A recent survey conducted by Careerbuilder.com reported that 58 per cent of hiring managers say they’ve caught job applicants lying on their résumés. More than one third of the respondents say the number of falsities they find on résumés has increased since the global recession.
What does this mean for your hiring efforts?
Résumés are essential to the job application process. Even though cover letters and background checks are increasing in importance, the résumé seems to be the foundation on which all job applications stand. But with résumé embellishment on the rise, it may be time to look beyond this application document.
Today, it is possible to fill an open position with the right candidate without relying solely on a résumé. Here are some new recruiting trends that are helping businesses acquire the best talent for their workforces:
Recruiting Trends that Look Beyond the Résumé
- Survey current employees
Business growth can often be accredited to the talent that currently resides at a company. If this is true, why look for new employees? To grow a business, it may be best to replicate the talent that is already in place. To accomplish this, Gallup business journal suggests conducting a survey of top performers to better understand their professional attitudes, opinions and drive. With this information, it may become easier to identify job candidates with high potential.
- Personality Tests
Good chemistry is vital to a strong workforce. While a person may have a lengthy list of skills and impressive educational background, it is important to be sure his or her personality is right for the team, too. In fact, many HR professionals agree that seeking to understand a job candidate’s personality is a good way to indicate how he or she will perform on the job.
- Scan Online Brands
Social media background checks are becoming popular tools for verifying résumés. As far as pre-employment screenings are concerned, this is the best way to learn about the candidate beyond the résumé. But be careful, the director of legal services for the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, David Goodis, warns that social media searches may violate a job applicant’s rights to privacy.
- Conduct Skill Assessments
Careerbuilder’s survey reveals that the most common résumé lie involves the embellishment of one’s skill set. Eliminate the risk of being fooled by an unqualified candidate; confirm his or her abilities by conducting a thorough assessment of the specific claims.
Résumés are an important part of the job application process, but it doesn’t mean that they are the only tool for pre-employment verification. Take an applicant to the next level by looking beyond his or her résumé. Recruiting trends that include assessments, tests, surveys and social media screenings may be the best way to ensure top talent is being replicated, not poorly imitated.
According to the majority of hiring managers, job applicants are lying to get jobs. Confirm honesty by using smart recruiting techniques.
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