What Happened to Old Fashioned Courtesy

There is no doubt that old fashioned courtesy has gone out the window in this job market.  One could argue that this has been happening for a while and not just when it comes to job seekers.  The common courtesy of please and thank you, allowing someone to get in front of you to make a turn or exit off of a train...it's not that we don't see it at times, it's just that courtesy used to be a given and now it's an exception.

I've found that people don't seem to be very courteous in this crazy market.

A friend in human resources insists that it's not about courtesy, just about volume.  I do buy that to an extent.  I know there are a lot more resumes per opening than there were a few years ago, so communicating with applicants has become a much bigger task.  I also know that some acknowledgment, even when it's a turn down e-mail, is better than not hearing anything.  It's just too easy to feel like you're operating in a black hole when you hear nothing.  And that's a lonely place to be!

I've received several computer generated acknowledgments from companies, and while I'd prefer the human touch, any and all communication is welcomed.  When I get something back from a company I at least know my paperwork or e-mail was received and that I'm somewhere in the system.

I've also received a Dear Applicant turn down e-mail.  Here, too, I was actually grateful for the contact.   The e-mail itself was well written, emphasizing the large pool of qualified candidates and the need to focus on those who had the most relevant experience.  I came from an HR role in which I had responsibility for recruiting and can appreciate the need to concentrate on those who most closely match my job criteria.  I actually wrote back to the company to thank them for the turn down e-mail.  At least I knew where I stood.

The message here - don't personalize it when you don't hear back from a company you've applied to.  This lack of courtesy is probably tied into volume.  It's not that it's OK.  I just can't afford to doubt my ability because people don't respond or can't see beyond the stack of resumes on their desk to see what a catch I am.  I have to remember that it's more about the folks at the other end and the market than about my worth as a candidate or as a human being.