Reasons To Look Beyond the Resume When Hiring

Applicant resumes are one of the most important aspects of a job application. They give you an overview of who a person is and their experience. However, resumes are just that- an overview. They do not give you the full picture of who an applicant is and what their background is. This is why it is crucial to look beyond the resume as resumes do not always cover how good an applicant actually is.

Recent college graduates’ perspectives

When college students graduate, they may not have the number of years of experience you are looking for in your candidates. However, what a resume cannot show is their eagerness to learn and the fresh perspective they can offer. Since they just graduated, they know the current trends in your field and can help shape your company to cater to their generation. Graduating college is a big deal as it takes years of hard work. Therefore, recent graduates will likely be hard workers since they have to juggle schoolwork, student organizations, and possibly jobs. They may have had leadership positions and internships. If you simply look at the resume, you will only see the lack of experience. However, college graduates are some of the hardest workers.

Work ethic

A resume can give you a glance at a candidate’s background, but you are unable to judge things like someone’s personality and work ethic. This is where references come into play. Asking a reference who was a former manager about the candidate will give you an overview of who the candidate is as an employee. The candidate can show a bit of their personality at the interview, but this can be a “show.” Asking references about the candidate’s work ethic and abilities to perform job duties will give you insight beyond what even the best resume can showcase. Be sure to ask about job attendance, personality, and soft skills that may be difficult to assess otherwise.

Personality

A resume sums up a candidate with two, at max, pieces of paper. Resumes are meant to be a brief overview. This leaves little room for the candidate’s personality to shine. This is why things like references and interviews are useful. How does the candidate handle the stress of parking? Are they nice to the receptionist? These are things that will indicate who they are as people and how they will treat their coworkers. During the interview, pay attention to their body language and their answers, particularly things that may be unsaid. Nonverbal cues can say so much more than what a candidate says.

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Proficiency

A resume can tell you what experience a candidate has, but they may not be the best at the job. Experience is good, but unfortunately, it does not always translate to skill. To get a sense of a candidate’s skills, consider including a skills assessment as a part of the hiring process. Some job search sites, such as Indeed, offer skills assessments through their websites. Other employers may choose to do a skills assessment as a part of the interview. No matter how you choose to do it, a skills assessment can let you know where your candidate’s skills are and how they compare to other candidates. Make sure your skills assessment covers all of the skills required for the job. Also, soft skills should be considered, which may not be assessable through skills tests.

Backstory

Every candidate has a backstory as to how they came to apply for the job and why they believe they are the best fit. Their resume may not look like their previous roles fit, but they may see something in things they have learned that are not so easily showcased on a resume. Requiring a cover letter can give the candidate a way to share how their previous job experiences have taught them skills that can translate over to the job you are looking to hire for. They may have dreamt about working for your company for years or have followed your company’s work. Allowing them to tell this story can give insight into their passion and dedication to the company.

Gaps in the resume

When looking at a resume, you may notice gaps in work experience. It may be tempting to discard this candidate’s application and move on to someone else. However, doing so may not be a great decision. There are several reasons why a candidate may have gaps in their resume. They may have had to take care of a sick loved one, or they may have been sick themselves. Life can be difficult and different experiences can leave a person unable to work for periods of time. Allowing them to submit a cover letter or asking about these gaps in an interview will allow you to get the full picture of what happened and allow you to see that it may not be a negative flaw for the candidate.