How not to recruit
Living in Silicon Valley, I've grown accustomed to the inscrutable nature of recruiters. In a state where only the most senior employees are asked to sign a non-compete agreement, people jump from one company to the next at the drop of a hat. The recruiters are aggressive, contacting you in any way possible to get your attention. But even I was surprised by an email I recently received from Amazon:
Hi Nicholas,
You have been identified as a candidate for Amazon or one of its many affiliate companies. We require all candidates to complete an on-line application in order to move forward in the selection process. If you are interested in being considered for an employment opportunity with us, please follow the below link to complete a short application.
You will need to know your login name and password to access this form.
You are automatically assigned a system generated password. To access this password, click the link below, then click "Forgot your Login or Password?" link at the bottom of the page. Enter your login name and we will send you an e-mail with a link to reset your password.
Your login name is: [omitted]
https://amazon.icims.com/forms?form=Applicant_Information_Form_US&item=1041146
Please remember to visit our website regularly for a comprehensive up-to-date listing of our vacant positions and apply for the one that is right for you.
Thank you,
The Recruiting Teams of Amazon and its affiliates
* Please do not respond to this email, this email is unattended.
So it appears I received an automated recruitment email from Amazon.
Here's the thing: if I actually wanted to work for Amazon, this would have changed my mind. This may be the way to get more candidates quickly, but you won't get quality candidates using this approach. The chances I'll reply to an automated recruitment email is zero. The chances I'll reply to an email from an actual recruiter are about 5% (based on my own past behavior).
I can't imagine any good candidates being flattered by an automated email message asking them to fill out an application even before talking to a human being. If this is what recruitment is turning into, I know a lot of companies who better get used to receiving subpar applications.
December 11th, 2010 - 16:31
I got the exact same letter. We must be very special
I’ve actually received this letter twice. Same reaction: “Do they really think they’ll get anyone half decent to respond to this?” I deleted mine faster than I could blog about it.
December 13th, 2010 - 11:23
Recruiters don’t care about placing the right person, they care about placing *a* person. Any person will do. What’s that, the last guy didn’t work out? But he was a Java guy, that’s the same as JavaScript. Let me get back to you after lunch, I’m about to make a ham sandwich out of a hamster.
March 4th, 2011 - 22:22
I went and looked at the site. They want 3 pieces of information.
1) whether you can legally work in the US and 2,3) Your affirmative action profile: race and gender. The fact that they need the latter two pieces of information is extremely obnoxious. It’s not their fault. They have quotas they have to fill, and I’m sure they will use this automated system to help them focus their efforts.
I’m employed. Have been for 10 years at the same (oil) company. I’m in no hurry. I didn’t find this off putting–of course, I didn’t find it ego stroking either. It is what it is. 2 minutes later, I’m done, and if nothing comes of it, so what.
March 18th, 2011 - 09:46
another thing that raises a lot of concerns is the URL: amazon.icims.com
heard of amazon but not of icims
June 17th, 2011 - 19:39
I applied for Amazon SDE position few months ago. They called me after two months and scheduled the first interview. After 2 days I received the same email. I personally don’t take it as a spam since I am in the middle of my interviews with them.