As a job seeker at the vice president or director level, I have noticed that almost every application process includes at least some online component. But in my most recent search, I am starting to wonder about privacy protection.
In addition to asking for your address, gender, race, etc., the questions have been more specific. For example, I’ve been asked for my last two residential addresses from the past 10 years. Some require reference contact information before any conversation or interview.
I have also seen forms asking whether the applicant has been found to have depression, anxiety or behavioral or medical “disabilities.” Generally, you cannot submit the application without providing all the requested data.
I am uncomfortable supplying so much information. What can I do? A.M., CHICAGO
The good news, according to John Sullivan, a professor of management at the College of Business at San Francisco State University, is that most companies are moving away from systems that require applicants to fill out lengthy online forms. The more mixed news, perhaps, is that this is partly because more companies simply rely on what candidates put online themselves. “They’re asking for less,” he says, “but there’s more out there.”
