Dear Job Doctor,

I received an automated response to my application stating that only candidates with the right profile will be contacted and that if I don’t hear back in a week, I was unsuccessful. Should I still follow up with the recruiter?

Many companies with constant demands and numerous generic positions advertised on an on-going basis, and support or volume focused recruitment firms adopt an automated response to all applications. This process is claimed to be a timesaving method.

However, in my opinion, it does surprise me that with so many companies and recruiters claiming to “put people first”, they still regularly use this type of impersonal response.

In fact, it’s not really a response at all. Unfortunately you’ll never know with your first application whether the company or recruiter has the appropriate internal processes or people-focused-behaviours to review, evaluate correctly, and assess your personal application and respond to you appropriately.

A strong indicator for low service and response levels are those companies and recruiters who use an anonymous address, such as “[email protected]” (see my previous column, “Anonymous addresses”). If at all possible, avoid sending your application to this type of address.

The fact is, you do not really know whether or not you meet the criteria for the role you have applied for if you get an automated response. All you do know is that your details have been received, which is actually better than no response at all, but still not good enough for a quality recruitment process. The company or recruiter has not informed you whether they have actually reviewed your details.

Therefore I would recommend following up if you strongly and honestly believe that you match the criteria for the job advertised. Remember to remain polite and courteous, so as to not jeopardise future applications. You should also take this opportunity to ask if there are other opportunities that may fit with your profile (my previous column “Response time” may also be helpful.)

Tip for the future: only send your details to an actual person if you feel you can add value to the person and match their core criteria on an advertisement (see my previous article “Finding the right contact”). This will help when you need to follow up your application.

Darren Robinson is managing director of Badenoch & Clark Luxembourg, the largest staffing and recruitment firm in the Grand Duchy.

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