Recruitment director Graham Wynn says two weeks after posting 80 jobs online, he had received 4,741 responses… only 32 of which would possibly succeed
A recruiter is calling on Centrelink to crack down on dole bludgers who are deliberately applying for roles they’ll never get so they can keep their benefits without having to work.
Graham Wynn from Superior People Recruitment has received 4,741 resumes from people on benefits in the past two weeks, with only 38 of them actually relevant to the job being applied for.
Of those 38 people, he has only been able to contact 22.
He said one job seeker, whose past experience is in fast food, had applied for a role as a financial controller, while another sent the same resume for 10 different jobs – none of which they were qualified for.
Mr Wynn said it appeared to be a case of recipients simply not wanting to work, rather than struggling to find work they were qualified for.
‘Our struggle is finding people to fill roles,’ he said.
‘There’s plenty of work out there… [but] the benefits are very rewarding for them, they get rental allowance and subsidies.
‘I’ve had people apply for a job and [their application] says “I really don’t want to work but I have to apply for 10 jobs and this is one of them, sorry for wasting your time”.’
In one example shared by Mr Wynn, a job seeker had submitted a resume that was completely blank, save for some scattered punctuation.
One applicant had sent in a completely blank resume , save for an errant punctuation mark under each subheading
Another job seeker who had extensive experience in hairdressing used this resume to apply for a senior position in used car sales
Mr Wynn said he wants to see a crack down on workers not taking their obligations seriously (stock image)
Another job seeker, with qualifications in laboring and construction work as well as two diplomas in business, had applied for a national sales role in the technology sector.
Mr Wynn said sifting through the thousands of fake responses was time consuming and costly, and called on the welfare system to do more to ensure its recipients were taking their obligations seriously.
‘The extra work it’s created for me, to go through all of this… if we’re going to have a system, make it accountable,’ he said.
‘They should need to apply for relevant jobs.’
Michaela Cash, Minister for Employment, said her focus was on getting people off welfare and into work, as ‘taxpayers expect nothing less’.
‘What this shows is that there is a cohort of jobseekers receiving assistance from taxpayers who are not taking their obligations seriously,’ she said.
‘If you receive welfare and are deemed to have mutual obligations, then you need to fulfil those or you will find your payments suspended until you reengage with the system.
‘Taxpayers should not be expected to fund job seekers submitting blank applications.’
Minister for Employment Michaela Cash slammed the revelations, noting ‘taxpayers should not be expected to fund job seekers submitting blank applications’ (stock image)
Ms Cash said she and the government were determined to get as many Australians as possible off welfare and into a job, and the ‘dignity, value and importance’ of being able to look after oneself ‘could not be understated’
Mr Wynn said he was told by a Centrelink representative the agency did not have the resources to monitor the applicants to ensure they were applying for relevant jobs, which he says begs the question ‘why have the system at all?’
‘This system is a waste of time, as well as dollars, and the government needs to find a better system to ensure those receiving benefits are not just appearing to be actively looking for work but are being realistic about the job search activities,’ he said.
The recruiter said there is a glut of work that requires minimal qualifications available for those who need it, including in call centres, customer service and reception.
‘If they want a job, there’s work out there,’ he said.
‘Why do we insist [on the current Newstart system] if people are simply just sending off resumes to any 10 jobs?’
Ms Cash said there is a record number of Australians in employment, and employers are ‘screaming out for workers who are eager for a job’.
‘The dignity, value and importance of providing for yourself and your family cannot be understated,’ she said.