Kate Ross: Technology - use, don't abuse

Picture this scenario if you will - you open your morning paper and you turn to the job section. You see a job advertised - it is exactly the new role you are seeking.

You take your carefully typed CV, type a polite and professional cover letter, place both carefully in an envelope, walk to the dairy, buy a stamp and place your application in the mail. Sound like hard work?

These days we are very lucky to have everything at our fingertips. Most people work with computers every day, many have laptops and the internet at home and information on just about everything can be accessed in the blink of an eye. No longer do we keep well thumbed recipe books in the kitchen and we don't have oversized phone books taking up our hall tables.

In recruitment, employers don't end up with a stack of CVs on their desk to read through and when applying for jobs, you don't wait six weeks for a "Dear John" letter telling you an application has been unsuccessful.

Over the past twenty years, the changes in the recruitment process have been immense and in keeping up with these changes, unfortunately some of the art has been lost as well.

Efficiency and speed being everything, some ugly habits have sprung up in all areas of life and recruitment has not been spared. We blame Gen Y predominantly for the use of "text language" in all forms of written communication but as a consultant receiving huge number of CVs daily, I can tell you honestly, they are not the only culprits.

Applying for jobs online is incredibly easy and as such has resulted in the process losing some importance - CVs are sent out en masse at the touch of a button and details are overlooked.

I get job applications addressed to Linda, who has advertised in the Bay of Plenty Times. That's not me and even if it was, the opening salutation of "Hiya Linda" would undoubtedly see this application being rejected very quickly.

In the current economic climate, it is easy to see how people become blasé about job applications. You keep sending them off and if you hear back at all, more often than not it is to tell you that you have not been successful. Welcome to the real world!

For the past few years in New Zealand, candidates have had the luxury of choice and as such could afford to be quite relaxed in their job search and still expect a couple of offers within a month.

Not so these days. In competition with hundreds of hopeful applicants for every role, you have to treat every application as though it were your first. Professionalism is key to success.

In the same vein, employers advertising roles online and overwhelmed by huge volumes of respondents are quick to pick out the ones they like and delete the ones they don't. Professional courtesy suggests every applicant should receive a response but it is all too easy to clear an inbox at the touch of a button.

Overseas, social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter are being used more frequently by businesses to market their products and services, create a fan base and stay in touch with the people with whom they need to engage to ensure ongoing growth and success.

This will become the case in New Zealand eventually.

It extends to recruitment by providing a ready pool of candidates already interested in a brand who may jump at the chance to work with that organization.

It is easy for them to respond to vacancies because all they have to do is read the latest status update which could read "We are looking for a new Accountant at our Auckland branch - know anyone?" and they can react instantly. Barriers between candidates and employers are becoming smaller and that is a good thing.

We should all make the most of the ease with which employers and candidates can connect. Fast, efficient ways of advertising and applying for jobs makes our lives easier and means job searches and recruitment processes are easy to monitor and control.

Beware the pitfalls and avoid mistakes that are easily made which will often put you at a disadvantage. Don't forget those basic rules you learned at school that ensure professionalism remains a priority. Ease of access leads to familiarity and a casual approach to what should be a business interaction.

Technology is leading us forward very quickly; we should try not to lose our way in the rush to get ahead.

* Kate Ross is director of Kinetic Recruitment as well as upcoming part time job website The Outfit and the Return2work programme, in partnership with Sarah Paykel.