also signed up to the Open to All pledge to make our roles more accessible. As a #ShowTheSalary supporter, we are committed to always show the salary for vacancies we advertise, and encourage recruiters using our Job Finder service to do the same.
We’ve also tried to culture a positive experience of applying to work with us. We reply to everyone who applies for a role we’ve advertised. Questions regarding roles or working for us are actively encouraged, and for those who are invited to interview, we will provide the candidates with a copy of the interview questions prior to their interview. You can read more about our recruitment practises in our recent blog, ‘Doing recruitment differently to find our new DCEO’.
When I was invited to interview for my role at VONNE, I must say I found this approach refreshing, and it put me at ease during my interview knowing that I wasn’t going to be thrown by a question I wasn’t expecting. It allowed me to relax and present the best version of myself that I could. As I approach marking my first year’s anniversary with VONNE, I hope other candidates that have followed have felt the same.