Resumes vs profiles: Are recruiters still reviewing resumes or do they prefer profiles? The age of the internet has brought about massive changes in terms of communication, transactions, and day-to-day living in general. This change is also greatly observed in the working and human resource industry, in ways no one expected it to. Since these changes have come to play, both recruiters and recruits have their part to play.
Evidence of such a change is in the submission, viewing, and reading of resumes. Gone are the days where resumes have to be sent by post or personally, as it can easily be sent electronically. Coming are the days where people no longer have to leave the comfort of their own homes just to be able to earn a living.
Almost anything and everything can be known about a single person online. This then, begs the question: Is there still a need for resumes?
Resumes are almost meeting their end, as employers no longer have to go through the hassle of reviewing each one. Now, with the help of a computer and the internet, company recruiters can simply set up a Candidate Profile to target the recruits whose qualifications actually match that of the company’s needs.
But, what is a Candidate Profile?
What makes it so different from a resume? How are Candidate Profiles more preferred by recruiters? These questions (and possibly more) will be answered in this article. Here, we discuss what a resume and an online Candidate Profile is, the difference between both, and how each one is dominating the human resource industry in its own way.
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Ol’ Reliable Resume
Ever seen those movies where people list down the schools they graduated from and the things they did after and hand that list to some company CEO or HR? Well, that list is actually a formal document commonly known as a resume.
However, people do not and cannot just place anything on their resumes. A resume is a list that breaks down all an applicants’ qualifications for a position or a job in a certain company. In the olden times, many companies and their human resource departments used recruits’ resumes to determine whether he/she is the right person for the job.
In more recent times, people no longer need to print out their resumes, unless of course required by the recruiter. People can easily type down their qualifications, save a file, and send it through email. Already see a problem in this aspect? Read on about candidate profiles first so you can compare both yourself.
The Up and Coming Candidate Profile
Compared to resumes, candidate profiles are tools set up by companies and recruiters themselves. Candidate profiles can contain information on a candidate like personal information, work experience, and employment preferences.
This way, companies no longer have to read through junk applications and resumes. By “junk”, we mean applications and resumes that don’t match what the company needs at all, as the company itself can refine the candidate profiles to suit what they are really looking for in their recruits.
Candidate profiles can contain a lot of different media, such as images for photography companies, videos for editing and communications, or just plain text for brokers and desk-focused companies.
So why do companies prefer candidate profiles? Are resumes really going to be obsolete in the future?
To put it bluntly: no, we don’t think resumes will be obsolete any time soon. However, companies really do prefer candidate profiles, and for a good multitude of reasons!
Why Companies Really Prefer the Profile?
As mentioned previously, there are a multitude of reasons why most recruiters these days prefer reviewing candidate profiles over resumes. Do note that it’s most recruiters, and not all, as some still prefer to use the resume over candidate profiles. However, the most important reasons why resumes are becoming a thing of the past are.
Profiles Attract Only the Best
Resumes can often pile up in the human resource department, and recruiters will most likely find themselves looking only for very specific details about a certain candidate. These details can range from anything between schools attended, portfolios attached, or simply just the skills the candidate has.
With online candidate profiles, company recruiters no longer have to worry about weeding through large piles of resumes and portfolios only to pick out the first one they find to be qualified. Online candidate profiles can be finely tuned by recruiters themselves to call out the specific candidates that match what the role needs.
This way, with the many potential recruits to be found online, only those who really match the recruit description will approach the recruiters with their applications. Recruiters no longer have to worry about applicants who in no way are qualified for the job, saving them both the time and effort.
It Defines the Job Adequately
One of the biggest reasons why companies and organizations before had to worry about going through piles of resumes was because they failed to provide an adequate job description. Often, they would just announce to the public that they had a job opening, but no details about what the job was all about.
This lack of information from recruiters is what led to their own suffering; people of different qualifications and skills would apply so long as they can secure themselves a job. However, online candidate profiles solve that problem by allowing recruiters to define the job as exactly what it is, closing the doors for those who deem themselves unqualified for the position.
By providing the many potential applicants on the internet with a sound job description, recruiters are actually helping themselves filter out who they need for the job. This way, those who are best qualified for the position will apply for it!
Filters the Necessary Skills
A lot of people can easily place false information on their resumes. Falsification of records and information like employment dates, salary claims, and even schools attended has been a long-standing issue in the human resource department. People can easily do so because they know how much of a hassle it is to cross-check every single bit of information on a resume full of different kinds of details.
One of the most common falsified information on a resume is the skills that a certain applicant has. They can easily lie that they can easily communicate with almost anyone, when in reality; they struggle with building the right rapport with key customers.
For that reason alone, many recruiters would sacrifice reviewing resumes just to build the perfect candidate profile for the company. Candidate profiles allow recruiters to put applicants to the test – specifically their skills – to see whether they really match up to the qualifications.
Allows for Searching
Skimming and reading through whole pages of resumes can be such a tiring task. It can easily be compared to reading a book, but the pages all contain the same (and rarely varying) words and information. That is not only a waste of time, but also a waste of effort, when that time and effort could be spent doing other tasks.
Candidate profiles on the other hand, allow recruiters to set certain keywords that applicants can easily see. With these keywords, applicants can easily choose the right job that they are qualified for, helping recruiters cut down the information they have to peruse to choose the right applicant.
Admittedly however, this does not always ensure that only specific candidates will apply for the job. Thankfully, online candidate profiles will almost always allow for searching. With this function, recruiters can quickly pinpoint applicants with a very specific skill set so they can do an interview and possibly hire him/her!
The Company’s Goals Can Be Prioritized
Remember that in the not-so olden times companies would simply announce a job opening and then expect a flood of applications the next day. Even if the hired recruiters do place a very detailed and sound job description, they still find themselves with one last problem: meeting the company’s goals.
Not every applicant will find that they can align themselves to help the company or organization meet both its short-term and long-term goals. Furthermore, resumes often leave no spot for applicants to say their piece on meeting company goals, as it would typically focus on qualifications, salary details, and skills.
With the help of the internet, recruiters can now include their company’s goals in the candidate profile to seek only those who are willing to help the company achieve them. Additionally, recruiters can also seek candidates who have specific goals; ones that are compatible and match the company’s, so that the candidate and company can work hand in hand to help each other achieve their dreams.
Shows the Beauty in the Details
Going back to the definition of resumes: these formal documents typically have one or two pages containing the summary and key information of an applicant. While there is nothing wrong with the act of just summarizing information to retain only what is necessary, many recruiters will agree when we say a lot of details can often be left out.
A lot of situations and job positions require certain details in applicant resumes. But, the problem there lies in the fact that resumes are not usually meant to contain certain details. This only delays the recruitment process, and the details would typically be discussed during job interviews.
However, candidate profiles normally don’t contain any limits, and recruiters can easily dedicate space for applicants to place the details that are required of them. Recruiters don’t necessarily have to worry about digging too deep on an applicant anymore, as the details the latter provides may already contain answers to the questions from the former.
Advanced Software Can Help With the Matching
As previously mentioned, potential candidates often submit job applications that they are in no way qualified for, just to secure a job. However, this not only poses a problem to recruiters, but also to the recruits themselves long after they have been employed (assuming they get the job).
A certain study shows that when an employee feels underqualified for a job, they often have and display negative attitudes and feelings towards it. This then, can lead to poor work outcomes, poor quality in work, and possibly work-related mental health issues. A single dissatisfied and unhappy employee can largely affect the entire workplace.
A good way to prevent this is to make use of online candidate profiles with advanced software. Typically, software like that can match candidates with companies and job offerings where they perfectly fit. This lowers the chance of job dissatisfaction among employees, greatly improving the morale of the workplace.
Extras? Easily Accessed on Profiles
Resume vs profile: Resumes can hold information about the previous experience a candidate has had with a previous job, but it rarely shows how much they have taken from that experience. This mostly applies to jobs like photo and video editing, write-ups, and those in the fashion industry.
Many recruiters don’t only look for past experience and hire applicants on the spot just because they worked for a renowned brand. Recruiters also want to see just how well they performed in a previous job, and often require for certain files or documents that can’t be found in a regular resume.
This serves as another reason why modern day recruiters prefer going over candidate profiles than resumes, as profiles can also have dedicated space for necessary extras, like portfolios. In a few clicks, sample articles and portfolios can easily be viewed!
Flexibility
Resumes vs profiles: Resumes are always very straightforward, barely including any details – personal or not – about the applicant in question, as mentioned in number 6. There is barely any room for applicants to show their creativity and their true skills, usually lessening their chances of getting hired for a job they are perfectly qualified for.
Shifting to a recruiter-focused perspective, this slows down the process of finding the candidate with the best qualifications. Resumes offer only one-way communication, and recruiters will find themselves doing more than necessary to find only so little. Often, the qualities a company needs cannot be shown with just mere words on paper.
Candidate profiles, unlike resumes, serve as a multimedia tool that will allow recruiters and applicants to showcase what they need and what they have through various means. When companies or organizations are looking for good speakers, recruits can upload videos of themselves speaking. The flexibility of candidate profiles makes it serve as a single access point to the information recruiters need on their applicants.
Room for Updates
In the age of the internet, people can easily search for formats they can use for their resumes. With pre-made formats, candidates can easily type down their qualifications and achievements. However, candidates will find it tiring to have to constantly update their own resumes to match their more recent achievements.
After each update, applicants would have to send another copy to recruiters, further adding on to the pile that is already on the latter’s desk. Updating resumes will take time, rearranging, and sometimes even cost money, especially if the recruiter asks for a physical copy.
As opposed to resumes, candidate profiles – being program- and web-based – can easily be updated. Achievement can easily be added to and new videos, messages, and pictures can be uploaded to keep recruiters in the loop. Furthermore, recruiters no longer have to worry about two of the same resume on their tables, as updates can be seen on the candidate profile.
Lastly, It’s the Internet!
The internet makes it very easy for recruiters to build a simple candidate profile to find specific qualities in candidates. With the help of some website makers or professional programmers, recruiters can streamline the recruitment process to reduce company efforts and expenditures all while maintaining quality.
Additionally, many people are willing to make certain personal information public through the internet, as school, work, and personal achievements posted online can act as a trophy or memoir.
Recruiters can make use of the various social media platforms that many candidates are bound to have. Through these platforms, they might just be able to determine the character of the applicants they have. The character that an applicant shows publicly typically translates into the kind of work ethic they have.
The internet helps make almost any job easier than it used to be. One such job is the recruitment performed by the human resource department of many companies.
Final Verdict
While candidate profiles hold many advantages over the traditional resume, it alone will not help make the recruitment process easier in an instant. Resumes still have their own advantages, one being the privacy it offers to the applicant. They might have personal information that they deem cannot be posted publicly, so these kinds of information can go on their resumes.
While one holds advantages over the other, the fact that both should go hand-in-hand simply can’t be ignored. Resumes can complement candidate profiles and vice versa, reinforcing information and qualifications that a recruiter needs to see in their applicants.
However, being careful and paying close attention to details is important when submitting both, as discrepancies between them can raise questions and lower the chance of hiring.
In one sentence: candidate profiles hold many advantages over the traditional resume, but both can be used by recruiters and applicants to streamline the recruitment process. Happy job hunting and may the odds be in your favor!
