'Reason Notification Act' Requires Employers to Notify Rejection Reasons Within 14 Days
"Trust in Hiring Process Will Increase" - 9 Out of 10 Job Seekers Welcome the Bill
Some Concern It May Undermine Job Seekers' Confidence
Potential Additional Burden on Job-Creating Companies
Job seekers preparing for on-site company interviews. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] #Jobseeker Kim Mo (26) recently received a rejection notice from a company where he had an interview. Kim said, "I wasn't well prepared for the interview in many ways, so I'm not too disappointed," but added, "If I could know specifically which parts were lacking and why I was rejected, it would be a great help for my next interview."
Interest is growing among job seekers as the so-called 'Notification of Reasons for Rejection in Hiring' bill has been proposed, which requires companies to explain the specific reasons for rejection when a job seeker fails a recruitment test. Most job seekers welcome this bill, explaining that knowing the reasons for rejection can be useful when preparing for the next interview or test. On the other hand, some express concerns that mandatory disclosure of rejection reasons could burden companies.
On the 11th of last month, Choi Gisang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, introduced the 'Partial Amendment to the Recruitment Procedure Act.' The core of this bill is that when a job seeker fails a recruitment test, the company must notify the reasons for rejection within 14 days.
The current Recruitment Procedure Act requires companies to promptly notify applicants if they are hired, but there is no obligation to notify or explain the reasons when applicants are rejected.
Regarding this, Representative Choi explained the reason for proposing the bill, saying, "Specific information about the recruitment process is not sufficiently provided to job seekers who want to know the reasons for rejection," and "It is to enhance the right to know for job seekers."
Last year, visitors and job seekers were touring booths at the 2020 Korea Job Expo held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News
Most job seekers want to be informed of the reasons for rejection. According to a survey conducted by the job site 'Incruit' from the 24th to the 26th of last month targeting 655 adults with job search experience, 9 out of 10 respondents (93.2%) answered that "they would like companies to notify the reasons for rejection."
Respondents cited reasons for wanting to know the rejection reasons as follows: "I want at least some feedback" (35.2%), "I need to confirm clear reasons for rejection to accept it" (27.2%), and "So that fair hiring is possible" (18.7%).
However, there are concerns that notifying the reasons for rejection could cause discomfort to job seekers. It is pointed out that repeatedly receiving negative feedback from companies could negatively affect the job seekers' psychology, such as lowering self-esteem.
Also, notifying rejection reasons can be an additional burden for companies that create employment. In cases where hundreds of applicants are selected through open recruitment, it is practically impossible to notify each applicant of the reasons for rejection. The burden also increases for small businesses where the president directly hires employees without a dedicated recruitment department.
As a result, opinions among job seekers about the Notification of Reasons for Rejection in Hiring bill are sharply divided.
Job seeker A (26), who is fully focused on job hunting after graduation, said, "One of the most difficult things when preparing for employment is the interview, and even after the interview, it's hard to tell whether I did well or not," adding, "If companies inform applicants about their shortcomings or points of regret, job hunting would become much easier."
Another job seeker B in their 20s argued, "If they at least tell me the reason for rejection, it would be easier to accept why I was rejected, and trust in the hiring process among job seekers would increase," adding, "I think it would also benefit companies."
On the other hand, concerns were raised that notifying the reasons for rejection could negatively affect job hunting activities. C (29), who recently started looking for a job again after quitting, said, "Even if I receive feedback after rejection, it would probably be all negative, which could only lower job seekers' confidence," and criticized, "Usually, when you fail a recruitment test once, you go through what is called 'mental breakdown,' so is it really necessary to know the reasons?"
Experts warned that such a bill should not burden companies' recruitment procedures.
Professor Kim Taegi of Dankook University's Department of Economics said, "Forcing companies to explain the reasons to rejected job seekers during the recruitment process could be a considerable burden for companies," adding, "Currently, companies are almost reluctant to hire new employees, and this kind of burden could make them even more hesitant to hire new job seekers."
He continued, "If this happens, companies may prefer experienced workers who can be hired on a regular basis rather than new employees," adding, "This could actually cause more harm to young people."
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