Online Job Applications A Pain For Companies

from the stop-applying-for-jobs-already! dept

Tue, Sep 17th 2002 11:12am — Mike Masnick

There's apparently a law that says US companies need to keep detailed records of the race and gender of people who apply for jobs. This is obviously part of an effort to fight discrimination, which is certainly a good thing. However, the rules say that everyone needs to be counted, no matter how serious the applicant is. With the popularity of easily applying for jobs online, there are tons of useless resumes sumbitted to companies who simply can't keep up with the demand to keep accurate records. Some companies say they've had to hire additional people just to check with each and every applicant on their race and gender (which seems like it could give the impression of discrimination, rather than the opposite - since many potential employees will be confused as to why they need to share such info).

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

10 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

digispice, 17 Sep 2002 @ 11:19am

hmmm...
I seem to remember havingthis discussion with the finance guy of the student government I worked for at school. I didn't want to mark down the info. He told me that he would then be instructed by the government to have me observed for racial and sexual characteristics. Or something like thta. Pretty creepy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Russ Little, 17 Sep 2002 @ 2:53pm

Online form to record info
I work for a company that had this same problem with hundreds of online applicants per job posting. It was becoming a major headache to send them all surveys. HR decided that if they apply online they can fill out the survey online. So we built a little web based database app that they can send out in response to an online application that asks the applicant to fill out all of the demographic information they would like to share.
HR can use the web based tool to view the results and download them for reporting. They estimate this has saved them thousands of dollars in postage alone, not to mention hundreds of hours to create the mailing lists and open the returned surveys and enter the data.
Pretty easy solution.

[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Cathy Cooper, 25 Feb 2004 @ 7:23pm
  
  Re: Online form to record info
  I have put my application on-line hundreds of time trying to secure employment....not only have I not received a form by mail to enable the company to record my sex and race, I have not seen on on-line...furthermore I have not even had one response to my effects....Having only worked for 2 companies in 20 years and having excellent skills....I wonder if they just are just deleting the emails.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Cathy Cooper, 25 Feb 2004 @ 7:24pm
  
  Re: Online form to record info
  I have put my application on-line hundreds of time trying to secure employment....not only have I not received a form by mail to enable the company to record my sex and race, I have not seen on on-line...furthermore I have not even had one response to my efforts....Having only worked for 2 companies in 20 years and having excellent skills....I wonder if they just are just deleting the emails.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Smith, 26 May 2007 @ 9:47pm

http://www.jobshutt.com/links.php?sid=33&pageno=1
Up to 10,000 Latest Jobs In Pakistan Avialable. Forign Country Jobs Also Avialable.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Yunus shahalami, 2 Apr 2009 @ 7:30am
  
  Re: http://www.jobshutt.com/links.php?sid=33&pageno=1
  can you please send me the information about the jobs that are availble in pakistan and around the world please i cant access your website at the momment for some resaon
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mike, 10 Oct 2007 @ 9:57am

Who would have believed?
Who would have believed?
I thought it was a joke but it wasn’t.

Scenario:
I applied a Jobs using the may real name – never received a call for even a phone interview
I applied the same day with a different name, different layout same resume did received a e-mail followed by phone call

By the way I have tried this method for 3 different companies and it worked
If you do not believe me try your self- use very strange name then use the very ….. Name

Who would have thought a MBA graduate & Computer science graduate for accredited US University will first be judged by it color and the originality for even an entry level job?

Thought of changing name ---- well… no!
I will keep trying until those who believe, it is not a color or origin that define work performance
Until then I will keep try!

Anyone out there!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mike, 10 Oct 2007 @ 9:57am

Who would have believed?
Who would have believed?
I thought it was a joke but it wasn’t.

Scenario:
I applied a Jobs using the may real name – never received a call for even a phone interview
I applied the same day with a different name, different layout same resume did received a e-mail followed by phone call

By the way I have tried this method for 3 different companies and it worked
If you do not believe me try your self- use very strange name then use the very ….. Name

Who would have thought a MBA graduate & Computer science graduate for accredited US University will first be judged by it color and the originality for even an entry level job?

Thought of changing name ---- well… no!
I will keep trying until those who believe, it is not a color or origin that define work performance
Until then I will keep try!

Anyone out there!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Online Job Nepal, 15 Dec 2009 @ 12:38am

Beware of Possible Scam Form
The Internet is very convenient for job hunting because you can find vacancies in different parts of the country and even the world! You new employer can be from the USA, Canada, France or Hungary. However, the same feature makes the Internet a very effective tool for fraudulent activity. That’s why looking for decent project jobs online, you can become a victim of scammers. so be careful before filling any online forms.Online Job Nepal
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Michelle, 19 Jan 2010 @ 9:51am

Disclosing Race for Online Applications
I find it ridiculous that we have gone so far as to rquire companies to keep track of race on job applications! I want a company to hire me for my expertise, not my skin color. Online provides the best anonymity a job applicant could ask for. I mean realistically how can somone complain of discrimination by e-mail or electronic submission unless of course you are REQUIRED to tell people you are hispanic, black, or white. Without this requirement companies would be forced to chose the best candidate for the position and consider nothing else. Have we lost our senses?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]