Did we forget that there is a human being behind the cv?

A few weeks ago, I posted a job ad on LinkedIn. To my surprise, I received over 200 applications. Flooded mailbox of course and back-to-back interviews of some really great candidates but let’s face, the majority of the candidates ended up in the ‘not the right fit’ pile.

One night, I decided to get to it and send e-mails informing candidates that they were not withheld for the position. To my surprise, I had another flooded inbox the next morning. Almost half of the candidates had sent me an e-mail, simply thanking me for the time that I had taken to send them a personal message.

How did it come this far that people start thanking headhunters for a simple e-mail! Did we, in the rush for the perfect candidate, forget that there is an actual human being behind a cv, who is eager to know whether it could be a match?

Every business professional knows that delivering a great customer experience is crucial for success. And the consequences of a bad experience are equally well known.

For a recruiter, talent is the equivalent of customers for a company. And the marketing message has arrived with ‘candidate experience’ being one of the top trends in talent acquisition the last few years. Research has shown that 91,4% of all HR professionals believe that a positive candidate experience has a direct impact on the quality of the new employees.  Yet we seem to have forgotten that it also entails clear and personal communication about not being the right fit.

Admitted, I also sometimes forget to send a message letting people know that they are not withheld. Never on purpose, but it happens. And yes, I have a separate mailbox with candidates who have spontaneously applied to whom I still need to respond. There is a good reason for that, I want them to benefit from the video-pitching we will be launching. But that is no reason to keep them in the dark.

So my good resolution is to send those e-mails right now. Once that is done, I'll start writing my next blog on creating a winning candidate experience.

After all, the day that we forget that there is a human being behind a cv, will be the day that robots and AI can take over recruitment. 

I look forward to hearing from you,

Isabel

Through a personalized and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company

Check out our website http://www.ingenium-search.be

Follow me on Twitter @IngeniumSearch

3 simple ways to get your cv tossed into the reject pile

Writing a cv is difficult for most people. After all, it should not only provide the recruiter with a great first impression, it should also be adjusted to the position that you are applying for and above all it should make sure that your resume ends up on the ‘candidates to meet’-pile.

There are a million reasons why you might or might not be invited for an interview. There are however only a few simple ways to get your cv tossed into the reject pile, without much consideration.

·       Typos and spelling errors

It must have been said a thousand times… grammatical and spelling errors are a sure way to get rejected but still…I encounter a lot of errors when reviewing a cv. We all make spelling errors (I know that I do) and spelling checks won’t discover every mistake. It is wise to ask someone else (or even 2 people) to proofread your cv to make sure that all the little mistakes are corrected.

·       Incorrect information

No one is a perfect match to a position description so it might be tempting to brush up the information to meet all criteria. You may want to spice it up a little to be considered for a more senior position. If you are looking for a career change into a position with less responsibilities, you might want to somewhat downsize your job titles. If you had some wrong or illogical career choices, you may want to leave them out. Bad plan, because, even if it would lead to a job interview, you will need to come clean at some point and the connection of trust will be broken immediately.

It is better to write a cv with the clear dates, facts, responsibilities and achievements and use the summary to indicate why you would be a suitable candidate. In the summary, you can briefly explain some career choices and aspirations without providing incorrect information about the facts. It will give the impression that you have thought through why you are applying for a certain job.

·       No accompanying note

It gives me the jitters to receive an e-mail, mentioning only ‘please find enclosed my cv’. It may seem arrogant but if I make the effort to spend time reviewing your resume, I find it pleasant that you address me in a personal way, explaining why you are sending your cv and why you believe that you qualify.

Is it really true that if you make one of the 3 mistakes above that I will not consider your application? Of course not... A cv only says so much about a person but it is the first impression that you give a potential employer. Avoiding these 3 simple errors will increase your chances of making a good impression.

As I strongly believe that a person is much more than merely a CV, we will be launching in the coming weeks a video-pitching tool that will allow you to record a short video to accompany your cv and to give us a broader view of the person behind the word document. Exciting times 😊! This and more to come beginning of November.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Isabel

Through a personalized and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company

Check out our website http://www.ingenium-search.be

Follow me on Twitter @IngeniumSearch