To Apply or Not. The Dehumanisation of Todayís Job Applications

How many of you remember applying for your first job? How long did it take you? Was it a handwritten application, or did you use a word processor or a PC? How many screwed up pieces of paper did you fill up the bin with? What was the feedback? My personal experience was spending hours meticulously hand-writing, in block capitals and black ink, specifically what it was that attracted me to work for Company X and that seemed to take an age. Also I found every excuse I could to get up and do something else, go to the kitchen for yet more caffeine, look up that scintillating essay Iíd written on some such nonsense five years previously, start another piece of paper because there was a spelling mistake or blotchÖsounding familiar?

Nowadays thereís so much more information around on the subject so youíd think that it would be so much easier to do. But somehow it really isnít. The fact of the matter is, by writing down everything youíve done with your life, youíre opening yourself up for critique and enquiry. Needing to justify the decisions and actions youíve made. And thatís just plain hard no matter whether or not youíve got Googleís guiding hand to take you exactly where you need to go for the answers.

And the irony is that whilst the personal agony of actually writing the application remains, the things to include and how applications are selected has fundamentally changed.

People are no longer including much of what it is that makes them unique in their job applications. Advice abounds about age discrimination and whether or not dates of birth in job applications are acceptable. How many years experience candidatesí have is arguably one of the more contentious selection questions a recruiter can ask. Whilst supporting Chelsea football club could arguably give a rejected candidate rise to claim for discrimination if the interviewing manager supports Arsenal and the latest game is discussed at interview.

So what we really have here, instead of an insightful account of the true motivations of an individual, is actually nothing at all. The ëoh so personalí job application, at its very core, has lost its humanity and its personality.

And whilst the content of our job applications has been neutralised, so too has the very process sitting behind it. Online recruitment and ìkiller questionsî have replaced the beautifully formed application letter. ìDear Mr Smithî is now a perfectly and uniformly structured application form sent to either a faceless bulk email box or straight through processing candidate management system with supporting killer questions. They themselves automated. Heavens forbid a person would actually read the content of your sweat and tears. ìComputer says noî was an aptly coined phrase.

Isnít it ironic then that we hear talk of a ìWar for Talentî when we have these killer questions. Little wonder of a war when we kill the talent off before weíve even figured out whoís fighting! Are these the tactics of the battle field? Surely we should take a long hard look at the people in the battle, should we not? Is it possible to spot a sailor from a pilot (or a pirate) without actually looking at the uniform? Computer says noÖ

So whatís the answer? Well itís simple. Next time you have a bundle of job applications to look at, or youíre reviewing your application process, spare a thought to the first job application you ever did. What were you hoping for in response? And build elements of that special something thatís uniquely you into what you create. You are of course, the best and most perfect job applicant in the world, are you not?

Michelle Fischer1
Creative Leadership

1 Michelle Fischer, Director and Partner of Creative Leadership Ltd, is an exceptional and talented Resourcing and Development all-rounder. Creative Leadership Ltd promote an integrated approach to selecting and developing people and businesses, supporting growth and advancement at every point. To find out more visit www.clppd.co.uk or contact us on 01202 424250 or info@clppd.co.uk

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