Do you work in Recruitment? The value of CV's...

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 Hans 02 Feb 2018

Hi everyone,

Please respond to this if your job is (or was) to hire employees (any kind of company is fine).

Currently, I am working on a project with an information team within a careers guidance company. My project directly relates to CV writing and job applications. This is just one of many 'branches' of research and I thought it was worth a shot:

1. Do you value CV's from applying candidates? 

2. Is there a specific 'type' of CV you ask for and if so, why?

3. Do you use any alternative methods of hiring?

If you'd like to email me directly, please do. Extra details, like the sector you work for, is greatly appreciated but not obligatory. 

I will try to check back for comments once a day but can't guarantee this.

All the best

James.

 

 Martin Hore 02 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

I'm not an HR specialist, and I've been retired 5 years, but I used to be involved in recruitment as a middle manager in the public sector. 

Certainly in the public sector I think most short-listing relies on rating applicants against a list of essential and desirable attributes which are set out in the job and person spec and reflected on the application form. The essential and desirable attributes are specific to the job, so a generic CV is not of great help to the short-listers, and if there are a shed-load of applications to read through any CV's submitted in addition to the application form are likely to be ignored. Once the candidates are shortlisted then the interviewing panel may find CV's useful as a source of additional information on the selected candidates. 

It's a pain when applying for jobs having to fill in a separate application form each time, but if you're in a hirers' market then it's probably something you have to put up with.

Martin

 

 

 Dax H 02 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

I have limited experience, I have hired maybe 6 or 7 people through advertising jobs. 

To me the covering letter is more important than the CV, a good introduction showing that they have at least bothered to Google my company to see what we do will get their CV read. 

When it comes to the CV I don't care about school qualifications but I want to see experience in the roll I am offering and I like to see hobbies and interests too to get a feel for who they might be and what they enjoy. 

Most people I hire though are people I know or I get a personal recommendation for. The latest is a young (26) lad who is the brother of one of my guys, he joined us on a 13k obstacle course mud run 18 months ago, his shoe tore apart 3k in so he ran the final 10k with one bare foot and was a team player throughout helping the weaker team members on the obstacles. 

That level of commitment impressed me and 18 months later I had an opening. 

In reply to Martin Hore:

Similar experience (Research Councils) here and what you say is spot on. The form's the thing, matching the essential and desirable qualities is paramount. CVs were often only looked at for background prior to interview, they wouldn't play any part in getting someone to that stage.

T.

Removed User 02 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

In work in a high tech industry and hire graduates.

> 1. Do you value CV's from applying candidates? 

Yes, other than a covering letter we have no other way of filtering candidates for interviews.

> 2. Is there a specific 'type' of CV you ask for and if so, why?

Not in format, no. It should be reasonably detailed so one can understand what qualifications the candidate has gained and when and then what they've done with them. Also a good picture of their career progression and what each of their previous jobs entailed. In a nutshell, do they have the qualifications and experience?

> 3. Do you use any alternative methods of hiring?

I don't check Facebook if that's what you mean. Maybe HR does but if they do, they don't let on. We also take on interns and post grad students. They will often be offered full time jobs.

 

 

 

 wbo 02 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:i sometimes recruit experienced technical staff and consultants.  I find CVs very helpful as a list and summary of project experience and skills as well as basic qualification level, so some degree of technical detail is required to get thro' screening.  CVs are normally filled in on an online recruitment package that gets rid of Personaliserte resumes

 

interviews are also important.  Fluff from recruitment agencies is usually to be ignored as they usually dont understand the science well enough to know what they're selling.  Personal recommendations is good and lLinkedin is totally to be ignored - too many liars

 

In reply to Hans:

I work in Universities at Exec level, and have chaired over 100 recruitment panels for academic and research posts. 

> 1. Do you value CV's from applying candidates? 

CV is mandatory, as is hitting all essential and desirables in the person specification, otherwise long listing is unlikely.

> 2. Is there a specific 'type' of CV you ask for and if so, why?

 No selfies, or stuff about out of work interests.

Publication record, invited international seminars, research grants as principal investigator, leadership experience, experience generally in post etc.

> 3. Do you use any alternative methods of hiring?

Direct headhunting and recruitment consultancies, but they still need a CV

paul

 

 1234None 03 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

I've recruited quite a few people over the years to sales, marketing and technical service roles in the medical devices/pharmaceutical R&D sectors.  

For me, a person's CV rarely gets them the job, but it can definitely prevent them even securing an interview unless it's an easy-to-read, concise summary that shows they have the experience and qualifications required.

I've interviewed some terrible candidates whose CVs were perfect, but never the reverse situation.

 

So yes - CVs are important.  I always asked for one page max, with a short covering letter. 

 BnB 03 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

> Hi everyone,

> Please respond to this if your job is (or was) to hire employees (any kind of company is fine).

> Currently, I am working on a project with an information team within a careers guidance company. My project directly relates to CV writing and job applications.

You work for a careers guidance company which hasn't already recognised the importance of a good cv?

3/10

 

Post edited at 08:51
 Doug 03 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

In my experience it depends on the size of the organisation. In my previous job, with a large government agency, there was always a fairly long  application form & CVs were only looked at once a short list for interview had been drawn up (& then not always). I now work in a small organisation, with 10 - 12 staff, and we ask for CV & covering letter & use both to draw up a short list for interview, although the letter is probably given more importance, at least initially.

Burcu 03 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

I have no too much experience. To me, candidates' background should research not school qualifications but their interests, hobbies or projects that deal with until now. Their characteristic features are very important because what is taught in school remains in theory. Therefore, I think we have to look the candidates as a whole.

 
 
 
 
2
 marsbar 03 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

I like to see a CV that is neat and well laid out without silly mistakes.  I don't like silly enormous fonts.  

I like to see a covering letter that shows the candidate has made an effort to find out about the job and company.  

I like to see a clear work/education history without unexplained gaps and excessive number of jobs.  Someone who has had a new job every six months would put me off. 

I don't like generic bullsh*t statements about being a team player with good attention to detail etc.  I particularly don't like CVs that claim attention to detail and have several mistakes.  

 

 Trangia 03 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

I like candidates who understand the correct use of apostrophes in their CVs

 

 Sharp 04 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

Hiring for an outdoors centre (instructors, admin, cooks, cleaners etc.) CVs are standard and I guess the first point of culling. It's an easy way to seperate those that have made an effort and those that haven't and you can (or should be able to) see at a glance if they have the experience you're looking for for the role. It depends a lot on the role for how important the actual CV is but not getting one isn't a good first impression. Most CVs I see underestimate the importance of giving you a list of their previous employment and evidence of their suitability for the role and overestimate the importance of utter bull s**t statements about working well in a team but also working well alone.

Covering letters are usually of quite a poor standard and often they don't answer questions thrown up from reading their CV which is a missed opportunity for a lot of people. You want to be a cook but you've never worked in a kitchen...might want to use your covering letter to highlight why you should still be considered. I'm not sure if it's a stiff upper lip British thing but very few people make it sound like they actually want a job and seem to think enthusiasm might count against them.

Only a small percentage of people seem to individualise their application which always surprises me. I had a covering letter last week from someone looking for an admin role, our company name and a few other unique references to the application were in a different font to the rest of the letter (i.e. they'd written or copied a standard template and filled in the blanks). Attention to detail was mentioned in their CV as a skill!

For instructional staff we have an application form which is easily downloaded from our website. If they can find it, download it, fill it in and then email it to us then they're already standing out from the crowd. We're not particualrly brutal with short listing instructors and try to speak to as many on skype as possible. Social skills are obviously more important than writing/computing skills for that kind of role but if you can't fill in a form it's not a good start.

We do talks at a few outdoor colleges and universities as well which we usually get an email list of interested people and then contact them for a skype interview. It would be unusual for a candidate to send us a CV if we hired them from that kind of avenue. Most employers within the outdoors industry will probably facebook you these days, every candidate will say they love the outdoors but half of them will have a news feed full of drunken nights out and not a hill in sight.

Post edited at 12:42
OP Hans 04 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

Many thanks for all of the replies everyone!

anaeurope 05 Feb 2018
In reply to Hans:

I do interviews courses and while the cv is the first step to know if the person's experience is relevant, this however does not tell much about that person's personality which i think is very important. So to me the interview is the most important. 


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...