“Dear Recruiter, why do you only spend 15 seconds, on average, with resumes?”
Please note the careful wording…and I’ve included “on average”.
Any recruiter who has been in the trenches knows if a resume is worth further review after just 15 seconds, or less, and here is why.
When you get a candidate who has applied from Baltimore for a job in Texas and they check the “will not relocate” box….you can move on to the next resume.
If you get a candidate who puts in their introduction, that they have 20+ years of experience, and they have applied for an entry level role….you can move along.
When the salary someone asks for is at the level of the manager they will be working for, when a principal level role gets an applicant who says I’m graduating this Spring, but I’m a fast learner, when the role requires a degree and you don’t have one….my eyes are moving on!
You see, it really isn’t that recruiters are being rude, it’s more that candidates aren’t reading the job listings…or they hope a recruiter, HR Manager, Hiring manager, or anyone else of authority, will read their resumes before hiring them. These are the candidates that suck all of the time out of the process and the reason auto responses reign supreme.
If I find that you are a valid, qualified candidate then I’m going to spend a few minutes looking at your resume and will probably send it to, and discuss your background with, the hiring manager. If you are that candidate who truly read our job top to bottom and know that you have the skills and qualifications to do the job (or at least 80% of it). Then I welcome your call or email to follow up, because I want to hear from you.
Again, my words were chosen carefully….”if you have the skills and qualifications” then follow up. If you don’t hear from a recruiter, whether company or agency side after following up, then it probably wasn’t an actual job that they were looking to fill, or it was just, what I call, a “lobster trap”. Simply, this is a dummy job meant to build up their database for when a good role comes along.
Hope this little window into the world of recruiting and HR helps.
Best,
Wayne Schofield
Co-Founder/COO
Night and Day Resume