The current economy has driven many job seekers to desperation. They are applying to almost anything and everything. Employers are inundated with resumes, many from unqualified people. Wading through all the applicants can be costly and time consuming for any company. The downside to this activity is expending precious time and energy on unproductive efforts. The upside to this, however, is finding a jewel that a company can’t afford to through out! Since human capital is a company’s most important resource, Strategic Employers are compelled to do everything possible to surface, attract, hire and retain top talent. So what, and how, do you look for a needle in a resume haystack?
Here are five strategic tips to guide any team as they consider which resume to keep and which to discard:
1) First benchmark the key positions in the company that drive profits and give the company a competitive edge. These are the positions in which you MUST have the top talent. Then build a unique list of keywords for these positions and search the resume flood for only those that contain these keywords.
2) Look for a unique combination of skills/experience (for example, the actuary who has proven business development skills). Zero in on someone with a skill/experience background that is not normally found in the “typical” candidate.
3) People who have assumed progressive levels of responsibility at the SAME COMPANY should be moved to the top.
4) Discard any resumes that only list job tasks and responsibilities. Focus on the person who bullet-points tangible, quantifiable results achieved in difficult situations.
5) Outsource this entire resume sorting process to a firm who knows the top talent in your industry and who can quickly weed out resumes that don’t match. They can then deliver only the best for a company to work with.
Screening resumes for top talent is not the core skill of many companies or most HR departments. Every company needs top talent and top talent will be much harder to find in the coming year. Unemployment isn’t going to turn around overnight. Strategic Employers are putting plans in place today to be sure they find, attract, hire, and retain only the best in their industry. Use these five tips to start moving the best to the top of the list.
Posted by Richard Yadon 
