Stop Asking for CVs on WhatsApp: Running a Professional Hiring Process in Pakistan
Amaan Farhan
4 min read
Last checked: 13 November 2026.
At Taraki, we see the same pattern again and again: a LinkedIn post asks for CVs on WhatsApp, and those CVs end up buried between personal chats, calls and documents. Some candidates, especially women, aren't comfortable sharing their personal number just to apply. That's why on Taraki, applicants upload their CV through the application form, and WhatsApp only comes in later if an employer wants to ask a shortlisted candidate something.
A professional hiring process in Pakistan takes CVs on an application form, keeps every applicant in one list, calls the people who pass screening, and uses WhatsApp only for interview details or a question. Ask for a CNIC copy, degrees and bank details only after a written offer.
Here is how to hire employees in Pakistan without collecting CVs on WhatsApp.
Why does collecting CVs on WhatsApp get messy?
CVs sent to a personal chat are hard to compare or track, and the request looks less professional. For a referral, a CV on WhatsApp can still happen. For a stranger answering an ad, a job post with an application form is a stronger start than "send your CV to this number".
A September 2026 BEOE alert about overseas jobs lists "recruitment conducted only through WhatsApp, Telegram or social media" as a red flag (Daily Pakistan). Domestic hiring is different, but candidates read these warnings.
What does a professional hiring process in Pakistan include?
Here is the recruitment process in Pakistan, as five checks.
A job post with an application form. Post it under your company name on LinkedIn, Indeed or your website. Candidates upload their CV on the form. Name a contact, and write "We never charge candidates any fee." In LinkedIn's survey, 47% of professionals check whether the job is on the company's own careers site, a figure from the UK, USA, India, Germany and Brazil, not Pakistan (LinkedIn, May 2026).
One list of applicants. Keep applications in one place, such as an ATS, so you can compare people and see their stage.
A call after screening. If you hire through an ATS, software or forms, a common next step in Pakistan is to call each applicant who passes screening, not to ask for their CV on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp only for logistics, after that. Use it to set up an interview or ask a question. Do not use it to collect CVs or documents.
A written offer before documents. Salary, start date, probation and notice on paper. In Punjab, the Labour Code 2026 says an employment agreement "shall be in writing" unless the term is a month or less (section 141). It applies from a date notified in the Gazette, and reports differ (Punjab Labour Code 2026). This is general information, not legal advice.
Stage | Fine to ask for | Wait on |
|---|---|---|
Application form | CV and must-have answers | CNIC, money, or a CV on WhatsApp |
After screening | A call, then interview details | CVs or documents on WhatsApp |
Written offer | CNIC copy, degrees, bank details at joining |
When should you use WhatsApp with candidates?
After they have applied, passed screening, and you have usually called them. Say who you are, and do not ask for a CV or documents.
Interview details
Assalam o Alaikum [Name], this is [your name], [title] at [Company]. Following our call, your interview for [Role] is on [date] at [time], at [office address / video link]. You'll meet [name, title].
Where Taraki fits, and what it doesn't do
We make Taraki, so weigh this part with that in mind.
With job distribution, one post goes to your LinkedIn company page, Google Jobs and Indeed, and can also show on your own website through Taraki's job widget. On Indeed it shows as a regular listing under your company's name. Applicants land in one applicant tracking pipeline. You can open a WhatsApp chat with a candidate in one click, for interview details or a question. It is optional. See what an ATS does.
Bricks' own job, posted through Taraki and shown on Indeed as a regular listing under the employer's name, 11 November 2026.
Silver is PKR 10,000 a month for 3 job posts. Gold is PKR 25,000 a month for unlimited posts (pricing). It doesn't post to Rozee or Mustakbil. The offer letter and document checks stay with you.
CVs still arriving on WhatsApp? See seven signs you need an ATS and Rozee, Mustakbil, LinkedIn and Indeed compared.
Questions about CVs and WhatsApp
Is it unprofessional to ask for a CV on WhatsApp?
It is messy, and some candidates, especially women, may be uncomfortable sharing a personal number in a chat. For a stranger answering an ad, send an application form so CVs land in your hiring list, not a personal chat. A referral can still send a CV on WhatsApp, but move it into your list.
When should we use WhatsApp with candidates?
After they have applied and passed screening, and usually after a call. Use it for interview details or a question, not to collect CVs or documents.
When should we ask for a CNIC copy?
After the written offer, for joining paperwork.
Want applications on a form, with every applicant in one list? See Taraki's plans.
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