Why don't jobs ever respond?

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Why is it that whenever you fill out an application whether online or on paper, you never hear from the business. I have filled out several job applications, and rarely hear from any of them. It is so annoying and rude that they never contact you. If they are not interested in hiring you then why can't they call you back and tell you that? Why do they just ignore you?

Although it does feel very disheartening and rude not to hear back from anyone when you're applying for jobs, sadly that's pretty much standard practice by employers these days. Most positions are usually competed for by so many applicants that it's become routine for only the successful one to be contacted, while everyone else gets no response.

Try not to take it too personally, but just as something that happens these days.

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Call or deposit your resume+application in person....and then call in later.
Give it, say, a week. Then call after whenever they say the hiring manager will be back.

The first thing you learn in a job search is that the human resources department almost always run interference for the hiring department's manager. The golden rule with HR when fielding applications is "When in doubt, screen them out."

Normally, you would want to get your application in front of the hiring manager. However, I ding out the hiring manager's name is like pulling teeth.

This is one of the reasons I despise online systems like Taleo. Management has the AI engine set so specific that It weeds out everybody, except those who know how to satisfy the AI engines rules.

It was like that when I was out of work 30 years ago. Back then, maybe 20% responded, usually with a form letter thanking me and saying that my application will be kept on file for 6 months (does this mean their dustbins are emptied twice a year? ). Nowadays, one should assume one didn't get the job unless the company makes contact. Sending out so many letters might cut into management's bonus or some such thing.

On the other hand, nobody calls a spade a spade any more. I remember one outfit I had an interview with and I called it after about a week. I had been promised that someone would get back to me "tomorrow". That was several years ago. I'm still waiting..... Then there was one firm I met with and, within 72 hours, I was told that the "focus of the job has changed". (Pig's ear, I say.) Another didn't say anything until I called it. I was told by the personnel rep that she was "about to write" the response. (Uh-huh, and I'm Napoleon Bonapate's grandfather.)

I'm semi-retired now, so I don't worry about looking for a job any more. But, in an ironic twist, the aforementioned "tomorrow" company now makes money for me. A firm I own shares in bought it several years ago and now that outfit is contributing to my net worth. Sometimes, one never knows how things are going to work out.....

An older fellow in Aerospace told me to try and find the name and phone number of the actual hiring manager, which can be difficult to do. But if you can find this information, give him or her a call, and after briefly and matter-of-factly introducing yourself, he recommends saying,

"I've already sent HR a copy of my resume. May I send you a copy also?"

Another annoyance has to do with advertising a position one week before the deadline for applications. The Pa SSHE (State System of Higher Education, which are the state-owned schools in PA (Not Pitt, Temple or the State Penn, er Penn State) were notorious for this practice. For some reason, they had to advertise in the local newspapers in addition to the various academic journals, which had the vacancy announcements in their publications months before they advertised in the local newspapers. It doubly hacked me off when I had the requirements they were looking for, but I was never considered for the position because of the publication date in the local paper.

I hate the open-ended way it's handled these days.

I have applied to hundreds of jobs in the past 8 years, and almost every single one required online applications, not paper in person or via mail.
SO, why did only like three of the companies have their system send out an email saying they'd hired someone else? It's a built in function of all of these systems and most companies choose not to use it? Why? Why not, rather?

lol, I applied for a lot of jobs at my old company (largest employer in the state), and almost always got a rejection form 'letter' (email), so, when I didn't, I'd report it to HR, because it means the rep assigned to those positions had turned the feature off.

Trying to explain that change to my older husband who had been at his prior job long before the electronic applications thing and the recession... it was fruitless to say the least. He'd be waiting and waiting for replies. I'm like, just pretend you threw that app in the trashcan if you don't hear back right away.

It's a pain to take the humanity out, but, I also wonder if electronic screenings are helping prevent discrimination? I wonder if a study has been done on that?