When it comes to job ads, whether online or in print, employers make a range of mistakes. Hey, nobody’s perfect, right?
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Most mistakes are lesser mistakes, what might be called venial sins. However, there is one mega mistake, and it’s a whopper.
Who Are You
Intentionally omitting your company name from a job ad is the cardinal sin of employment advertising.
And it’s hard to believe employers still make it, especially given the attention employer brand and the candidate experience have received in recent years.
Omitting your company name may send the message that your company is:
- full of itself;
- involved in covert operations;
- doesn’t value the job seeker and probably doesn’t value employees; or
- all of the above.
Agency Exception
To be clear, employment agencies attempt to lure candidates, while protecting their commissions, by withholding hiring company information when posting job ads. Instead, they list their agency’s name.
Even though the name of the employer remains a mystery, a job seeker begins the application process knowing the agency serves as a gatekeeper—and at least a point of contact has been established.
This is very different from job ads that provide no company information.
It’s a Secret
Blind ads, by contrast, replace the field intended for company name with phrases like, “Company Name Withheld” or “Employer Name Withheld.” Each word usually begins with a capital letter, as if it were a company name, adding to the insult.
Another approach is to identify the industry, as in, “Prominent Restaurant Group” or “Prominent Law Firm,” while still not revealing the name. Location is sometimes provided, although not always. A company that assumes a job seeker will apply to a blind ad probably assumes the person will relocate to … wherever.
Instructions for Applying
How does a job seeker contact a mystery employer?
As with other job ads, a job seeker can often apply for the position at the site where the job is posted. The “easily apply” feature at job site Indeed, for example, allows a job seeker to enter his or her name, email, phone number, include a cover letter, and upload a resume, even for blind ads.
In other instances, the posting at a job site includes an email address that has been created for application purposes. The email does not include the company name, and provides little or no insight.
Option one may seem like the lesser of two evils, but don’t be fooled. The only advantage is that it facilitates the application process. The job seeker is still left in the dark.
No Excuses
What about possible reasons for a blind ad, like internal changes that require the company to recruit on the sly?
Job seekers search on the sly all the time. Would you hire a job seeker who submitted a resume that didn’t include a name?
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Paula Santonocito, Contributing Editor for Recruiting Daily Advisor, is a business journalist specializing in employment issues. She is the author of more than 1,000 articles on a wide range of human resource and career topics, with an emphasis on recruiting and hiring. Her articles have been featured in many global and domestic publications and information outlets, referenced in academic and legal publications as well as books, and translated into several languages. |