Tricky Hiring Practices: Blacklists

There are many tricky hiring practices that employers use to narrow down their list of applicants and some of them can actually make finding a job very difficult. It's important to know what they are in order to prevent or minimize the damage these roadblocks can cause.

This week, I wanted to talk about a very tricky hiring process you may not have heard of before. It's called Applicant Blacklisting and although it sounds like something only a few large companies would do, it's becoming more commonplace than you'd think.

Basically, blacklisting works sort of like Caller-ID on your phone. If you get too many wrong numbers, telemarketers or other annoying calls from certain numbers, you can block those numbers so that when they call, your phone doesn't even ring. But, what if a series of hang-up calls were being made by someone you care about, who was trying to call you for help and they weren't able to speak? If you blocked the number, you'd never know.

The difference between blocking phone numbers and blacklisting applicants is that, for the most part, we don't block numbers all that often. For one, it's difficult to do and many people aren't completely sure how to do it. Secondly, since it takes a bit of effort, a caller would have to meet our “annoyance threshold” before we would take such drastic measures. Finally, just because we block a number from calling our home phone, they aren't automatically blocked from reaching us at other numbers, like our cell phones. However, blacklisting an applicant is easy and there are even companies that reward HR professionals $1 for each applicant they blacklist. What's more, these national blacklist registries are being used by loads of companies, which means that if your name makes it on to a blacklist, your chances at finding a job can be severely decreased.

So, what does it take to get on an applicant blacklist? It turns out that it doesn't take very much. Here are some things that can cause an employer to put you on their blacklist:

Applying for jobs you're not qualified for – Online job searching makes it easy to send out standard copies of your resume to many different companies. Some job seekers use this tactic thinking that the more jobs they apply for, the more likely it will be that they'll find one. It doesn't work very well and for the most part, it's a waste of time. Employers want to see that the person applying really wants that specific job and isn't just a desperate job seeker looking for any job. If you submit too many resumes that appear to be desperate attempts at finding a job, one of the companies may decide to blacklist you.

Applying too many times – When you really want a job, you might be tempted to apply every time you see the job listing. However, if you apply too many times, the HR department might decide to blacklist you.

Making a bad impression during an interview – If you really mess up during an interview, say something offensive, come in sick or looking unprofessional, you will probably be blacklisted. However, you don't have to really make a mess of things, sometimes just asking too many questions about compensation and benefits could be enough for a hiring manager to decide that you are just interested in money and blacklist you.

Failing a phone screening or skills test – An increasingly large number of companies have begun requiring applicants to take a test to demonstrate their proficiency in specific areas. Sometimes these tests will be a phone screen and other times, they will be actual written tests. If you claim to have specific skills and aren't able to pass the proficiency tests, you might end up on the blacklist.

Applying for several different jobs within a company – If you apply for multiple positions within the same company, you can be viewed as being a desperate job seeker. Although it shows determination and enthusiasm, if you don't include a very specific cover letter that addresses why you are applying for a different position, you could end up blacklisted.

All of these things are mistakes that are extremely easy to make. People have bad days, mess up interviews and are over-eager during the application process. I know that I've certainly made a bad impression during at least one or two interviews over the course of my career. I've failed a test or two, even though I knew the information. I've been overly aggressive in sending in too many resumes and I've even applied for jobs I didn't think I was qualified for – and that doesn't make me a bad employee. The sad truth is that you don't even have to make one of these mistakes to be blacklisted. An employer can add your name for any reason they'd like and once you're on it, you will have to pay to find out and pay even more to get your name removed.

Have you ever been blacklisted? Please share your thoughts about this tricky hiring practice in the comments.

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