I was having a discussion the other week with a colleague of mine (take a wild guess what about), yes it was about social media. The person I was talking to does not work in our Recruitment Team he works in one of our Product Lines, we were talking about how social media has changed the way we are working. From a Recruitment perspective social media has created a large shift in the way that companies recruit - this includes everything from sourcing candidates, communicating with candidates and developing your Employment Brand.
With all the changes we are seeing and the continuing changes I think we will see in the recruitment space, it made me wonder - will this be the end of the road for the traditional .doc resume?? It seems the traditional resume is becoming a redundant part of the recruitment process. For example a candidate and I may talk on the phone and go through their online profile together (whether it is on LinkedIn, FB, a Blog, web resume, etc...). Ok so after this that same candidate then normally emails me a copy of his resume in either .doc or .pdf format. This is where the redundancy takes place.
If I already have access to his online resume or 'profile' what do I need the resume for?? If the online profile is a complete profile, besides the fact I can then forward this onto a Hiring Manager (hmmm, I could just as easily send the link to the profile we reviewed together online) and beside the fact it may have contact details on it - the resume does seem to be becoming a redundant feature in the recruitment process. The same thing applies for candidate referrals or when a candidate cold calls me or when they apply for a role via a job board. Rather than sending an attached resume - candidates can now send an email with links to their online profile which may include work history, examples of their work, contact details, etc..... this may give a much better and real representation of that person than a word document can.
The traditional resume has worked well in the past. It worked well for the technology that we had to work with. It worked well when resumes were mailed out to companies or faxed to managers (how many people remember faxing resumes???). However, over the past few years people have been flocking to use various social networks as part of the professional lives. As people get more comfortable sharing their work history online, engaging with each other online and as this becomes more engrained in the corporate culture I think this will lead to the passing of the traditional resume.
Yes, there may be the odd person who creates a false profile or embellishes their experience, but as Recruiters our job is work with the candidate and see what they are capable and not capable of doing. Creating a false online profile is the same thing as creating a false resume. Advancements in technology will not change a person's behaviour/ethics. I would argue in fact we would be less likely to see a false online profile than receiving a resume with false details in it. If a person puts false details about themselves in a public forum they are more likely to be ousted by the online community for doing that.
There are a number of other issues to consider such as how does the information flow into a DB or ATS, but I am sure there are ways to address that. What do you think of the resume, is it on its last legs?? Will we start using video resumes, will online profiles reign supreme...what about all the talk about Augmented Reality..can that be used in a recruitment capacity as well?? Let us know your thoughts.
Comments (7)
Your thought on AR as recruitment tool is fascinating!
Posted by Pradeep Sivakumar | October 3, 2009 9:48 AM
Posted on October 3, 2009 09:48
Evolved versions of the “traditional “resume are also in use; for instance, the P.I.P (personal IP) CV format created by Doug Whatley in Austin, Texas http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougsp3group Through the P.I.P CV, graphical representations provide an enhanced overview and roadmap for inventory of skills, experience, talent, expertise – and also provide the “so what” big picture of a person’s value to a particular professional segment, essentialy escaping the static confines of the traditional resume format (example: http://www.juliehuntconsulting.com/pdfs/Julie_Hunt_resume_2009_IP_JH3.pdf )
But yes, social media sites such as LinkedIn add very useful dimension to a professional’s overall profile, as can personal/professional websites. (I don’t consider Facebook as an appropriate venue for career matters though.) The jury’s still out on whether Twitter will be an effective tool for matching professionals with positions, or for helping recruiters attract great talent.
Posted by Julie Hunt | October 5, 2009 11:06 AM
Posted on October 5, 2009 11:06
There are lots of jobs in Hyderabad, but companies can be selective, and depending on the need, one can take their time in finding the right candidate. So find your interests and develop your skills to achieve
Posted by Padmanaban | October 5, 2009 8:06 PM
Posted on October 5, 2009 20:06
Maybe social media could work for low level position but resume for high profile sounds sensitive to me if distributed publicly. Overall, resume offline and online would depend on the industry or elements involved. Job seekers should know what is the appropriate medium.
Posted by larry heard | October 6, 2009 1:35 PM
Posted on October 6, 2009 13:35
Hi Larry,
I agree, Job Seekers should know which medium works best. I think a number of avenues should be used when you are actively job searching.
Social media tools however can and have been used effectively to source people at all levels of seniority. If you do a quick C-Level search on any social network you will likely find profiles of many relevant people. This does not mean they are active job seekers, but they may be online for professional networking purposes only or another reason. People do not have to put their information online or share it with others, however by not doing so there may be an opportunity cost of missing out on developing some great networks and potentially finding or being found for that dream job.
Posted by David Talamelli | October 6, 2009 1:53 PM
Posted on October 6, 2009 13:53
I support of this very interesting blog post....www.nt3.com.au have recently launched the new Digital Resume Database model in Australia & New Zealand.
Over 102,000 Employers & Recruiters have searched the database in the last 31 Days since nt3 launched its new service.
Does your old Paper CV perform for you?
10 Reasons - The benefits of a Digital Resume for everyone!
OK, so you decide it’s time to get your nt3 Digital Resume. What is a Digital CV going to do for you? 10 Good Reasons to go Digital with your Resume…..
1. Your Digital CV will be available and working for you, even when you are off fishing or playing with the kids. A digital CV opens you up to be considered for employment 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.
2. Being Digital, an nt3 CV allows you to Block any company of your choice from viewing your details (Like your current employer)
3. As you would expect, we can track who has viewed you and how many times throughout the year, month, day and provide you with that information so you can see if your Digital CV is working.
4. You can login from anywhere, update your nt3 Digital CV whenever you like, so Employers & Recruiters can see in real time, the latest information available about your skills offering.
5. You can print or save a copy of your Digital Profile for free and use it to apply to Jobs on the nt3 Job board without having to fill in application forms.
6. You have a unique URL of your Profile, to share on Social Networks and pull you up the Google Rankings.
7. Your CV will never get lost again or eaten by the dog! It will always be on nt3, waiting and working for you from wherever you are in the world.
8. Your Digital CV makes life very easy and its free for Employers & Recruiters to search & find you!
9. Recruiters & Employers can share your Digital CV with internal colleagues and add notes to your profile.
And the big number 10 - Employers & Recruiters approach you! This puts you in the best position possible to negotiate! They obviously need your skills, so you might even end up with more money than you first thought! So, copy and paste your old word version CV, into the prompts as you build your new Digital CV on nt3…and you can forever forget that old Paper CV. nt3 - Let Jobs Find You!
Posted by Andrew Turnbull | October 9, 2009 8:20 AM
Posted on October 9, 2009 08:20
Brilliant Article, I tried to put a link on my CV to a youtube movie that represents my ideas and my face and the traditional HR agent didn’t like it back in Israel… they said its to pioneering…I think it’s a must have
Posted by Aviad | October 14, 2009 1:40 PM
Posted on October 14, 2009 13:40