What Hiring Managers Check

In the market for a new job? With many companies competing for top talent it’s important to know the best way to package your skills and accomplishments to give yourself the best competitive advantage in the hiring process.

Keep the following tips in mind:

Your résumé is your most important calling card. In the age of online profiles, the résumé is still king. According to the hiring managers surveyed, 61 percent prefer digital or electronic résumés when evaluating candidates. A traditional hard copy résumé is preferred by 33 percent. Therefore, in order to be able to send out your résumé quickly, make sure you have it saved in a number of file formats including a Word document, pdf, and .txt.

Alternative résumé formats aren’t widely adopted. Only four percent of hiring managers prefer to review personalized websites or "digital portfolios"; two percent prefer LinkedIn profiles; and less than one percent prefer to receive video résumés. Clearly, unless a job posting specifically asks for one of these formats, you’re best off focusing on a digital or hardcopy résumé.

Your qualifications must match the job description. An overwhelming 79 percent of hiring managers agree that this is the most important résumé component influencing their decision on which candidates to interview. Before you send out your résumé, invest some time in tailoring your qualifications and experience to match the job listing. It’s also advisable to feature the same keywords in your résumé and cover letter where appropriate.

Social media. Surprisingly, the majority of hiring managers (59 percent) do not check social media to review a candidate’s information. Similarly, only a small number (12 percent) say they have ever disqualified a candidate based on a review of their social media profile.

What about LinkedIn? Of the hiring managers who say they do review a candidate’s LinkedIn profile, a whopping 88 percent do so to review your employment history.

What are the benefits of social media? Hiring managers may not always be looking here, but social media may still aid indirectly in your job search. In a survey of working professionals Kelly® found that 68 percent use social media as their primary method of networking, and 36 percent say they use their online networks when making decisions about their career or employment. Add to this the fact that employee and industry referrals are top ways hiring managers source talent, and it’s clear that social media is a vitally important tool for establishing and building relationships with your peers and industry leaders.

To position yourself to your best advantage in the job search process, always make sure your résumé is up to date and tailored to the position you want. On the social front it’s still advisable to keep your LinkedIn profile current and your social media profiles active to build and advance your network.

Survey methodology: The 2015 Hiring Manager Research (U.S./Canada) was conducted by RDA Group on behalf of Kelly. Over 1,000 hiring managers in the U.S. and Canada were surveyed. Participants had direct hiring responsibilities for talent in healthcare, engineering, finance and accounting, IT, and scientific fields. Results represent a cross section of industries and career disciplines.