Post a job, receive a flood of resumes, get overwhelmed.
Sound familiar?
As one of Miami’s top staffing firms, Future Force knows the resume screening process can be daunting; what’s more is that you must spend the time to review every single submission to ensure you don’t miss out on a leading candidate.
The good news is that you don’t need to read, word for word, every single resume sent your way. Rather, if you know what to look for, you can review resumes in 30 seconds or less and get a good sense of whether a candidate is right for you.
To help you in the process, here are some tips for finding great candidates – and saving time and hassle in the process:
Tip #1: Close Your Office Door.
You need to set aside some quiet, uninterrupted time to review resumes. If you don’t, you’re going to be starting and stopping the review process between interruptions, which is going to make it longer and less effective.
Tip #2: Look at Format & Style.
Is the resume neatly formatted? Are there apparent spelling errors? Does the candidate write in clear and concise sentences?
If the resume is convoluted and you can’t seem to figure out what the candidate is trying to say, it could be the sign of a poor communicator.
Tip #3: Scan for Keywords.
Make a list of the keywords and phrases you used in your job posting, as well as their equivalents (for instance, if “account executive” was used in your job posting, then “account manager” would be an equivalent). Then scan resumes for those keywords and phrases. If you can’t find any matches, move on.
Tip #4: Check the Dates.
If a job candidate only includes the years of employment, not the months, it could be a sign of an employment gap and something to watch out for. Also, look for more obvious gaps in employment. They don’t necessarily mean a candidate isn’t qualified – especially in today’s economy – but it is something to put on your list to ask about should you choose to bring in the candidate for an interview.
Tip #5: Be on the Lookout for Inconsistencies & Red Flags.
For instance, if the dates of employment don’t make sense, or if the candidate said one thing in their cover letter and another in their resume, it could be a mistake…or a lie.
Another red flag to look out for is job-hopping. If a candidate has many positions listed on their resumes, with only a short tenure at each, they might have a problem committing to an employer or to a job. Either way, not a good sign.
Don’t Have Time to Review Resumes?
If you need to hire, but simply don’t have the time, let Future Force know. As one of Miami’s top staffing firms, we can take the hassle out of hiring – including sourcing, screening, and interviewing – all so you can focus on other priorities while still gaining access to quality talent. Give us a call today if you’d like to learn more.