Hiring Managers’ Guide for Reviewing Resumes
When it comes to resumes, being a hiring manager can be a time-consuming task in finding the most qualified applicant. According to GlassDoor, each corporate position receives 250 resumes. This is a lot of resumes. We have created a quick guide to help in narrowing down the list of applicants.
Meets the requirements of the open position.
Review the applicant’s resume to see if they have the right qualifications for the job. Even if the applicant meets the qualifications, you should review the amount of experience or skills that make them a strong candidate for the position.
Visually appealing and organized to be easy to scan.
When reviewing a resume, see if it is well organized with defined sections for work experience, education, and other items. Another important factor is how it is formatted. Is it easy to read, and follow, and does not show as a complex presentation? Does the applicant reflect a professional resume? Are there items that are too personal being shown on the resume? Remember you are looking for a good fit for the open position. If they are being too personal, move on to others that focus on being professional.
Proper sentences and grammar.
Review the resume for proper sentences and grammar. Check the functional duties to see if more than one or two words are being used for the functional duties. Does it convey the work experience properly?
The resume should be well-organized and free of any typos or grammatical errors. In addition, it is important to use clear, concise language and highlight the most relevant qualifications for the position you are applying for.
Shows accomplishments.
Review the recent accomplishments of the applicant. Are these a direct match or will complement the functional duties of the position or culture of the company? The accomplishments on the resume will show the initiative and ability of the applicant or if they will be an individual contributor versus part of a team player.
Is it concise?
Regarding resumes, two pages or shorter depending upon the applicant’s experience is reasonable. Three pages is too long regardless of experience. It shows the applicant is not able to show their career in a concise manner.
Questions to review for this: Did the applicant organize their experience and skills in a concise manner? Are you able to find the information quickly? If not, then discard it from the list.
Tenure in employment.
According to BLS Employee Tenure Summary, the average in 2022, is 4.1 years which is similar to 2020. Have they been moving from one position to another in a short amount of time? The only items that would be reasonable for this it was a temporary or a contract position. Also, nowadays if the applicants have a few positions that are short tenure ask them about these to find out if it was bad luck with company layoffs and closures. This wouldn’t be a reason to discount the resume but if this happened for their entire career it is most likely will happen again if you bring them on board.
Another item is to review for employment gaps in the employment. How long were these gaps? Are these explained in the cover letter or resume?
The resume is the first impression of the applicant. If it does not show the best first impression, it will also be conveyed if the applicant is working for your company. This negative will be intertwined into the overall work performance. It is better to select an applicant that is detail-oriented and shows a direct positive relation to their work performance.
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