| What a statement! Of course, most would say, HR is | | | | get a message that simply cannot be transmitted in a |
| the logical department to receive resumes, review | | | | resume, especially one designed for computer |
| them and send the "best" candidate resumes on to the | | | | scanning and with which HR simply cannot connect. |
| hiring manager for consideration. I say it is not. | | | | If any company truly wants to hire the "best person |
| First, the reliance on computers to do resume scanning | | | | for the job", it would get rid of computers for scanning |
| is a poor idea. There is nothing like scanning resumes | | | | resumes. Computers simply cannot "understand" the |
| with the human eye. The human to human connection | | | | nuances nor do proper matching mainly because no |
| cannot be duplicated by a computer which is based on | | | | human can be that exact. |
| data, matching fields and precision. | | | | Next, only the manager should review any and all |
| The applicants may not have the exact phrasing or | | | | resumes. I can hear it now - there are a couple of |
| words to meet the parameters set by the HR | | | | hundred resumes coming in - how can the manager |
| department. We all know that there are thousands of | | | | have the time to review them? They can. There have |
| words which mean the same thing especially in the | | | | always been a lot of resumes received for job |
| English language where the nuances of any particular | | | | postings - it's nothing new. The resumes don't arrive all |
| word or phrase can be at opposite ends of the | | | | at once. Many of the resumes submitted and cover |
| spectrum. | | | | letters can be read very quickly. How do I know? |
| It is said that you "beat the scan" by looking at the ad | | | | Because I've done it - always - no one could possibly |
| and populating your resume with the same words as | | | | know or understand what I could while reading these |
| utilized in the ad. | | | | documents. |
| That's disrespectful and dishonest. Why? Because it is | | | | Lastly, only the manager can pick up on the |
| only regurgitating what people want to hear - just like in | | | | "chemistry" that matches her/his own. No one can do |
| university - your paper has a better chance of getting | | | | that for the manager. And since the manager should |
| an A+ if the paper reflects and proves the ideas of | | | | understand the jobs of the people she/he supervises, |
| the professor. Is that thinking? Of course not. Yet, it is | | | | then they will also understand the "extra factors" which |
| said a person goes to university to learn to think. | | | | may enhance performance in the job. |
| Same principles apply to resumes. If you only tell | | | | So often I reviewed resumes to find skills and abilities I |
| people what they want to hear, then you, as a | | | | had not thought to include in the job description or ad |
| candidate are disrespecting yourself and your | | | | but my instinct and understanding told me that, though |
| achievements. Yes, I realize, a person needs to get | | | | the person's experience was not precisely what we |
| their foot in the door and "play the game", as ridiculous | | | | were looking for, there were many skills, abilities and |
| as it is. When reviewing resumes, the person reading | | | | experiences which could very well fit. Often, I found, in |
| them must first understand the job, know the type of | | | | these situations, very good employees because I |
| person being sought, and get the "feeling" of the | | | | chose "outside the box", outside the parameters first |
| person applying by reading their cover letters. HR | | | | laid out. No one can ever dream up all the different |
| cannot possibly understand all those factors - they are | | | | combinations of knowledge, skills and experience |
| not the manager. | | | | which can easily transfer into an opening. |
| Second, HR generally has no idea what it takes to do | | | | Hiring is an art, it's not data driven. The sooner we |
| the job, what characteristics would be ideal and what | | | | understand that process, the sooner we will return to |
| "out of the box" knowledge and experience would | | | | sane means of hiring, human ways of engaging the |
| enhance the performance on the job. Again, it's a | | | | "right" people and get managers back "on the floor" of |
| human factor and, if the manager is involved with the | | | | their department, understanding exactly what their |
| people she/he supervises, the manager would | | | | people do and what it will take to replace them. |
| understand those nuances. No amount of training can | | | | That's why Human Resources should not be involved |
| be a substitute for this human understanding. | | | | in the hiring process. No matter how skilled, |
| Thirdly, there is no accounting for chemistry. What | | | | experienced or knowledgeable they are in the HR |
| attracts people to other people? No one knows. In the | | | | Department, they simply cannot possess a duplicate |
| centuries humans have existed, it is still a mystery how | | | | what is in a manager's mind and, therefore, understand |
| that magical force between two people can manifest | | | | what a manager will "see" that HR cannot. |
| itself. Often, a manager, by reading the cover letter, will | | | | |