Do Resumes Matter Anymore? Talent Acquisition Experts Say…

Do Resumes Matter Anymore?
Interviewers used to rely heavily on the facts of a resume to determine a candidate’s fitness for the job. But the interviewing process has shifted dramatically in recent years. Do resumes matter anymore?

More Sophisticated Candidates
Candidates are far more sophisticated in how to prepare for and answer “standard”, “give me an example” and “case study” interview questions.  It is now easy to prepare for the four most common types of interview questions:

• Behavioral Interview Questions
  Behavioral interview questions seek to uncover past behaviors and performance to help predict future behavior.  Done well, behavioral interviewing helps make the right hiring decisions and avoid costly hiring mistakes.  Done poorly, it telegraphs what the interviewer is looking for and feels like an interrogation to the potential new hire.
• Motivational Interview Questions
  Motivational interview questions seek to understand levels of self-motivation, commitment, desire, resourcefulness, ambition, goal orientation, initiative and enthusiasm for the job and the company.
• Intellectual Interview Questions
  Intellectual interview questions seek to understand a candidates ability to handle ambiguity, analyze complex data, articulate ideas, make decisions, pay attention to detail, gather and process information, innovate, have good judgement, listen, organize, solve problems, learn, be perceptive, and think strategically.
• Interpersonal Interview Questions
  Interpersonal interview questions seek to understand a candidates ability to adapt, be assertive, collaborate, develop others, be diplomatic, have empathy, show integrity, act independently, inspire others, build networks, influence others, take risks, manage stress, and be self-confident.

Is It Time to Toss the Resume?
When we ask our behavior based interviewing and talent acquisition experts, “Do resumes matter anymore?”  they say, “kind of.”  They recommend using the resume to:

• Screen out candidates who lack the experience you need
• Provide background for behavioral questions that probe beneath the facts to uncover the candidate’s work ethic, attitude, values and cultural fit.

How to Use Behavioral Interviewing Techniques to Hire Right

1.  Begin with What Your Organization Stands For
All corporate decisions and behaviors should be based on the company’s:

• Strategy – where you are headed strategically, why you are headed in that direction, and how you will get there
• Organizational culture – how things really get done on a day-to-day basis

And what more important decisions are there than the people you hire to represent you and execute your strategic journey? The right candidate should be genuinely excited by your corporate mission, inspired by the vision of the future and committed to the values and beliefs you espouse.

2.  Focus More On Who The Candidate Is Than What They Have Accomplished
While past accomplishments are important, you want to clarify the role your interviewee played in achieving those accomplishments and understand the environment in which they were carried out.  No two companies are alike.  In general, you want to make sure that the people you hire fit your workplace culture and:

• practice ethical work habits
• value learning and growth
• know how to collaborate effectively
• can handle your speed of change
• are responsible
• engender trust
• are agile, resourceful and flexible

3.  Test Them Out On-the-job
Whenever possible, give candidates a small project or bring them onto the team for a trial period. You will quickly discover whether they are a good fit or not.

4.  Be Patient
It is far better to wait for the high performing candidate who fits than to be pressured into hiring “second best.” Hiring poorly costs in so many ways…dollars, time and employee morale.  When it comes to people, never settle if you want to create and nurture a high performance culture.

The Bottom Line
It is fair to ask – “Do Resumes Matter Anymore?”  The quick answer is “Not Really.”  Resumes can help with screening and provide context for smart behavior-based interview questions, but they rarely help to hire the right talent matters to the people and to the business.

To learn more about hiring top talent, download Why the Interviewing Process is Flawed And What to Do About It