Unacknowledged Blues

Twenty years ago, if you applied for a job and didn't get it, the company would send you a letter that acknowledged your attempt for employment, but they weren't going to pick you at this time. Of course getting these letters in the mail wasn't fun, but at least the company took the time to acknowledge your efforts and your existence.

This year, I've noticed a trend in people trying to get a job: they're happy getting rejection letters or emails. I know why this is as well: a lot of companies have stopped sending rejection letters because they cost time and money (even more so if the letters are mailed rather than emailed). I am here to state that it is bad enough to be rejected for the jobs you apply for; it is somehow infinitely worse to never hear from the company in response. A written "no, but thank you for applying" is polite and at least acknowledges you exist. A wall of silence not only says "no", but also says "you're not worth acknowledging".

I understand that in this economy, we must tighten our belts and cut things that seem to just waste money. I understand the silent "no" to the initial application for a job. However, I can say from experience, for the people who get interviews and follow up by contacting the company a week afterward, that wall of silence is deafening. It is one thing to ignore the existence of a person via their application; it is completely another to ignore their existence after having met them.

We wait for a phone call or email to validate our attempts to gain work, but we also wait for somebody to acknowledge our existence is more than our resume. We are people who are actively seeking employment; we have bills and pets and families to take care of by working to earn our keep. It seems cruel to ignore a population that wants to work and has garnered enough attention from a company to get an interview.

Like I said before, I understand the monetary reasons for it...however, I don't agree with it. How does a company expect to keep good public relations when it won't relate to a section of the public and what they're going through? It doesn't make sense from a public relations/human resources perspective.

I'm interested in hearing from others, either about their own job search, or if they're employed, then on this scenario:
You interviewed with two companies, and Company A gave you a wall of silence, and Company B sent you a rejection email/letter. Two months later, they each call you up and offer you a job; same pay, same benefits. Who would you work for, and why?

-AMW