When did the job search process get broken? Years ago, getting a new job was a straightforward process.
- You typed up your resume and took it to a print shop.
- The print shop gave you back 50 or 100 copies of your resume.
- You read job ads in the newspaper and replied to them.
- You heard back from a few of the employers you had written to.
- You had one, two or maybe three job interviews at most for any given role.
- You got a job offer
- You got hired.
That was it! Now the job-search process is excruciating. More automation has made things worse, not better. On top of that, the people you deal with as a job-seeker looking for a new role are often rude, brusque and condescending. Why is the job-search process so arduous and so hard on your self-esteem?
Here are five reasons for the deterioration of the job search experience, and the recruiting process in general.
The Advent of Applicant Tracking Systems
Applicant tracking systems started showing up in corporate and institutional recruiting programs in the early nineteen-nineties. They are a pox — undoubtedly the worst application of technology ever employed to solve a human problem.
Two seconds of thought would tell us that you can’t hire great people by spotting keywords in their resumes, but that hasn’t stopped employers from jumping on the Applicant Tracking System bandwagon. Who knows how many fantastic job-seekers they’ve turned away with their talent-repelling recruiting processes?
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