As a recruiter for a large organization for many years, it became so easy to breeze over the resumes in under 10 seconds focusing only on specific skills, experiences or traits while quickly discarding the rest.
Fast forward a few years and things have really changed.
With an extremely low unemployment rate, an aging population and a very diverse workforce, it is more critical than ever that we spend the time needed to thoroughly review a candidate’s resume.
The truth be told, everyone has valuable skills that sometimes are a bit more hidden. Identifying those transferable skills may lead you to securing your next top employee!
Below are a few points to highlight:
- Read the complete resume. Pay particular attention to details of their experiences. Look for key words that align nicely to your company’s mission, values and purpose.
- Pay attention to the skills they have gained at their past jobs. Are there transferrable skills that blend nicely into your organization or align with the job you are looking to fill?
- Do their skills align more closely to another opportunity you may have available currently or in the near future? Proactive recruiters are clearly the most successful.
- Taking time to read the entire resume helps you to gather a more clear insight into the candidates’ history and job progression; allowing you to more accurately determine a potential match within your organization.
- Stay connected to top talent. Even if you simply do not have an opportunity for a key candidate and you have exhausted all avenues for immediate and future needs, it is critical to keep connected to strong candidates. One never knows when you will truly have the perfect opportunity for this candidate.
- Lastly, keeping connected with candidates helps nurture relationships and connections to other candidates that may be a great fit. A candidate is more likely to refer someone if they feel they have a good relationship established with you as well.
So do yourself a favor, take time to review resumes completely. Keeping an open mind to possibilities, consideration to “think beyond the norm” will not only help you in your recruiting endeavors, it will create a more engaged and diversified workforce for your team.