Is following up the HR manager irritating or proactive?
Kate Southam, Editor CareerOne.com.au
Ask Kate Column – Is following up an application annoying or proactive?
Linlea writes: “I was applying for a job direct to the company but through the HR manager. It’s a fairly small company. My question deals specifically with the role HR actually plays in job applications.
Does HR shortlist applicants or simply compile the applications to send onto the hiring manager. And if you “˜annoy’ the HR manager, will this ruin your chances of being shortlisted?
I contacted the HR manager to talk about the role, sent a confirmation email, personally handed in work samples, rang her to ask if I could send her an updated resume and sent that updated resume twice due to a technical glitch.
My friend, who knows someone in HR, thinks I ruined my chances by being annoying.”
Relax Linlea. I think you were proactive and showed you were keen so full points to you.
As for the role HR plays, it differs from employer to employer and the seniority of the role. Some HR managers will do the basic pre-screening of resumes to ensure the applicants have what was being asked for in the job ad and then hand the whole bunch of resumes over to the hiring manager. Some will arrange for a short list including having preferred candidates under go psychometric testing or other pre-selection testing.
I would agree with your friend that ticking off the HR manager could see your resume binned before the hiring manger sees it. However, I don’t think you have done anything wrong.
Post script: I received another email from Linlea a couple of weeks later:
“Unfortunately, while I was unsuccessful, the HR manager thanked me for dropping in my hard copy samples and asked for my permission to retain my details on file for any future opportunities as my experience was highly regarded but did not match as closely as the other candidate. An acquaintance of mine also applied but was not asked if her details could be retained.”
Ask Kate, written by CareerOne.com.au Editor Kate Southam, is syndicated by News Limited newspapers around Australia.
