Yep, I applied for a position with Levi Strauss & Co. and got a letter back. True, in reality, I am none the wiser if my background is what they are looking for, but at least they communicate in a nice way. It isn’t so difficult to write something kind to an eager applicant. Like they say in the end of the letter “We try to treat other like we like to be treated ourselves” so simple and so difficult. Finally, they acknowledge something that so many seem to forget – any applicant is also a customer and stakeholder.
While the style of writing might not suit all companies/organisations in all industries, the approach certainly does and I personally would love it if more could take heed. Or maybe this is standard and I have just been unlucky with the companies I have applied to.
We were in your situation once, wondering if our online application made it to the right folks at Levi Strauss & Co. – or ended up in a digital black hole, never to be seen again.
Rest assured, this email means we received it. And we thank you for letting us know that you want to join our team.
As you can imagine, we receive lots of applications and resumes every day, from applicants around the world. As a result, we’ve had to automate the process. For instance, if you reply to this email, no one will see it. Sorry.
Here’s what we promise, though. Our team of talent scouts will review your credentials. If your background and skills match the qualifications for one of our open positions, including any particular position you’ve applied for, we’ll contact you. If there’s not a current match, your resume remains in our database. And we regularly check that database against new open positions.
We love our fans – be they consumers or applicants like you. And we want to treat you the way we’d want to be treated.
Thank you,
Your Friends at Levi Strauss & Co.
Swede in Paris - Svenska i Paris 
Vu la conjoncture actuelle, nous recevons plus de 18oo C.V. par jour pour différents postes à pouvoir, nous ne pouvons malheureusement pas répondre à chaque personne, ni envoyer 1800 mail Toutes nos excuses
Jacques-Alain VERMEULEN ISDP CONSULTANT Défricheur de talents commerciaux
GillaGilla
Chère Jacques-Alain,
La lettre dont je parle est évidemment automatisé. Il y a personne qui croit autrement. Dites-moi pourquoi vous le trouve impossible d’automatiser une réponse bien rédigé ? Un peu de gentillesse n’a jamais tué quelqu’un.
GillaGilla
I am eagerly looking forward to Jacques-Alains respons because I don’t get it either. To send 1 or 5.000 mails doesn’t cost any more time than some appropriate software and very little planning.
GillaGilla
It can actually be done in almost any mail software. I mean if they can receive 1800 mails they can automatically answer them too.
GillaGilla
WOW – I am really impressed!!! It is obviously an ”automatic reply” but WHAT a different approach. I agree with you Sara – if only a few more would adapt this approach.
Thanks for sharing – and good luck, it’s true that you don’t know more about whether you arema suitable candidate or not – so fingers are crossed that you are, until proven othrwise :-). At least I would like to work for that company…..
GillaGilla
No, not necessarily Sara…. In Outlook it doesn’t work to send more than about 50 mails at the same time – then it will block as spam, especially if it is the SAME message. So you need to have a different portal and/or ad-in, but it is not at all impossible to do. You just have to know how….
GillaGilla
I don’t hink that they receive that many messages with the same content.
GillaGilla
Chère Sara, bien entendu nous répondons avec une lettre standardisée,
mais non personnelle, malheureusement.
GillaGilla
Il n’a personne qui avait demandé d’autre chose. La lettre ici est clairment automatisé, mais ils ont pris un peu de temps de rediger une texte gentil. C’est tout.
GillaGilla