LETTER: Jobs wall of silence

We need to talk about the wall of silence job applicants run into every time they apply for a job in SA. I recently had an interview online and everything went swimmingly. I thought I was in for a shot at the job. At last, I thought, I would be able to get back onto my feet and support myself.  

But then I hit that invisible wall, the one millions of South Africans run into every time they’ve concluded a job application or even an interview — the wall of silence. No emails, no phone calls, no SMSs. Nothing. If you do eventually get a reply and they promise to let you know the outcome ... radio silence.  

Potential employers don’t seem to realise that job applicants often have to burn precious resources to email and print out their CVs at internet cafes. Is it not unethical and unprofessional for a company to suddenly clam up? Surely it reflects negatively on the company’s reputation? To keep somebody who has bills to pay hanging is just wrong.  

Some people say it’s normal, or that’s just the way it is. I say nonsense. In other countries I have lived in there was at least some effort to inform candidates of their success or failure in the job application. Then you can move on.  

It grates my gears and it’s time something was done about it.  

Neville Prinsloo 
Cape Town  

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