There’s no doubt that resumes are a useful tool in recruiting but given how much the profession has changed over recent years, it seems strange that some still rely on these alone. In this guest post from Amit Chauhan, CEO and co-founder of Recroup, he makes the case for why recruiters need to look beyond the resume and how they can go about this.
Going beyond the resume is the single most important change recruiters need to make in order to find candidates that are truly right for their companies.
How much can you truly know about a candidate from a single sheet of paper and a couple of formal conversations? It’s a start, but it shouldn’t be the only process you follow. This could rule out potentially great candidates and bring in talent that may end up not being the best fit.
With today’s technology and innovative approaches to recruiting, new and improved ways to find and recruit the best talent allow you to go beyond the resume and get to know the person you’re recruiting.
Here are four reasons you need to go beyond the resume and ways to achieve it:
1. They can prove their skills beyond typed descriptions
Resumes can signify a person’s polished professional past, but what is their experience like without 20 rounds of revisions?
Consider implementing an interactive challenge or test that is relevant to the position for which they are applying. For instance, if it’s a design position, ask them to create a marketing piece or come up with a logo. This will not only show their skills for the position, but also determine what type of soft skills they have during the course of the challenge.
Giving talent the opportunity to demonstrate their skills off paper and in real life can not only help the top candidates prove they are the best fit for the position, but also make some of the less obvious choices stand out.
2. Interaction beforehand will help first interviews be more useful
Meeting in person is not necessarily an option when recruiting for a position with hundreds of applications. However, it is critical to have some form of interaction with the top candidates even before the first interview.
Consider a preliminary video chat in order to learn what they’re like off paper and outside of formal interviews. It may also be appropriate to have a conversation on a social media channel that they are particularly active on. Make sure you’re asking informal questions that allow you to see what they do for fun and who they are beyond their professional experience.
3. You can get a better idea of outlier candidates
According to a 2013 Jobvite survey, 92 percent of recruiters use social media to vet candidates before the interview. Clearly, the way candidates act on social media has become a trusted indicator of their potential as an employee.
Consider assigning badges to potential candidates that indicate what social channels they are active on, what their level of competency on social media is, as well as their level of professionalism on these public channels. These badges can provide a quick, big picture look at where the candidates are online, what kind of trends are surfacing for the position and its candidates, and highlight any outliers.
4. You can walk into job offers with a better understanding of expectations
Going beyond the resume to understand a candidate’s expectations and what truly motivates them will help you align expectations of a role with their personal interests. It can also allow you to highlight some of the things the company offers that are not just exclusive to the role for which they are applying.
For instance, if they like to spend extra time giving back to their community, a corporate social giving policy is a great topic to bring up. Doing this will provide you with more leverage when it comes time to begin negotiations to bring your number one candidate onboard.
Taking your recruiting beyond a resume gets you to connect with a candidate beyond a piece of paper. The more you know about a candidate, the better decision you will make and the happier your clients or employer will be.
Amit Chauhan is the CEO and co-founder of Recroup, an entry-level hiring platform that allows employers to find the right talent by getting to know the person behind the resume. Connect with Amit and the Recroup team on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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