To some organizations…everything! Ironically, I see hiring managers who take only seconds to glance through a resume and then pick it apart. I hear from managers that the person doesn’t have a particular skill because the buzz words are not listed in it yet in the same breathe complain that other resumes are too long. I have seen managers throw out GREAT resumes because the candidate has mistakenly missed a comma, or changed font formats.
When reviewing resumes, keep in mind that people 1) May not be that good at writing a resume and 2) Can only put so much in the resume if you want to keep it to a reasonable length. When looking at a resume…the key is to look at what IS in the resume. If you find certain nuggets the task is then to take some time, pick up the phone and spend 15 minutes with the applicant determining if the other traits or skills exist to warrant further action.
I see lousy resumes all the time from IT and engineers. If I threw out every lousy resume from an IT person or an engineer I would never talk to a single applicant. Instead, I get on the phone, take a few minutes and ask some key questions that get to the heart of what I am looking for. Then I make a decision about whether or not to pursue the candidate in greater depth.
This process takes TIME! Time may be money but so is passing up a great candidate or picking the wrong one. That’s why the hiring process takes so much time and energy…you can’t afford to do either. If you do you will find yourself struggling to find the talent you need as labor becomes a hard to find asset in the next decade.
