Navigating Vague Resumes: How to Make Informed Hiring Decisions

Navigating Vague Resumes: How to Make Informed Hiring Decisions

Introduction

In the year 2023, and with the trend expected to continue into 2024, the number of available candidates has surged, doubling or even tripling for various job roles. The ability to navigate through a multitude of resumes is now a necessity for talent acquisition (TA), recruiters, and hiring managers. Applying for a job has never been easier, and the pool of interested candidates has expanded, thanks to the flexibility of remote work and virtual interviews. Consequently, the potential for misinformation has risen sharply. However, hiring managers can adopt strategies to uncover the authenticity of candidates. Let’s explore effective methods to avoid vague resumes and empower well-informed hiring decisions.

Step No #1 Clear Job Description

Begin by being clear and transparent in your job description. Explicitly outline the requirements and responsibilities of the position to align candidate expectations with company needs. For more generic positions with an expected high number of applicants, consider requesting a small, non-time-consuming task.

Example:

When we were hiring for a junior role that required no previous skills but a specific personality, someone who thinks out of the box, searches for answers, and is not afraid to roll up their sleeves, we encouraged applicants to make an extra effort at the very end of the job description:

“If you are interested, apply by sending your resume, motivation letter (tell us who you are), and answer the following:

What is the difference between Java, JavaScript, and Jawa?”

Results:

• 21% of responders provided a cover letter with the correct response.
• 2% of responders provided a cover letter with an incorrect response.
• 30% of responders provided a cover letter ignoring the task.
• 47% of responders didn’t send a cover letter.

Alarming is the fact that 27% of the applicants had previous experience as recruiters or HR, with one of them at the management level, and only 9% of them actually fulfilled the task.

Step No #2 Thorough Employment History Analysis

Going through applicants employment history is a crucial step to discover consistency, verifying dates, job titles, and responsibilities. Any gaps in employment should be addressed, and stays shorter than one year at a company explained thoroughly.

In the past, being at a company for less than 12 months and copying this pattern for the last three employments raised a red flag, and the application was usually marked as a job hopper. However, this is not the case anymore, given the prevalence of freelancing and the ability to work on a contract basis. It is crucial to find out the reasons behind the short stays. On the other hand, a person who worked for different companies for varying time lengths might bring interesting knowledge, having experienced different environments, approaches, practices, etc., and can bring absolutely new views.

Step No #3 Skills Verification Through Assessments

There are several opinions regarding incorporating skills assessments or technical tests since candidates usually do not like them. The reasons might differ, but one of the most common is that companies usually make these assessments not very valuable, boring, or not matching the actual job, resulting in candidates and hiring personnel wasting their time. However, a well-crafted assessment not only provides concrete evidence of skills but also helps identify any discrepancies between claimed and actual proficiency.

Example:

One of our clients insisted on a technical task, regardless of whether it was for a junior or senior position, and it required 8 to 16 hours of the candidates’ time. However, they made it challenging and exciting. What is worth noting is that they offered financial compensation for the candidates’ time, and the client accepted their price. This approach ensured that the assessment was meaningful, aligned with the job requirements, and valued the candidates’ efforts.

References offer valuable insights into a candidate’s work ethic and capabilities. Actively reach out to previous employers or professional contacts to validate the information provided by the candidate, ensuring a more accurate portrayal of their qualifications. The best source is always someone within your network, but if there is no such person, it is completely okay to reach out to a person who provided a reference either in the applicant’s resume or on their LinkedIn or any other social media profile.

Note:

Be aware that there is a law dictating that nobody can provide a negative reference to anyone. However, there is a professional language when expressing a negative experience with the candidate, and it’s up to the reference taker how they will handle it.

Step No #5 Behavioural Interview Techniques

Behavioural interviews are powerful tools for uncovering a candidate’s past experiences and decision-making processes. By asking for specific examples and details, hiring managers can assess the authenticity of a candidate’s responses and gain a deeper understanding of their capabilities. Of course, these questions should be specifically tailored to the concrete position. You would not ask a junior a question that should reveal their managerial skills.

Step No #6 Social Media Screening

Companies expect candidates to conduct research on them and be able to provide elaborate details about the history, vision, mission, products, people, etc. However, an interviewing experiment by Adam Vesecký shows that only 16% of companies research applicants!

Every person has a digital footprint. In the digital age, social media can be a treasure trove of information. While not a standalone method, reviewing candidates’ online profiles can reveal any inconsistencies or behaviors that may conflict with their professional image. There are also controversial opinions when people consider not inviting them to the interview just based on their social media, which is perceived by some as crossing privacy lines. The company must decide whether it agrees with such statements. But generally, nothing that a person puts online is private, right?

Step No #7 Utilising Video Interviews

Before inviting a candidate on-site, video interviews provide an opportunity to visually assess candidates and confirm their identity. Also, observing body language, facial expressions, and communication style can help in evaluating a candidate’s demeanour and authenticity.

Note:

While technical issues might occur when trying to connect, it may be less relevant to be suspicious when hiring for a non-technical position. However, it would be unusual for a high-tech person not to be able to use their camera.

Example:

One of our clients hired a remote software engineer based on several video interviews. The candidate performed well, but in every online call, there were issues with the video. Sometimes, his face would pop up for a second, but most of the time, there was no video connection. It took a few weeks after hiring him to discover that this developer had no knowledge of programming, and the person interviewing for him was a friend.

Step No #8 In-Person Meetings for a Personal Touch

If you are filling an on-site or hybrid position, try to conduct at least one in-person interview to add a personal touch to the evaluation process. Face-to-face interactions allow hiring managers to better gauge a candidate’s sincerity and overall suitability for the company culture.

Example:

One of our clients, with several thousand employees based in 9 different locations within Europe, always emphasises that he has never hired a person he has not met at least once for a face-to-face meeting. This underlines the importance of personal interaction in the hiring process, and not necessarily only for roles where physical presence is integral to the job.

Step No #9 Leveraging Fraud Detection Tools

If you are facing vague resumes too often, consider staying ahead of potential fraud by utilising specialised tools or services designed to analyse resumes and identify discrepancies. These tools can provide an additional layer of scrutiny in the hiring process.

Example:

Some of the tools detecting fraud practices might be integrated into Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) systems. And their capabilities may offer features such as:

• Resume Parsing: Extracting and analysing key information such as employment history, education, and skills.
• Pattern Recognition: Algorithms to identify irregularities or inconsistencies in the candidate’s resume, such as gaps in employment or unusual career progression.
• Verification Checks: Cross-referencing information with external databases, social media profiles, and other sources to verify the accuracy of the candidate’s claims.
• Behavioural Analysis: Analysing language patterns and writing style to assess the likelihood of deception in the resume.

To choose the right tool requires a thorough research.

Step No #10 Continuous Improvement and Training

Foster a culture of continuous improvement in your hiring practices. Provide training to hiring teams on recognising potential fraud indicators and adapting strategies to navigate evolving challenges. Look for new techniques, tools, and AI-powered products that can help you with accuracy. Continuous learning and innovation in your hiring processes will contribute to more effective and reliable candidate assessments.

v a i r e e ’ s approach

v a i r e e aims to provide fraud detection by ensuring that applicants are not only relevant to the role, but their skill set is genuine and verified through cross-referencing, personal touch, recommendation gaining, and essentially, all the steps covered above, and not limited to.

Decoding vague resumes is an art that demands a combination of diligence, technology, and effective communication. By incorporating these strategies into the hiring process, organisations can mitigate the risks associated with misinformation, ensuring they make well-informed decisions that lead to the selection of the best-fit candidates for their teams. This comprehensive approach aligns with v a i r e e ’s commitment to enhancing the accuracy and integrity of the recruitment process.