BY C. Lee Smith
Back in the day, 500 years ago, job seekers used letters of introduction, or resumes, to obtain new positions. Even then, job seekers emphasized the skills and experience they would bring to a new position. Employers had no way of knowing whether they were telling the truth, unless a trusted individual confirmed the candidate’s claims.
Today, managers and HR departments are overwhelmed by candidates. Without the help of automation, they have no way of identifying the best candidates. This automation may start with resume screening, but the competitive sales hiring process requires the use of additional tools. Businesses that do not embrace additional screening tools beyond resumes when hiring run the risk of missing out on the best sales candidates.
Most Common Limitations of Resume Screening Companies Face
The major weakness of resume-based hiring is that the hiring team sees what the candidate wants to disclose. Resumes do not allow prospective managers to see job behavior or fit with the job and the culture.
It Only Captures What Job Seekers Choose to Show
Candidates spend time and money designing resumes that will attract attention. But the resume itself is a marketing document and can include embellishments or inaccuracies that mislead recruiters about a candidate’s true qualifications. They can adjust work dates to obscure periods of unemployment. To fit a specific position, candidates will emphasize specific job skills. And that emphasis may not tie to exactly what the candidate’s job history is or to likely on-the-job success.
ATS Filtering Eliminates Qualified Candidates
As employers use more applicant tracking systems (ATS) software, these systems screen large numbers of applicants in high volume hiring. Candidates must be savvy with their resumes. Some candidates fail to realize they should include specific keywords by matching the job description with exact terms, relevant job titles, and technical skills.
Other candidates use resume parsing tools or AI writers for optimizing a generic resume before they submit, which can let underqualified applicants pass early filters. And they may also use a creative resume format. Those formats can hurt readability, especially when bullet points are unclear or there is inconsistent formatting, for both ATS and human reviewers. But an ATS may reject them, based on readability issues.
If candidates do not specify the required years of experience on their resume, they may also be rejected. The hiring manager will never realize that a strong candidate suffered rejection by an automated tool. And ATS and human reviewers may also screen out unconventional backgrounds.
It Cannot Measure Soft Skills or Behavioral Traits
While resumes allow candidates to tout their expertise and experience, the format does not give managers insight into other critical details. Managers need sales candidates with strong soft skills, such as the ability to show empathy. They also need team members with specific behavioral traits, such as the ability to work well with others. Even the deepest dive into a resume will not reveal that information.
It Reinforces Unconscious Bias
Resumes often contain signals that reinforce unconscious bias and shrink the talent pool. A company that hires on resumes alone may find themselves with a “look alike” sales force. Hiring managers may opt to interview candidates based on photos. They may also lean heavily on personal data supplied in a resume. Granting interviews to candidates who support specific sports teams or who went to a specific university gives them an advantage. And that advantage may continue through the entire recruitment process, making it harder for organizations to identify right candidates from nontraditional backgrounds.
Candidates for an open sales position will list their previous sales success in their resume. They will list the credentials that apply to the organization’s current need. And often, candidates will present a strong personal statement.
It Doesn't Predict Culture or Team Fit
All that information centers on them and their skills. But to successfully run a sales department, hiring managers require a team. These team members may possess a range of talents and personalities, but they must work well together. In addition, they can optimize outcomes when they participate in a strong team culture. Hiring based on resume data alone will not provide sales manager or HR with these key data points.
The Real Cost of Resume-Only Screening Decisions in the Hiring Process
A hiring process based on resume information alone leaves the organization at risk. The limited information means the wrong candidate could join the sales department. When individuals don’t have the right fit for the job, their results will fall short.
Not making their numbers can be the start of a downward spiral that also requires the manager to spend more time coaching and interacting. The new sales hire may not last long in the position, forcing the manager to start the lengthy process again and re-evaluate costs through outcomes such as time to fill.
The impact of a bad sales hire can extend well past 12 months, according to our Voice of the Sales Manager survey.
How Going Beyond Resume Screening Improves Hiring Accuracy
Using psychometric assessments and sales testing platforms can significantly improve hiring outcomes as part of a data-driven approach to better hiring decisions. Standardized assessments measure what resumes don’t show. The objective questions and results reveal a candidate’s drive, motivation, determination, and emotional intelligence.
Behavioral insights help a manager understand how the candidate is likely to behave on the job. This information can be critical when they are hiring an individual to work with a key account. And managers benefit from the data points about how a candidate will interact with team members, giving recruiters and managers better behavioral data to make decisions with less noise.
A candidate may claim to be an ace when it comes to closing deals, but objectively measured capabilities tell a clearer story. A sales skills assessment will reveal exactly what superpowers the candidate possesses. And the assessment results will point to where additional coaching or training can make a difference.
What Should Replace or Supplement Resume Screening?
For best hiring results, today’s sales managers should use a range of tools, because the key benefits of supplementing resume screening are better speed, quality, and retention. In addition to a resume review, they can ask top candidates to take a comprehensive assessment. These assessments provide data points on how each candidate fits the job and their direct manager, helping companies identify the right candidates instead of relying only on listed qualifications.
Using structured interviews also improves hiring outcomes. During a structured interview, the manager asks a set of questions in the same order and also uses a consistent scoring standard. They use this process with every candidate. The process makes it easier for managers to compare candidates.
Having strong sales skills means many things to different people. The candidate will boast of great closing skills in their resume. To understand how their skills compare to others, the hiring manager can review comparable scores from objective sales skills assessments. With that information, they can see who possesses the best discovery skills and who can negotiate in stressful situations.
Why Behavioral Data Is More Predictive Than Work History
Sales managers need to be able to see into the future. Work history can provide some information about where the candidates have been. But behavioral data allows managers to understand how a candidate will perform in their open position. They will learn the best team and office environment for each candidate.
Resume Screening vs. Assessment-Enhanced Hiring
| Factor | Resume Screening Only | Assessment-Enhanced Hiring |
| Decision Basis | The decision basis in these cases is limited to what candidates provide in their resumes. | With objective data points from an assessment, decision-makers have more information to use when selecting a top candidate. |
| Accuracy | The resume will contain only what the candidates share. And they may enhance their past experiences. | Assessment data will display objective data points for easy comparison between candidates. |
| Bias Risk | Using only a resume means there’s a greater chance that criteria unrelated to the position will sway the hiring decision. | Objective assessment questions and answers reduce the risk of bias. |
| Soft Skill Visibility | Resumes do not reveal soft skills. | Assessment results score soft skills. |
| Candidate Experience | Candidates have a lower investment in the recruiting process. | Candidates have a higher investment of their time in their job search. |
| Retention Impact | Resumes show where the candidate has been. | Assessments show how well a candidate fits with a position and positively impact retention. |
| Predictive Power | Resume data provides little predictive power. | Assessments highlight which candidates will do best with the organization and manager. |
How TeamTraitTM Helps Companies Move Beyond Resume Screening
Resumes will continue to be an integral part of the hiring process. But organizations gain a strategic advantage when recruiters and hiring managers use assessment data alongside them to fully vet candidates and determine their likely success in a sales position. With an assessment platform like TeamTrait they can review a candidate’s likely on-the-job behavior, their mindset and their level of sales skills.
Asking candidates to take a 20-minute assessment increases the chances of identifying the right candidates faster for an open sales position. With the TeamTrait results, managers will also know where their new hire will need extra coaching and training, supporting better coaching decisions. And they’ll understand the candidate’s motivations — a big advantage when determining the best way to retain their new sales rep.
Final Thoughts: The Future of Hiring Looks Beyond the Resume
As businesses sift through their large pool of candidates for sales positions in high volume hiring, they need automation. Resumes alone are especially limited when screening many applicants. The old-school resume serves to introduce candidates and allow them to show their creativity. But ATS can often screen out qualified candidates based on resumes alone.
Turning to a psychometric platform gives HR and hiring managers a fuller profile of candidates. The objective data points in the results highlight details that can’t be found in a resume. With information about motivation, behavior, mindset, and sales skills, managers can hire the best person for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is resume screening still necessary in modern hiring?
Resume screening should be part of the modern sales hiring process. Resumes give managers information about a candidate that may not be available elsewhere.
What are the biggest disadvantages of resume screening?
Resume screening only shows part of the candidate – specifically their education and work history. Resumes can’t give accurate assessment of candidates’ personalities, work habits and motivations.
How can companies reduce bias in the resume screening process?
The best way to reduce bias in the resume screening process is to use additional tools when hiring for sales positions. These additional tools give the hiring team a broader perspective on the candidates.
What is the most accurate way to evaluate candidates beyond resumes?
The most accurate way to evaluate candidates is to use tools like psychometric and sales skills assessments.
Can psychometric assessments replace resume screening entirely?
No, resumes continue to be an important tool. But they cannot be the only hiring tool. Assessments should be used in addition to resume screening.
How does skills-based hiring differ from resume-based hiring?
Skills-based hiring focuses on measuring and scoring the skills needed to do a job well. In resume-based hiring, the candidate can claim to have knowledge and skills but they have not been objectively measured.
