Unsolicited Resumes

Ethel

We continue to get lots and lots of unsolicited resumes. WE used to send out acknowledgement letters and tell them that we had no openings but would keep their resume on file. However, now that we have downsized, we don't have the manpower (people power?) to do this courtesy letter. Can we just have the practice of not accepting unsolicited resumes, destroying them upon receipt and just not respond?

Don D

Some will tell you that the resumes are to be treated as applications for employment. In this state they are not. Telling them that 'Your resume will be kept on file,' carries some baggage for you. They will assume you mean you will screen their resume against future openings and then the question becomes, "For how long?" You'd be safer just not responding and having a firm policy that NO unsolicited resumes are read, considered, screened or kept, and not deviating from that policy and practice. Once you start an easily discoverable practice of keeping a few here and there and considering them down the line, you've shot your whole defense for not treating all the same way. I once had an EEOC charge in which the investigator 'felt' I should have known the applicant was of a certain race by something or other hidden deep in a resume. I didn't consider the party since the resume was unsolicited. We won it, but it gave us some grief.

Ethel

Wow! That made a believer out of me. Thanks for the response. Do you think that communicating this by e-mail to my assistant to get it on record would be sufficient and state that this is our policy effective immediately. Again, thanks Don.

Don D

>Thanks for the response. Do
>you think that communicating this by e-mail to my assistant to get it
>on record would be sufficient and state that this is our policy
>effective immediately.

No ma'am I would never put out policy via email. Make it a memo and include on distribution every department head and officer of the company and your assistant making it very clear that unsolicited resumes will not be retained. If she is your worry-point, you might tell her three more times. For anybody to 'rathole' resumes and get discovered deviating from the policy in the future will sink a ship. Even if the resume is from the cousin of someone who goes to church with the owner.

dlail

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-18-03 AT 03:32PM (CST)[/font][p]More confusion. We seldom advertise for production type positions. We accept applications from walk-ins. We use a staffing company, and if we happen to be looking for someone we may or may not review prior apps, who may then be referred to the staffing company. We also receive unsolicited resumes for positions that aren't currently open, but could possibly open or be created some point down the road. WHAT IS THE RETENTION REQUIREMENT? (please don't say all or nothing).

On the occasions when we have advertised for a skilled or technical position, we have kept the applications with a copy of the ad. We have also had occasions where we advertised a position and placed (or made room for) the applicant in a different position because they were not qualified for the first but were a good for another.

We are using a lot of square footage for storage that doesn't come cheap and could be used more effectively. Off and on I have been working on a project for retention practices and auto-rotation of files. This is one of those questions where I'd like to have a documented answer.

Thnx guys!

dlail

Another thought on a policy for distroying all unsolicited resumes is that it is awful akin to shooting oneself in the foot. What if you receive an unsolicited resume for some type of position you don't have (EX: outside sales rep). Then 10 or 15 months later a company is considering making such a position, hasn't advertised yet, but happens to receive a couple of timely, unsolicited apps, or meets someone while networking, who would make a good fit; maybe even someone we're already acquainted with who worked for someone else in the same industry.

Thoughts on that, anyone?

Don D

Unless your state law addresses this, you are free to set your own policy on retention except that you must retain them for the same minimum time period for which you retain applications, one year in most cases. I keep a box under my desk and on January 1 of each year, I seal the box and take it up to The Spanish Prison and it stays there for an entire calendar year and then it's destroyed. Then, if the app or resume is connected with a charge of any sort, it must not be destroyed until resolved. So, we're back to 'either you accept them and review them and potentially use them' or you do not. If you do, you must retain them as you would an app.

Ethel

Retention is for one year and that is one of the reasons that we are loath to continue to receive them. People power and storage space are scarce. Additionally, I found that we had not filled a position from the "unsolicited" files in 10 years.

valentine

In MA we are required to keep all resumes on file for one year. We have a policy of accepting resumes from walk-ins and on occasion when we did have an opening I went back to the unsolicited resumes and usually found the person was no longer available, they'd found other work so I don't find keeping them helpful. I keep them in a folder marked with the year and when the year is ended I shred them.

Valentine

Dutch2

For what it is worth, according to the Federal Record Retention Guidelines I have it states, "Job Applications and Solicitated resumes (including records pertaining to the failure or refusal to hire any individual) must be retained for a period of one year." Applicable Law: 29CFR 1627.3(b)(1)(i) ADEA. It also states, "Unsolicited Resumes are not required to be kept, but recommended as good business practice."
With all the RIF's going on, most everyone can expect to receive more and more unsolicited resumes. Most every morning when I log on the computer I have several emails that either are requesting information on all employment opportunities (openings) at our company or unsolicited resumes.

Rockie

Our practice is to not accept unsolicited resumes. This is put in our newspaper ad as well as displayed at our receptionist desk. We only accept applications for posted, available positions. If I receive an unsolicited resume, it is shredded. It never fails that even with all that, each time we advertise, we get unsolicited resumes or those applying for "anything available". These are also shredded. We simply don't have the time, storage or manpower to log and retain all this paper.