Wenche Gullaksen, a job seeker around 60 years old, describes how the recruitment process in Malmö and the Nordic region has become an extensive and impersonal challenge. In January, she submitted 45 applications, each requiring hours of customized materials and tests. She questions how the system accommodates older workers encouraged to stay in the workforce longer.
Wenche Gullaksen, who is about 60 years old and has worked in the same industry in the Nordic region for around 20 years, shares her experience of job searching in Malmö and across Norden. In a letter to the editor in Sydsvenskan, she explains that the process has turned into a full-time job without pay, often without any feedback from employers.
In January, Gullaksen submitted 45 applications. Each one required a customized CV, personal letter, registration in digital systems, and often tests. Ahead of potential interviews, she spends time preparing by researching the companies, which takes several hours per position.
"I have nothing against AI or digital tools. If used right, they can help both companies and candidates. But my experience is that the distance has grown between the job seeker and the workplace that actually needs the competence," writes Gullaksen.
She points out that the initial selection happens early and in a standardized way, far from the actual operations. Often, no one with insight into the job gets to see her experience. At the same time, she notes that society encourages working longer into older ages, but wonders how that will work in practice with an increasingly extensive and impersonal entry path.
Gullaksen raises questions about how many people can afford to spend hours on each application, how many give up, and how much competence risks being lost. She views this as a broader issue about how the recruitment system functions and who it actually allows in.
The letter highlights challenges in today's labor market, especially for experienced workers in a digitalized era.