Recruitment
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent research his Department has carried out into the psychological effect on job seekers of employers not responding to their application.
Answered by Department for Work and Pensions
The government recognises concerns about modern recruitment practices raised by young people who contributed to Alan Milburn's interim review of the rise in the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Many reported submitting large numbers of job applications but receiving either no response or only automated rejections.
The government is considering these concerns and will respond to any recommendations arising from Alan Milburn's final review once it is published.
The government is not aware of any jurisdiction that legally requires employers to respond individually to every job application and has no current plans to introduce such a requirement. However, unsuccessful applicants may wish to seek feedback from employers on their application. They may also ask an employer to review a recruitment decision if they believe they have been discriminated against or that the recruitment process was not applied fairly or consistently.
The government has not conducted recent research into the psychological impact on jobseekers of receiving no response to a job application.
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