Resume Red Flags that are of lesser importance

It is always good to bring in good candidates, but as hiring managers, we should also be able to set realistic expectations. There will never be the most ideal candidate to hire, and even if they are – they will most likely be the most expensive to hire.

There are many reasons why we did not shortlist candidates, but the labor market is getting tighter and there are some reasons why we should be more receptive to them

RETRENCHMENT

Retrenchment happens because there is redundancy of headcount, but it need not be linked to ability or work ethics. During recession, it is common that there are over supply of labour and companies must drastically cut cost by reducing their manpower. It does not mean that only the non-performing is let go. To have greater assurance, you could conduct a reference check with the previous employer.

EMPLOYMENT GAPS

It is common to ask questions when one takes on a long break before commencing the next employment. Just because a person took a long time to find a job, does not represent that the interviewee is not qualified. This is especially so when people are redefining priorities in life and are considering travelling plans with them as well.

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS

The move is now towards a knowledge-based economy and hiring is less emphasis on educational certificates. Skills can be taught, but what is more important is the person’s attitude and willingness to learn. You can still see people in management positions doing well despite not having a graduate from one of the prestigious university.

SHORT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

It is still good to check with someone who have short employment history and to understand the validity of the reasons of leaving. Some people find it difficult to get a full-time role, so undertake different contracts in different companies. It is always good to ask before you conclude.

Job Hunting Strategies

 

Job hunting – applying for job opening one after another yet did not get any responses. What could have happen back-end? Job openings are being snagged by internal referred candidates? Are you not going for the right jobs with your skills?

It is never about hoping to get calls for interviews anymore. It doesn’t just work by waiting… Job hunters got to make sure that you use various methods to stand out from the crowd.

Fret not, make sure you stand tall above the job-seeking crowd, and below are some ways that can help you in achieving a quicker success rate during your job hunting process.

Aim for the Right Jobs

Your current position and experiences should better somewhere relevant in the job market. Do your own researches before you start applying for jobs - Match your skills, interests and job exposures to the right career choice and the companies’ requirements. There are many factors that you can look at, for example, your experiences have equipped you with the right skills to move up the next level in your career path. You have intended to look for a higher job title or salary, you should not send out your resume aimlessly, even when you see that the salary does not match you.

Create a searchable social media profile

In our era of technology, recruiters rely a lot on social media and technology platforms to source and look out for potential candidates. Of course, this does not deter recruiters from forgetting about human touch. LinkedIn is one of the platforms that recruiters are engaging with candidates these days. Unless you are not expecting any contacts to get in touch with you, please always keep your job portal profiles visible for all. You will never know what good deals or great opportunities might come your way.

Expand your network

Just by applying on job portals is not sufficient in the market nowadays. Expand your network and get your words around your trusted friends and colleagues that you are on a lookout. They can be the ones who might even recommend greater jobs to you.

Be proactive

It is no longer in the era that the longer you wait; the better ones will come your way. You have to fight for what you want. You have to send reminder emails or even a second email so that the employers will be able to take notice of your email. While you are assertive and proactive in getting in contact with the recruiters or employers, this increases your chance and also says something about you, and your eagerness in getting into the job.

Improve Your Social Resume

Technology plays a major role in our lives, so it is essentially, even critical, to use it as a tool to complement our offline activities. While having a proper paper resume is key, recruiters are increasingly going the extra mile to determine if an individual is a right fit for the company based on their social resume.

Social resume is a combination of online profiles under an individual’s moniker, and can consist of multiple platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Depending on the privacy settings, it is easy to find out and determine the personalities behind such profiles with a few clicks. It helps to put a face to the cover letter, and without even having an actual interview, filter out the candidates from their online lifestyle. Whether the employer is looking to headhunt or confirm credentials, one can definitely benefit from having a strong and positive online presence from these tips.

STEER AWAY FROM CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS

While many of us like to separate our personal and working lives, it is easy to mix both of them once they are online. Any public information shared on social networking platforms becomes accessible by anyone, and can paint a whole different picture of the candidate. Although the skill set requirement is met, sharing or posting about such negative practices may be a huge disadvantage. Generally, recruiters dislike behavior that deal with illegal drugs, sexual content, spelling errors, and regular alcohol consumption. If this is part of an individual’s lifestyle, consider a private profile because it can also negatively affect the company’s brand image in the long run.

BE CREATIVE WITH INFORMATION PRESENTATION

There is an information overload online, and one of the ways to beat this is to present such important information creatively. This can help to narrow down the information to focus on certain core aspects or skills, and leaves the employer with a good impression. One of the ways to achieve is to go the extra mile and design your resume, such as presenting the information in pie charts or a landscape graph. These help to form an information landscape that is readily accessible by the recruiters. Another way is to alter the content to suit each company specifically, so that it becomes an unique appeal and memorable design to get into their good books.

HAVE A PROFESSIONAL ONLINE AVATAR OR PROFILE PICTURE

It goes without saying that a good photograph can make all the difference with the attention and likes, but maintaining a professional online avatar or profile image is equally as important, especially for individuals looking to make a good first impression. Photographs with skimpy outfits or questionable activities should generally be avoided as it can cloud the potential of the resume. Instead, consider investing in a professional business photoshoot so that your best appearance is put forward for the company's’ consideration. Other than having proper business attire, a good smile and strong posture will help to convey the individual’s suitability with the company.

Why a mentorship program is necessary?

It has been a long time established program, but not many companies have executed the mentorship program. Businesses are always keen on capturing more market share, and to find the cutting-edge factors to enhance revenue. If you believe your people are your greatest asset to your company, then you should consider the mentorship program

These are the following benefits:

Foster a stronger team work

There is a common misunderstanding that only managers or high performing individuals can become mentors. This is not the case. Giving a colleague who have more experience, the opportunity to mentor will allow them to establish, connect and deepen their relationship with their peers.

This further enhance the teamwork between the existing teams, where collaboration can be found readily available.

Helps in recruitment & retention

With a strong mentorship program, incumbents into companies can easily have access to advice from the high performing individuals, whom they may identify as role models. This allows the opportunity for new entrants into the company toquickly understand the company’s culture – which are crucial in retaining the right employees.

Through a strong mentorship program, you are attracting the growing population – which is the millennials. This group of people often require themselves to feel empowered, and are looking for people who can guide them in their career paths. If your employees are performing, your organization is performing as well.

If you can provide the constant need for career development and empowerment for this group, you will also lead to the increased retention of this group of employees as well.

Increased morals

Empowered employees who become mentors would feel that they can contribute back to the organization, which increases their self-worth and job satisfaction.

Mentees would feel that knowledge and advice is readily available, which allows  them to execute their duties more confidently, while allowing them the opportunity to develop their interpersonal skills.