Beyond the Resume: Alternative Strategies for Recruiting the Best

According to HireRight, 85% of employers caught applicants lying or exaggerating on their resumes. Although resumes and applications can be great for learning about a candidate’s skill set, work experience, and accomplishments, they’re highly unreliable and can cause employers to overlook important factors like personality type, working behaviours, and cultural fit.

If your company is suffering from high turnover rates and low morale caused by bad hires, it may be time to reevaluate your approach.

Here are three alternatives you can look to during the hiring process:

1. Put job seekers to the test

Hiring decisions need to be based on more than just gut instinct. Personality and behaviour assessment tools help to streamline the recruitment process, eliminate human biases, and can empower data-driven hiring decisions based on fit for your company needs and culture. Front-end screening yields candidates who embody what you need most and are more likely to stay with your company long-term.

2. Review the candidate’s online brand

When assessing job seekers, pay special attention to their social media and online presence. 

When researching potential job candidates, here are some things to consider:

  • Does that candidate have a robust LinkedIn profile that supports their qualifications?
  • What kind of online persona does that candidate portray? Are they conducting themselves professionally?
  • What are other people posting about the candidate?
  • Is the candidate sharing proactive or inappropriate content?
  • Is the candidate linked to any criminal behaviour?
  • Does the candidate have strong communication skills?

Before utilizing social media for screening and background checks, consult with your legal counsel to ensure that you are protected against risks of liability, discrimination claims, and non-compliance with regulations.

3. Use references right

When reaching out to references, think outside the box and ask about more than the candidate’s skills and performance. Take your time to do your due diligence by asking questions that will help you understand whether the candidate will be a good fit within your current team and culture.

What exactly should you ask? Here are some suggestions:

  • What was it like to work with the candidate?
  • What type of work environment do you think the candidate will most likely thrive in?
  • How did the candidate get along with their co-workers and management?
  • How would you describe the candidate’s sense of humour?
  • How did the candidate manage conflict?
  • How did the candidate respond under pressure?
  • Why did the candidate leave their position?

For more guidance and support on evaluating candidates, contact BullsEye Recruitment.

Your company is unique, and your approach to hiring should be too. When you partner with BullsEye Recruitment, we’ll work closely with you in developing a holistic understanding of your hiring needs before sourcing, screening and connecting you with superior candidates who fit your finance and accounting roles.

Contact us today to get started!

P: 403.264.2242
E: trevor@bullseyerecruitment.com 

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