Are you waiting to hear back from a company and wondering whether they’ve kept your job application on file? Job hunting can take a long time (learn how to make money while you’re looking). Some employers try to streamline the process by keeping job applications stored in their records.
How Long Do Employers Keep Job Applications on File?
If you’ve applied to a lot of jobs using ZipRecruiter, you should know how long companies will keep your information. In this article, we’ll get into the length of time businesses keep information on hand. Then, we’ll show you what it can get used for.
1. How Long Job Applications Get Stored
On ZipRecruiter, millions of employees and employers connect in the hopes of finding the right job candidate for each position. As the top job search site in the United States, ZipRecruiter sees thousands of job applications sent to employers every day.
The employers are then required by law to store that information. In the U.S., federal law makes employers who have 15 or more workers keep job applications on file for at least a year.
The year starts either when the document was first created or the decision to hire/not hire the candidate was made. Even if the applicant didn’t meet the requirements for the position, employers must keep their information on file.
According to federal guidelines, a person becomes an applicant when:
- The employer has tried to fill a job vacancy
- A person has applied for the job in a way that follows application procedures
- The job candidate has demonstrated an interest in the position
So, if you’ve filled out an application or sent in a resume after being asked to do so in response to a job listing (learn how to find the best jobs), the employer is probably required to keep your information on file for at least a year.
Unsolicited resumes do not meet these requirements. So, if you’ve submitted a resume without getting an invitation to do so from an employer, they will likely not save your information.
2. What Do Employers Use the Information For?
So, why do employers need to keep these records? What do they use the information to do?
First, employers can use the information to contact you if they have a position open up that would be perfect for your skills and experience. This usually happens when they’ve interviewed you for one job and considered you a high-quality candidate, but decided to give the position to another person.
Second, employers may use it to keep a record of why they chose to hire or not hire a particular candidate. By law, employers cannot discriminate in their hiring procedures.
So, applicants can sue an employer if they believe they’ve been refused employment based on their:
- Race, ethnicity, the nation of origin, ancestry, or citizenship
- Pregnancy status
- Gender or sexual orientation
- Age
- Disability status
- Veteran status
If an employer keeps the information on file, they can defend themselves in such lawsuits by arguing that the candidate didn’t meet the requirements for the position.
In addition to your job applications, employers also keep interview records on file, along with any notes pertaining to the hiring decision.
3. Can I Ask an Employer to Keep My Information on File?
Sometimes, as part of the job search process, people reach out to employers without responding to a particular job post. This can serve as a helpful way to learn about open positions that the employer hasn’t yet made public.
If the employer responds to you and says there aren’t any current open positions, none of your information will get kept on file. However, some employers are willing to collect and store job candidate information in case an opening comes up.
So, if the company’s representative says there are no open positions, ask if you can send them a resume to have on file in case something opens up in the future.
That way, you can use your job applications to learn more about future positions!
Get the Most Out of Your Job Applications
When you send in your job applications, you need to know how to maximize your potential for getting hired.
That’s what ZipRecruiter does. Once you create a free profile, you’ll be able to browse millions of open job listings. The site will tell you how well your skills and experience match each position’s requirements. Then, you can apply for the job with just 1 click, saving you time.
Employers can also reach out to you and invite you to apply to their positions, increasing your chances of getting hired. Get started on ZipRecruiter for free to get your next job!
