Listen to what people say, but understand them by watching what they are doing.
This golden strategy unlocks many opportunities in identifying needs. When applied to recruiters, it provides valuable insights into their processes and priorities.
Who Are the Recruiters?
We refer to the individuals within an organization involved in shortlisting your CV, conducting interview panels, and making decisions about your salary and hiring confirmation. They play a crucial role in matching candidates with job vacancies.
Job Vacancy Advertisements is The Tip of the Iceberg
Job vacancy advertisements often focus on the hard skills required for a role. However, there are many unspoken requirements and preferences. Understanding these can give you a significant advantage.
The Interview Focus
About 80% of interviews focus on evaluating the candidate, leaving very little time for the candidate to learn about the company and the team they will be working with. This imbalance can leave candidates unaware of the full scope of the company’s needs and culture.
Unspoken Factors in Recruitment
Profile Picture in Your CV: Including a photo on your CV is a debated topic. The general recommendation is to include a picture if your appearance is relevant to the role. However, it’s fine to have or not have a photo. If someone shortlists your CV based on a positive impression of your photo, that’s great. If they decide not to choose you based on your photo, it’s also fine, you likely wouldn’t fit well in their environment anyway.
Sexual Attractiveness: While it may be uncomfortable to acknowledge, physical attractiveness can play a role in hiring decisions. Studies have shown that attractive individuals are often perceived more positively and may have an edge in job interviews. This isn’t fair, but it’s a reality in many workplaces.
Your Personality: Your personality creates an emotional response in others, which can influence their decision-making process. This response varies depending on the personalities of the interview panel. Positive feelings during interviews can increase your chances of being selected. Interviewers document their feedback using factual information, but these facts often stem from their emotions, even if unconsciously.
The Realities of a Competitive Job Market
In highly competitive job markets, your CV might sometimes go unnoticed among many applications. This is not necessarily a reflection of your abilities but can be due to recruiters’ oversight or the sheer volume of applications.
Emotional Decision-Making
No matter how skilled you are, hiring decisions are often influenced by personal preferences and emotions. Recruiters tend to select candidates they feel a connection with.
Solutions
It’s important to acknowledge that not all recruiters fall into the pitfalls mentioned above. Many recruiters and hiring managers are aware of these potential biases and actively work to mitigate them in their processes. Probably we could discuss them in a new article.
Moving Forward
Understanding these dynamics can help you navigate the recruitment process more effectively. Stay true to yourself, present your best qualities, and remember that finding the right job is also about finding the right cultural fit.
Do you have anything in your mind? Feel free to share in the comments section, and let’s discuss!