PowerPoints, YouTube Videos Grab Attention; Lack of Experience Top Reason for Not Getting Interview
Express Employment Professionals recently released new results from a survey of businesses revealing how applicants secure job interviews, why some applicants do not get interviews and some of the cleverest ways applicants have submitted resumes.
Respondents were asked, “What are the best ways for an applicant to get a job interview with your company.”
The simple act of applying and submitting a resume was the top answer, offered by 23 percent of respondents. Another 12 percent said applicants should be referred. Ten percent said “apply online,” while 8 percent said call.
Respondents were also asked, “What are the main reasons an applicant does not get a job interview with your company?”
“Lack of experience” topped the list at 16 percent, followed closely by “lack of skills/qualifications” at 15 percent.
When asked to describe a clever way someone had submitted a resume, respondents recounted receiving:
- A binder with a portfolio of projects
- A PowerPoint presentation with audio and video
- A YouTube video
- A resume folded into a paper airplane
- A gift package containing the resume
Other respondents mentioned an applicant walking in as a customer before revealing interest in a job. Another received a call recommending someone for the job—only to find out the caller was recommending herself.
“Sometimes it can seem like there’s no rhyme or reason for why an applicant does not get an interview, but there are a few things you can do to improve your chances. And clearly, the most important thing to do is to submit a formal application in the first place,” said Bob Funk, CEO of Express, and a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
“As our survey also shows, cleverness can pay off. Be careful though as not every hiring manager wants a resume in a gift box. But in a crowded field, creativity can make the difference.”
The survey of 390 businesses, which are current and former clients of Express Employment Professionals, covers hiring trends for the second quarter of 2016.
No comments yet.