Found hiring managers info. Ok to use
I came across an ad for a position I am interested in. The ad says to forward the resume to HR via e-mail. However, I looked on their web site and got the name and contact information for the person to whom this position will be reporting. I want to send my resume both to HR's e-mail address as specified in the job ad and to the hiring manager. Will that be out of line? On one hand, HR and not the hiring manager is the contact listed in the ad. On the other hand, the hiring manager's name is available right on their web site, so, IMO, it can be considered fair game. What do you think?
Tough question. Personally, I think it depends on the type of position and the company culture. For instance, for a sales position where it's a plus to try to talk to the highest ranking decision maker you can, contacting the hiring manager could be viewed as knowing your stuff. Ditto for a research position where you obviously did the research to find out. Even for a creative position. But if it is for something like an accounting position or HR position where strict adherence to process and procedure and rules are required, contacting the hiring manager when the ad says to contact HR could be viewed as your not being able to play by the rules. If the company culture is big on process and procedure (you know that old joke about needing three sign-offs to take a rest room break?) then I think I would avoid contacting the hiring manager directly. My view is always go to the decision maker. Apply as per the ad requirements, but send a separate submission to the hiring manager acknowledging the fact that you did apply through HR but wanted to get your information in front of him directly. Even with us accounting types, we like to see initiative and intelligence.
I've done this (i.e. send my resume both to the address specified in the ad and to the hiring manager whose name I was able to find out on my own) a total of 4 times. One of those submissions resulted in an interview, and 3 times, even though I did not get an interview, I received an e-mail confirming the receipt of my resume and thanking me for my interest (one time my resume was actually forwarded to another department head who had an opening in her department). Now, anyone who has been job searching lately knows how unusual it is to receive any acknowledgement of your application at all if you are not among the few picked to be interviewed. So, I am sure that the fact that I received a response of some sort each time I was able to contact the hiring manager directly was no coincidence. You may draw your own conclusions. My exlanation for this is that because hiring managers don't deal with the same volume of applications as HR, they are generally less jaded and more likely to extend the courtesy of a response. At least that has been my experience.
It probably can' t hurt to send it to both. Don' t make a pest of yourself however. The last job I had posted (internal), one candidate called me on my cell phone at 6am to ask a vaguely work related question (we' d never spoken before). I know she just wanted to make contact with me and establish some rapport to increase her chances but not only was what she called me about stupid, she was too dumb to pay attention to the time zones. She was smart enough to recind her application a couple days later when she realized that I was NOT pleased with her contact. | |
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