The demands of small business require an efficient recruiting process. A system for quickly vetting resumes speeds up the application process so you can move on to the interview stage with the right candidates. Below are seven signs that should set off alarm bells when vetting an applicant’s resume.
Unverifiable achievements and claims
Strong CVs list specific achievements. These give recruiters insight into a candidate’s job performance and capacity for work. But numbers can be inflated and achievements in one organization might not be understood by another.
Seek out applicants who verify their claims with evidence and data. The benefits are two-fold. First, it protects against deception to weed out bad candidates. Second, it gives you quantifiable information to compare the candidates you are interested in hiring.
Contradictory information found between resume, LinkedIn profile, and other parts of application
If you notice inconsistencies browsing a candidate’s credentials, take a deeper look into their resume, LinkedIn profile, and application. If you start finding contradictory information when comparing this information, it’s probably time to move on.
Candidates can stretch the truth on their resume. But if they’re currently employed, it’s really tough to do so on their LinkedIn profile as their employer and managers can easily access their profile. This is why it’s so pertinent to do a thorough online investigation of your potential candidates. Not only does it reveal more about them than what’s just on their resume, it’s also used to cross-examine their application to ensure there are no half-truths or lies.
There’s no clear value proposition
Be cautious of resumes that seem to be more of a general summary than a representation of a specific skill set. Candidates should be able to present a clear value proposition of their abilities.
Your business has specific objectives and needs a team member who can execute those.
For example, consider two candidates for a SaaS sales position. One may have extensive B2B sales experience as well as an intimate familiarity of Salesforce. The other lists marketing positions as their experience with “sales” as a skill in addition to a “Knowledge of CRMs”. It’s true that a marketer could have experience in those disciplines. But it’s much more likely the first candidate possesses a more accurate skill set for what the job requires.
No effort put into tailoring resume and cover letter
Services like LinkedIn and ZipRecruiter make it easier than ever for recruiters to field applications in masses. But those platforms also enable job seekers to submit applications for an unlimited number of positions. The drawback is that a chunk of your pool of candidates may not have a genuine interest in your position.
If you’re a small business looking to develop a team that will carry your company for the next three to five years, you want to interview candidates who are passionate about your open position. You do not want to hire someone who is looking to take whatever opportunity pops up next.
So how do you find the candidates who are investing time and energy into applying to your positions? The classic resume and cover letter is still the tried-and-true method. If an applicant has not put in the effort to personalize their materials, it should be a red flag. When you can tell that a candidate respects your time, you can feel confident that trend will continue when you add them to your team.
Employment gaps
Employment gaps on a resume deserve your attention, especially if the gaps were during strong economic years. There can be a handful of reasons why a person was out of work. Organizations often don’t pass up applicants with legitimate explanations — that runs the risk of excluding highly-qualified candidates. In fact, research performed by my resume writing company, ResumeGo, found that applicants who provide a reason for an employment gap receive almost 60% more interviews than those who don’t.
But if a candidate is unwilling to provide an explanation, you should be cautious about proceeding with their application. Business and technology are in a state of constant change. Your team needs employees with relevant skill sets and a recent history of performing.
Failing to follow instructions
Qualifications are irrelevant when it comes to following instructions. It’s a level playing field for all applicants. Either an applicant followed directions or they did not. Avoid candidates who from day one are telling you, “I do things my way.”
Maybe an applicant forgot to attach a document to their submission. Mistakes happen and you should weigh them against other factors like whether the candidate tailored their resume and cover letter. But ultimately, how can you be positive a position is important to an applicant if they fail to double check their work before applying?
Your spidey-senses are tingling
So you’ve vetted an applicant and they check all the boxes. They’ve provided everything you have asked for. Their resume and cover letter feels personal. They are more than qualified for the role. Still, something is pulling you in a different direction.
Your intuition can influence hiring. In fact, in many cases your intuition will be the most powerful decision factor. That’s okay. Recruiting is about fielding the highest-quality applicants, comparing their strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately making the hiring decision that feels right to you.
