Scrolling down job portals for hours; a quick glance at resumes to get the required experience and qualifications; picking the phone to enquire if the candidate is interested in the position; and then either scheduling an interview or moving on to another resume - a picture of a hiring professional at work. The faster positions are closed the better. But hold on, aren’t we hiring humans? Then in the entire process where is the human connection? Aren’t we meant to be ‘human resource’ professionals? Sadly, the very word ‘human’ is missing from our jobs.
Let’s just forget, about keywords, experience or qualifications that can reject a resume at the very onset, and look beyond. Of course, if you are working on a technical position you won’t be looking at a resume with an experience in teaching. Definitely, select from the resumes that belong to the field you are hiring for, but hold on before you plunge into an immediate conclusion.
Remember a resume is not just a sheet of paper but beyond it there is a real person with a lot of real qualities and attributes, which are essentially a part of what he/she brings to the organization.
There are end numbers of candidates in the market. Everyone is different from the other and has certain virtues and traits that are unique to them. Our job as human resource professionals is to reach out to that uniqueness in them.
“Why do employers recruit for skill over attitude; when attitude is what we commonly fire staff for”?
It is certainly important to check the key skills and experience that a position demands. But delve deeper into the resume as you do so.
Check the person’s interests and hobbies, the certifications and trainings acquired other than the regular qualification, the references provided and their achievements and so on.
Try reading in between the lines and check for soft skills, leadership qualities, flexibility and other such characteristics so that you know if the candidate fits into the culture and environment of your organization. Check their experience but remember it is not always the years of experience that count. There are situations when the kind of experience matters immensely.
“In a high-IQ job pool, soft skills like discipline, drive and empathy mark those who emerge as outstanding”.
There is much more to a person than the pointers on a resume. Each person comes with their efficiencies and flaws, which is very human. Let’s get there.
To conclude, have an approach that seeks to highlight parameters that are required for the position rather than approaching it with a checklist to disqualify the candidate. If we, thus, broaden our perspective, have a holistic approach and devote some of our valuable time in considering each resume, surely we will find some exceptionally good candidates who are otherwise overlooked.To know the person go beyond resume , connect with the person in personal , have human touch to the evaluation and screening process . Knowing a person is very important before you know the candidate .
“If you hire people just because they can do a job, they will work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears”.
Pioneer Management Consultant Pvt Ltd
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