Recruitment and personal security

H

Hoteltango

New Member
How many times have you been asked to submit all your certificates, documents, application forms with all your personal details including your parents addresses and next of kin details, photographs of yourself, bank account details, blood group and bloody sperm count at the FIRST STAGE of the recruitment process?

It is ridiculous! Especially when you bare in mind that none of your information is safe with these companies.

Unfortunately, so many companies expect you to apply with all this personal data without knowing any information on the position, location, pay or rotation.

My CV does not have my address on. I will only disclose personal information when a job offer is made and I am happy with the company, and the terms being offered. When I reply with this (politely written) I am treated like a leper.

People in this industry demand to be treated like professionals, and yet practises like this are just accepted. Documents and references are to be checked at the final stage of the recruitment process!
 
I cant speak for others, but our first stage recruiting process is one that asks for generic information.

Yes we want name, address, dob; but if an applicant wants to put their first name only and town in address that is fine.

As for the rest, the only thing we ask for that is traceable is any professional registrations. But again it is up to the applicant to choose whether to put "SIA CP Badge", or their unique number.

We believe that this is sufficient to do the initial sift, it is enough information to answer two key questions:-

Are they qualified as per the advert,
&
Do they know what they are talking about.

The personal information can come later, for us at least.
 
A valid point about documentation, how ever screening is an ongoing process and is the core element of a recruitment drive and starts when candidates are selected for interview.

How ever failing to provide basic contact details such as your address on a CV seems a little strange.

What ever contact details you use, be it email address or mobile phone number can be traced back to source, how ever time consuming. Prior to inviting you in for interview, basic screening checks would be completed to enable the recruiter to start building up a candidate profile. For this your address would be the ideal starting point.

From a personal opinion, you send me your CV with no address its binned - if I can not do a basic screening from information within the CV then you will not get in through the door and like many other companies out here I would not have time to play detective tracing email addresses, mobile phone numbers back to source.

But there are operatives within the industry who are very quick to hand over their documentation, its usually those who are trying to get their foot in the door or those who have no idea about or little knowledge of persec.

I am not knocking you, it is a very valid point that you have made, at the end of the day its your choice - but at times I think a little common sense needs to be applied.
 
Please do bare in mind I am talking about overseas work here where telephone/Skype interviews are usually carried out.

Email and mobile phone is perfectly adequate for getting in touch before preliminary job offers are made.
 
Merely for convenience not anonymity, but again as a recruiter I do not have the time to play detective - so CV binned.
 
Hoteltango said:
Email and mobile phone is perfectly adequate for getting in touch before preliminary job offers are made.
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But you still need to stand out, as Larpy says. Your no-address CV is going to have to really shine in terms of training and experience, to be deflected from the B folder :)

So if your going to include all that, why leave out your address?
 
Well that sort of attitude is why there are so many shit operators out there.

You have immediately binned anyone who has served in the special forces or has a grasp of personal security.

I would be mortified if any of my staff binned CVs for such a pathetic reason.
 
I think there is a middle ground here.

When I look at your CV, I'm not the least bit interested if you live at 742 Evergreen Terrace, how is that meaningful information to anyone? I agree with Hotel Tango, if you bin my CV because I won't tell someone I have never met exactly where they can find my kids, then jog on.

However, you should at the very least state the city where you are based. If I need someone to start on a job in Mayfair at 08:00 tomorrow morning and I don't find out until the last minute that you actually live in Estonia, then I'm not going to be best pleased.

Compromise and common sense.
 
Hoteltango said:
Well that sort of attitude is why there are so many shit operators out there.

You have immediately binned anyone who has served in the special forces or has a grasp of personal security.

I would be mortified if any of my staff binned CVs for such a pathetic reason.
Click to expand...

Hands up any former SF that emails a CV to an unknown/untrusted source :) !!!
 
No Address, No Number, No Picture, No unknown end users...

This has always worked for me and generally keeps away all the idiots who just want to read about some team experiences and then email you with an invitation to their Facebook.
 
Hoteltango said:
Well that sort of attitude is why there are so many shit operators out there.
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Thats quite an aggressive response to the common sense assertion that anonymous CVs need to stand out.

Really? Thats the reason why the industry is difficult? That is funny

Looks to me like you are showing your true colours: everyone else is to blame?

All I said was we don't recruit by asking for a full list of personal info, but that by missing stuff out you had better have something to make up for it. Reality is tough! Don't blame me for someone undercutting you.
 
Customloads said:
Thats quite an aggressive response to the common sense assertion that anonymous CVs need to stand out.

Really? Thats the reason why the industry is difficult? That is funny

Looks to me like you are showing your true colours: everyone else is to blame?

All I said was we don't recruit by asking for a full list of personal info, but that by missing stuff out you had better have something to make up for it. Reality is tough! Don't blame me for someone undercutting you.
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It wasn't aimed at you CL :)
 
The other side of the coin is that half the companies are not registered under the data protection act. And then your c.v gets sent onto a "client" especially in the maritime sector.
 
Here i go again !Wtf ! I never gave any details except my name and the name of someone who could vouch for me and a contact phone number,given to attend a meeting where subject matter could be shown and discussed with the relevant names and incedents plus past team members bantered about (basicaly the bullshit meeting).I recently needed six people for a position and passed the word around for= e mail information to produce to the principal on the calibre of men he was getting,all i wanted to show was first name (surname was deleted)country of birth ,which armed forces and branch,length of years in this line of work,religion and current photograph with height. and of course who could vouch for them operational wise.Of course all this came about with regards to the problems in Ireland and of course the countries that sympathised with the problems and supplied the bad boys with funding,equipment and most of all intell, i always feel that the companies and TPs who ask for the kitchen sink have never operated in the real world at the highest level,yes i know there are a few companies who will read this and say B*LL**ks but thats the way it is with some.
 
PADDYOS said:
The other side of the coin is that half the companies are not registered under the data protection act. And then your c.v gets sent onto a "client" especially in the maritime sector.
Click to expand...

Yep. Before CP, no one I didn't know well had my mobile number. Since my CV has done the rounds in the CP market I have received at least half a dozen phone calls from George Agdgdgwngo from your friendly local Ugandan bank.
 
keeniemeenieman said:
Here i go again !Wtf ! I never gave any details except my name and the name of someone who could vouch for me and a contact phone number,given to attend a meeting where subject matter could be shown and discussed with the relevant names and incedents plus past team members bantered about (basicaly the bullshit meeting).I recently needed six people for a position and passed the word around for= e mail information to produce to the principal on the calibre of men he was getting,all i wanted to show was first name (surname was deleted)country of birth ,which armed forces and branch,length of years in this line of work,religion and current photograph with height. and of course who could vouch for them operational wise.Of course all this came about with regards to the problems in Ireland and of course the countries that sympathised with the problems and supplied the bad boys with funding,equipment and most of all intell, i always feel that the companies and TPs who ask for the kitchen sink have never operated in the real world at the highest level,yes i know there are a few companies who will read this and say B*LL**ks but thats the way it is with some.
Click to expand...

No idea what you just said mate
 
Putting your address or not on a CV is a personal choice, it depends what kind of work you are looking for and where in the world you operate. As someone else mentioned, a city location for UK work, or even UK for overseas work will suffice, so companies can determine whether you are in the area required for the role.

All that documentation is required to be submitted to be considered for employment with a number of companies (especially overseas), so your address is going to be entered on the forms at some point. Just like you have to have a medical each time on each companies own medical form, even though you have just done one for x, y, z company on their own form, or you have to provide a new recent disclosure/police check as your current one is over a year old, etc, and have to pay for these yourself to be considered for employment.

All the companies have their own forms and documentation requirements as part of the recruitment process. An offer is only made to a candidate subject to submission of all required documentation, referees provided and reference checks obtained, interview and psychometric assessment (dependent on the company) completed successfully, and only then IF suitable positions are available.

Companies have to ensure that they have a pool of candidates already recruited, and with visas in place for contracts as they arise/replacements of current personnel due to resignations/terminations etc. They can then move down the list of candidates confirming availability for said contracts.

Companies receive hundreds of CVs with more every day, not including CVs that are submitted more than once. The sheer volume means that CVs will get a quick look if that, and only potential candidates will be contacted if positions are available/expected, as they do not have time to respond to all applicants.

Candidates who do not wish to submit their documentation for consideration for positions, do not have to.

Research is key :)
 
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