“The worst thing is the waiting and wondering if they got my letter. I don’t care if they don’t want me; they should just let me know.”
Bill Topaz is discussing what he calls the “horror” of job hunting responding to blind recruitment ads that describe jobs but don’t identify employers. Such ads invite candidates to reply to a box number, either through a post office or the publication in which the ad appears.
Mr. Topaz, a former division director for the Aberdeen Group, an Addison, Ill., publisher, has answered about 40 blind ads since he lost his job in March, and received standard form-letter replies to 10 at most. Answering made him anxious, he says, because he knew nothing about the companies. He didn’t know whether to address his letters to Mr., Mrs. or Ms., and what specifics to include about himself.
Few aspects of job hunting annoy candidates as much as blind recruitment ads. Since they don’t know the employers, job hunters can’t make informed decisions about responding. They also can’t call hiring managers to discuss the openings and their qualifications. And, because replies are rare, many job seekers wonder what happens to their letters and why they’re rejected for seemingly well-fitting positions.
Why do companies use blind ads? According to human resource managers, blind ads are necessary for cost competitive reasons. Ads in major publications that identify employers may attract thousands of telephone calls and letters. Fielding the calls and responding to the letters is time-consuming and expensive. By running a blind ad, companies can avoid the hassle and expense. Most firms that use blind ads feel little obligation to reply to candidates, managers say.
“In times like these, there are certain positions where you know you’ll receive 500 or 600 resumes,” says Fred Brown, director of human resources for the Associated Group, an Indianapolis health insurer. “For us to respond to this volume is burdensome.”
Rob Harris, supervisor of human resources for Rheox corp., a specialty chemicals manufacturer in Highstown, N.J., says his company identifies itself in recruitment ads for highly specialized positions that attract a limited response. In these cases, naming the company may make the ads more attractive, he says.
Rheox is more likely to use blind ads for positions which attract hundreds of applicants, such as a general management job. Not having to answer phone calls allows the human resources department to review the resumes and respond in writing, he says.
“Personally, I don’t care for [blind ads],” he says. “ But if I were recruiting an HR manager and didn’t have time to deal with the calls, I’d use them.”
Some firms use blind ads to line up prospective employees in anticipation of landing a major contract, says Mr. Brown in Indianapolis. It’s often wise not to inform current employees of the pending contract in case it falls through, he says.
Companies with poor public images also use blind ads to attract employees who otherwise might not be interested, he adds.
Why do recruitment firms and ad agencies place ads that don’t identify employers? Some recruiters are blunt about why they don’t disclose an employer’s name. “The reason is obvious,” says Ann Hunsucker, a Manager at Excell Associates Inc., a Cordova, Tenn., search firm. “If the (candidate) fits our ad, he can call the company directly and we don’t get any money.”
Others say employers don’t believe that high caliber candidates respond to blind ads, either because they don’t want to apply to unknown entities or, possibly, their own companies. To attract applicants, yet avoid being deluged with replies, these companies place ads through third parties. This gives job seekers an intermediary to talk with to decide if they want to respond.
“Some people may be reluctant to send a letter, but when they can talk to a human being and find out the company isn’t theirs, they may be willing to provided some data,” says Mr. Schlobohm.
Thomas J. Brindisi, a Lutherville, Md., recruiter says he runs ads that describe his clients without naming them to attract a wide range of prospects. He encourages phone calls by printing his telephone number in the ads. If a caller has potential, “I’ll tell them the name of the client so they’ll know who they are dealing with,” he says.
Mr. Silverio at Austin Knight says ads placed by his agency state that resumes won’t be sent to certain companies upon request. “We don’t let the company or the applicant know it wasn’t sent on,” he says. “We just pretend that resume never existed.”
Do blind ads represent real jobs? Company recruiters and newspaper officials say blind ads represent actual positions. Because of the expense of advertising, Mr. Brown says it’s “ludicrous” to suggest that firms might place ads just to see who’s available or to see whether their own employees are looking around. “You don’t run an ad and spend the money without an actual opening,” he says.
A fraudulent employment ad would generate reader complaints at the Dallas Times Herald, says Toni Morgan, classified telemarketing manager. However, no readers have complained in her 14 years at the paper, she says.
Do recruiters pretend there’s a real job just to flush out good candidates? Recruiters vehemently deny this practice. The ethics committee of the Association of Executive Search Consultants hasn’t received any complaints about member advertising, says Glenn Van Doren, president of the New York-based professional group. The organization, which consists of recruiters who are paid retainer fees by clients regardless of whether a position is filled, discourages recruitment advertising except when required by clients or employment laws.
How likely am I to find a job by responding to a blind ad? Answering classified ads – blind or otherwise – isn’t a highly rated job-hunting technique. Only 5% of senior executives and 13% of mid-level executives found jobs through advertisements last year, according to a survey of outplacement managers by Drake Beam Morin Inc. in New York. Career advisers say to rely more on networking as a source of leads, but reply to classified ads as part of a well-rounded search campaign.
Why don’t companies answer my inquiries? Companies that identify themselves in ads usually respond to rejected applicants to ensure good will and avoid losing potential customers. Writing to hundreds of applicants can be expensive, however, considering that replying costs $2 to $3 per letter, corporate recruiters say. But if a company hasn’t disclosed it’s name, there’s no compelling reason to reply, says Mr. Schlobohm. “Replying is an administrative burden, and since (job hunters) don’t know who the company is in the first place, we don’t have a sense of obligation to respond,” he says.
By not responding to blind ads and to unsolicited resumes, the firms have no official record of such candidates. Hence, they don’t have to document them in their logs, which could skew their hiring percentages, she says. Since so many organizations have federal contracts, this practice is potentially widespread.
“It boils down to a numbers game,” Ms. Poff says. By not replying, “it keeps them from putting a record in their system, since there’s no proof.”
Is there any way to uncover the name of an employer running a blind ad? Postal authorities must disclose names of companies renting postal boxes, but not individuals. By calling post offices listed in several blind ads, Mr. Topaz, the former publishing executive, says he’s been able to identify several companies running ads that intrigued him. In two cases, he decided he didn’t want to reply. In the others, he did some research, identified “real people” to write to, and “got a little jump” on other candidates, he says.
Are there other ways of responding to blind ads that will boost my chances? Mr. Jones at Furst Transitions advises job hunters to delay their responses so their resumes don’t get screened out in the initial crunch of replies. To know how long to wait, place the newspaper ad in your kitchen window and respond when it turns yellow, he says.
“If your resume is the only one showing up on a desk 10 days later, it may get more consideration than those that arrived in the beginning,” Mr. Jones says. By then, the company “may not have found who they want and you may get an audience.”
Executive recruiters say resumes and cover letters should be impeccable, with no typographical errors. The resume should clearly state your experience and background and closely match the requirements in the ad.
“If you’re a professional person at a senior level, your resume should reflect that,” says Dale Winston, president of Battalia & Associates Inc., a New York-based recruiting firm that recently placed a blind ad for a client. “When we see misspellings, we find it totally inexcusable.”
Ms. Hunsucker at Excel Associates advertises frequently for national clients seeking manufacturing executives. She says she prefers help-wanted ads to other recruiting methods, such as researching names. Respondents to ads usually are serious about wanting to change jobs, whereas executives she contacts through research often aren’t willing to move, she says.
This article is reprinted by permission from the National Business Employment Weekly, © 1993, Dow Jones & Co. Inc. All rights reserved. For subscription information, call (800)Job-Hunt. |
