Weeding out Unqualified Candidates
Whether you’re a recruiter or a hiring manager with a company, you are constantly going through resumes searching for top job candidates. This can be a very frustrating task, and not just from the perspective of trying to find the right candidate. In a world that has given us the ability to find and connect with individuals in a number of ways (LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, etc.), it has also given individuals the ability to connect with us.
A problem is the fact that anyone can apply to an open position, no matter what their background. Maybe people are hoping to “get lucky”, or think that they can change their career path by simply jumping to a new industry. The question is what makes these individuals think they are the qualified for the position they are applying for? They aren’t telling us and it makes a lot of extra work!
Convenience has created the problem of finding top job candidates. With social networks and expanding job boards people now have the ability to simply “Click Apply” (ZipRecruiter) or “Easily Apply” (Indeed) without even reading a description. Even opening an email from some of these sites sends back an application response; just trying to inquire more about the opportunity before any description has been read. Whereas 15+ years ago you had to fill out multiple pages of an application and present your job experience and references to even be considered for a position. We now live in an era of never-ending unqualified candidates.
Most Recruiters Rely on Third Party Sites for Top Candidates
Don’t get me wrong; these advancements are greatly appreciated and well used. According to a LinkedIn Talent Blog “of the top 3 sources for quality hires, references, social sites and job boards, 46% of companies interviewed believe that third party websites and job boards will be where they find these individuals”. The reality of this is, however, that although these sites may end up being where the right candidate is found, responses to job ads mean you are likely to go through hundreds of unqualified resumes before finding one that is appropriate for the position posted.
Unqualified may not even be the right term. For instance, if a company is looking for a software developer with 10 plus years of experience, and someone with only 3 years applies, then that individual is technically unqualified for that position. Sifting through resumes of people who have not only zero software developing experience, but also have been working as a telemarketer their entire career is a waste of that individuals time as well as the company and/or recruiters time they inquired.
So as a job seeker before you apply for that next job consider what qualifies you to do so. Do you have any estimating experience in construction before you apply for a construction estimator position? If you have never written one line of code should you be applying for a software developer role? If you’re making $30,000.00 a year are you the right person for the VP position paying $150,000.00?
As an employer/recruiter is the information you’re providing the right content for the audience that it is intended? Are you being clear on the minimum requirements to prevent unqualified applicants? Putting out the right information can save you time in finding the right individual and that starts with the right post.
