Why it’s time to ditch the résumé

If you’re still using résumés to decide who to interview, you’re hurting your chances of hiring the best people for your company. That’s why it’s time to ditch the résumé and start focusing on what people can actually do, not what they claim they can do.

Résumés are a collection of claims about someone’s work experience, academic qualifications, skills and, in some cases, even their attitude. Making claims is ok, we all make claims. And if we lived in a world where most of those claims were true, that might be ok. Unfortunately, nearly 50% of candidates lie on their résumés, an alarming statistic. So if you’re using résumés to make hiring decisions, you’re just asking to be lied to.

Candidates embellish on their résumés because they’re trying to stand out in a crowded field, and they know that the average time a recruiter spends looking at each résumé is only six seconds. Lying is never, ever justified, but the system is broken and résumés are the main reason.

Instead of asking candidates to make claims about themselves, and then trying to validate those claims, why not ditch the résumé altogether and make candidates prove it?

Here are three easy ways you can ditch the résumé and make your hiring process more authentic.

Use online interviewing

If candidates lie on their résumés, they’re probably also going to lie when you interview them. Don’t fall for it.

Instead, ask candidates to perform a series of tasks online. Each task should be relevant to the job they applied for. Instead of making claims about their experience or abilities, candidates will have the opportunity to show you how well they can do the job.

Online interviewing completely removes the reliance on résumés because every applicant can be invited to participate, regardless of what their résumé says. This removes the need to validate candidate claims and make the hiring process all about actual performance, not claimed performance.

Online interviewing also saves a lot of time for both recruiters and candidates because candidates can completes their interviews in their own time.

Focus on potential

Instead of focusing what candidates have done in the past, which is what résumés are all about, ask candidates to show you what they’re capable of in the future.

Ask questions that uncover what candidates aspire to. Give them an opportunity to record videos, work on projects or play games. Use the hiring process to uncover what candidates can become if you invest in them. Show them that the future is bright and, if they join, they can get the best out of themselves.

Make it about attitude

Another way to ditch the résumé is to make your hiring process about attitude instead of pedigree. People with the right attitude will work hard, learn quickly and contribute positively to their team. Hiring someone talented with a rotten attitude is a mistake. But if you hire someone with a great attitude, you can teach them almost anything.

A résumé will never show you someone’s attitude. If you want to see what someone is really like to work with, you need to give them a chance to show you who they really are.

You can test for attitude online, or ask candidates to spend time with your company.

If you are serious about hiring great people, ditch the résumé and replace it with something better. Your candidates with thank you for it. They hate résumés too.