Some job ads attract letter of rejection instead of cover letter

"Thank you for your job ad in my copy of the Augsburger Allgemeine-newspaper and the confidence you have placed it my person. Unfortunately, due to a large number of other job ads I will not pursue your job opportunity any further and won’t apply for the position offered by your company.” The above quotation was authored by Jürgen Sprenzinger, German satirist. His book „Dear Mr. Hornback, I would apply for this position by a whisker. Refusals to unsolicited job ads” is a compilation of letters of rejection sent to Human Resource Departments as an answer to their print job ads.

Since 2000, Julien Prévieux, a French artist, also writes letters of non-motivation to refuse jobs offered in the newspapers, which have been first published in 2007 in a book called: Letters De Non Motivation.

Essentially, both collection of letters reveals the linguistic monsters in the job ads. Both authors assume different roles allowing for impetuous reasons for turning down the job in question. The companies sometimes replied, automatically or personally. Some Human Resource Departments have been very sad.

In both books, the entire recruitment system is revealed as defective.

Julien Prévieux (2007) "Letters De Non Motivation“, ISBN : 2-355-22009-3

Jürgen Sprenzinger (2008) „Sehr geehrter Herr Hornbach, um ein Haar hätte ich mich bei Ihnen beworben. Absagen auf unverlangte Stellenangebote", ISBN: 978-3-426-78104-3

Start Enlarging Your Talent Pool

In China, the War for Talent is raging with no end in sight. Therefore, instead of fishing in the same talent pool as your feisty competitors, try to concentrate on influencing the size of your pool. Actions that can be taken include:
•Creating a "fun" and frequently updated website that appeals to and inspires students to pursue a career in your industry and with your company.
•Offering observation placements whereupon students spend a full week with in-house people to see what working in the company is like, what people do, and what makes the company tick.
•Having an open-house to introduce the company’s office environment, works, and people (Make it enjoyable like a tour at a "chocolate factory").
•Sharing your people's knowledge and experience with University students by placing one of your brightest stars in front of the class and having them teach a full course.
•Engaging schools to advertise your Internship program.
•Sponsoring scholarships.
•Participating in career fairs.
•Collaborating with University professors to write and publish a white paper and/or case study on your company’s challenges, what solutions were enacted, and the results of the project in question.
•Inviting the news and newspapers to cover your company's accomplishments, any special employees, and report on new and interesting projects.
•Providing alternative work programs that cater to and bring in seasoned people to work on a part-time or interim basis.