It’s been said the average hiring manager gives about 15 seconds of their time to a resume before they decide if it is worth a follow-up. In those 15 seconds you are typically looking for an easy-to-read-format, verifying the qualifications are met and reviewing the applicants job history. Make sure that in your haste you aren’t bypassing these 5 red flags:
• Spelling, grammar and formatting errors. This may seem like a no-brainer but you’d be surprised at what you’re willing to overlook from someone with the right job title from a big name employer.
• Failure to follow directions. If you leave specific instructions on how to apply and they aren’t followed, alarm bells should be going off. This is the biggest sign that this person doesn’t care one bit about your requirements or goals as a company. Next!
• A career history that has plateaued or backtracked significantly. An applicant with a consistent history of regression or a long period of stagnation with no explanation is a warning sign. If you’re looking to fill a position with a lot of growth potential, don’t set your expectations too high that they will grow with it.
• Overqualified Applicants. It may be completely possible the applicant is just making some life changes and less responsibilities or a different career path fit into that but it’s also likely that your company could be being used as a stepping stone until something better comes along for them.
• Lack of customization for your position. When responses are customized it tells you that they understand your company, the position and what you are looking for in an employee. No customization says they really don’t care all that much.
Hyrell's innovative approach to hiring means you get to see your top applicants first and don't have to go diving through piles of resumes. We do the ranking and scoring for you before you even see the applicants.