Did you know that most hiring managers only spend a few seconds looking at a resume before making a decision about it? If you’re only scanning for keywords, you may miss out on important information that can help you determine if a candidate is a good fit. Learning to read between the lines to find out the story a resume is trying to tell will help you bring the right candidates to the top of the list. Here’s how.

Evaluate the Format

The first step for most resume reviews is to scan the format. Does it look easy to read? Do they use bullet points or paragraphs? Is the resume chronological, in that every job is listed in order with a short description, or functional? Functional resumes tend to focus on accomplishments rather than specific experience.

Check for Details

You also want to see that they can back up claims. Scan the resume for numbers and then look at what they represent? Are they monetary amounts? These could tell you how much money someone saved or earned their previous employer. Are they percentages? This can give you details about how effective they were at what they did.

Review for Soft Skills

You also want to see how they included soft skills in their resume. These are things like communication, organization, and leadership. Scan the resume for keywords that will give you a picture of how they describe themselves in terms of their ability to work with others or perform at a high level. These will differ from their specific experience but should complement it.

Look for Growth

Also, look at how their career progressed. Did they achieve more and more responsibility as time went by? Did they take on more advanced skills and experience as they move to other companies? If they didn’t, that’s not a deal-breaker. You just need to determine why and if maybe that reason is suited to your specific company.

Do you want access to more qualified resumes for your open jobs?

Nextaff Staffing Agency in Kansas City can help, so call today.