If My Candidate Is Underqualified, Should I Recruit Beyond Their Resume?

Recruit Beyond the Resume

A resume is what a candidate uses to express interest in a job opening. However, it doesn’t tell the whole story about who they are. Besides the fact that job seekers may not have all the requirements you’d like for a position, you cannot tell from a resume whether the person will fit with company culture. Because you can teach hard skills needed to be successful in a role, it’s more important that you focus on other characteristics when deciding whom to bring aboard. Here are four methods for recruiting beyond the resume.


 

 

 

Request a Task

Ask your candidate to perform a job-related task. It’s better to see how they may perform on the job than simply have them tell you about past successes. For instance, if you’re hiring someone to answer phones, have the candidate answer a mock phone call to see how they do. Or, if you’re looking for a project manager, ask them to look at a current project outline and come up with questions or suggestions. You can see their hard and soft skills while working on the task and determine whether they fit with role requirements.

Call References

Talk with the candidate’s references. Ask about the potential hire’s work performance and sense of humor. If they’re extremely serious or often joke around, they may not be a good fit for your company. Find out whether the job seeker’s work area was neat or messy, how they interacted with coworkers and whether they participated in external activities such as a sports team or volunteering. Use the information to decide whether what the potential hire believes is important aligns with your culture. For instance, if your team goes out to lunch every Friday or gets together for happy hour, you want a new hire who’ll join you whenever possible.

Hire for Company Culture

Determine whether the candidate blends with company culture. They’ll be more successful in the position if they exhibit values and beliefs in line with your organization. Integrity, ethics, competence, character and potential should be among the characteristics most important to the candidate. Character, drive, ambition, energy and diversity should be held in higher regard than education, skills and experience alone.

Implement a Trial Period

Offer the candidate a paid trial period to prove they can deliver on the job responsibilities. Whether you offer a few weeks or a few months, you can determine whether the job seeker is a good fit for the role. You’ll also save money by not being locked into long-term employment in case things don’t work out. Be sure you state the trial period and specific responsibilities so the candidate understands you’re offering work-for-hire rather than immediate full-time employment.

Recruit Beyond the Resume

Recruit beyond the resume with help from Barracuda Staffing. From selecting and interviewing candidates to negotiating job offers and beyond, we offer full-service hiring solutions to keep your business running smoothly. Partner with us today!

 

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