A resume reveals more than a candidate may think. Learning how to review resumes beyond past experience is a valuable skill that will help HR professionals weed out sub-par candidates and hire the best.
Meticulous Presentation
Examine the details of the resume. Is it presented well, in an easy-to-read layout that guides the eye? Are there any spelling or grammar mistakes? You want a candidate who can pay attention to detail and represents him or herself professionally and impressively.
Job Experience
This is the essence and purpose of the resume. If your candidate doesn’t have the right experience for the job, then they are easily removed from the resume pile of potentials. When looking at job experience, you should also look at whether the candidate has worked in a similar company, how they added value and how long they were employed there. These are all indicators of how well they will do with your company.
Success Stories
Look for quantifiable accomplishments in resumes. See if they achieved any sales goals, hit the right number of blog visitors, or improved their previous company’s metrics in any way. These should be measurable goals that shows a candidate is able to hit targets.
Qualifications
Finally, look at whether they are qualified for the job. Each candidate must have the core requirements to do a job when it comes to skills. If you have a large pile of strong applications, start looking at your preferred requirements. These are the skills and assets that your candidate doesn’t need to do the job, but will help them do the job exceptionally well.
Over to you
How do you review resumes? What do you look for when screening applications? Let us know your best tips on how to review resumes in the comments below.
About the Author: Jocelyn Pick
