Okay, maybe you shouldn’t phone interview everyone, but what about those people on the cusp? The candidates whose resumes you review and think, “they’re so close but….” Our recruiting professionals have partnered with hundreds of clients and talked with thousands of candidates, and their biggest tip for staying competitive in today’s hiring market? Invest 15 minutes into a phone interview. Don’t simply discount someone because they don’t check every box. You could be missing out on incredible candidates with great attitudes, motivation to achieve, and passion for your work.
Your wish list might be unrealistic
When you craft a job description, you include all skills and experiences that you think are necessary. But have you ever stopped to take a closer look at what are your true must-haves? JSG Senior Vice President, Perry Paden, elaborates, “In today’s market, clients need to realize that the candidate that meets all the must-haves and the wish list may not be obtainable in today’s market. When a client looks at a resume and doesn’t see a particular skill, does not mean the candidate doesn’t have the skill or possess the ability to learn it quickly.”
Not everything fits on a resume
Many professionals’ careers are complicated webs of qualifications and experiences intricately woven together to make them who they are today. A simple resume can’t always display hundreds of projects and those subtle nuances that make all the difference. “You shouldn’t discount candidates based only on a resume because that doesn’t show the full picture!” shared Hayley Kancius, Recruiting Team Lead at JSG. “Often, people have been told to have a 1-page resume, and it can be challenging to fit 5+ years of experience and qualifications on 1 page.”
There’s always more to the story
A resume only tells a portion of someone’s story. Matt Owens, Business Development Manager at JSG, clarifies, “From a recruiting standpoint, we deal with a lot of hiring managers who focus a lot on employment gaps and/or job-hopping and don’t want to interview someone based on that. We fight for them since you never know the circumstances. Someone could have had a child and wanted to be home with their baby, medical reason, or just wanted a year off to go find out what they want to do, travel, etc.”
“Resumes only tell half of the story, and it’s up to you to complete the rest!” Kancius agreed.
People are more than their resumes
Many factors make a person hirable beyond their qualifications on paper. Kancius explains, “People have special projects, volunteer experience, and skills that are sometimes left out of a resume. Plus, you can’t show personality on a resume!”
Owens elaborated, “Some of the best resumes in the world don’t translate to being a good fit. (Soft skills are huge in the business world!).”
What traits do you value most when you look at your current team? We’d be willing to bet you’d list a variety of soft skills like passion, self-motivation, and communication. So, when you add your next employee, why not prioritize those same traits? “There are a tremendous number of candidates on the market that may fit the attitude, desire, and drive to make an impact, and if companies would invest in a 15-minute conversation, I think they would be surprised they may have uncovered a great employee. A team member that can adapt, has a thirst for knowledge and mentorship, and will impact a company’s bottom line,” Paden explains.
Have a conversation
As you seek to compete in an unprecedented hiring market, it can only benefit you to take a deeper look. Kancius concludes, “Hopping on the phone and taking a few minutes out of your day to prescreen a candidate is always worth the time.”
Still not convinced? Think of it from a different perspective as Owens explains, “As a hiring manager in my previous employment, I always wanted to interview someone. My philosophy is I always test drive a car before buying, no matter how good it looks on paper….why wouldn’t you do the same with a potential employee?”
We understand that you’re busy and can’t spend all day conducting phone interviews. That’s what we’re here for. Partner with JSG to fill your critical roles, and we will help whittle down candidates to the best fit for your company, team, and position. We look beyond the resume and have those conversations, so when we submit a candidate, you can trust that they will be a great fit. Ready to get started? Contact us today!
