Who owns the jobseeker?

Posted on February 15, 2007
Filed Under Advertising Mistakes, Resume Searches, Socially Responsible Recruiting |

For some reason, along the way, a power struggle has emerged about owning the jobseeker.

This quandary did not exist until the emergence of the Internet. An advertising outlets’ responsibility was to advertise employer job vacancies to jobseekers and when a jobseeker replied to that employer, they accomplished their mission.

A newspaper would print the address or fax number for the hiring manager. A jobseeker would apply. The newspaper never knew, or cared to own, the jobseeker. A radio or television spot would air with the employer’s recruitment message. The jobseeker would apply. Again, no one owned the jobseeker.

Today on 99% of the employment websites, a jobseeker must invest 10-30 minutes of his or her time to divulge their contact information, work history, education level and personal references. Why? So the job board can ‘own’ this information and resell it over and over. It is sold in the form of resume database access, recruit blast e-mails and in some cases, to marketing companies looking to sell training, credit cards or other promotional products.

Is this right? Absolutely not! Is this ethical? I don’t think so. Is this legal? I have my doubts.

What gives a publisher the rights to own, and sell, a readers information? If there was ever a violation of privacy - this may be it. Imagine the access that is given to identity thieves. How much information is on a jobseeker resume or employment application? Nearly everything but their social security number. Surely more than what you would find in the trash can outside their home.

Does a job board conduct a background check on the person or entity willing to buy access to the resume database? Nope. Is there any level of restriction? As long as a check is written, a set of keys is given. The only restriction is how many resumes can be viewed. The bigger the check - the more access.

Does this make you wonder why you hear all of the “Submit your resume for the chance to win a free iPod” commercials?

Disclosure:
At Recruiting Nevada we do not sell resume database access. We do not require the jobseeker to complete the lengthy forms required by others. We do not attempt, nor do we want, to own that jobseeker. Our job is to introduce jobseekers to quality employers; and employers to qualified jobseekers. This policy was implemented in 1996 and has never changed. From a pure business perspective, it has increased our response rate. Jobseekers know we value their privacy. Employers know we protect their best interests. Jobseekers can apply for a job in just a few minutes without leaving all of their personal data behind. It is in their resume - that they own. If they want an employer to see their resume, they will submit it. No one else has a right to it. Employers know that their high-level jobs will attract quality candidates; candidates that their competitors or third-party recruiters can not fish from the database.

This is just one post of many to come on “Socially Responsible Recruiting.”