WORKFORCE TRENDS

6 Things to Know about Hiring Managers in 2015

by placers on September 15, 2015 in Job Search Tips, Workforce

 

While not all hiring managers are alike, there are some common hiring trends in 2015 that can give job seekers clues for preparing for their job search and interviews. Here are 6 things about hiring managers in 2015 that will help you get inside their head.

  1. They care about your relevant work experience, skills and the reputation of your previous employer more than your volunteer experience, GPA and the schools you attended, according to a Hiring Manager Survey published by Staffing Industry Analysts. Hiring managers ranked work experience and skills as the most important aspects of a resume when considering moving a candidate to the interview phase. Be sure to highlight these two sections on your resume, as hiring managers across generations find them important.
  2. Hiring managers may prioritize different things, depending on their generation. The same Hiring Manager Survey examined the preferences of Baby Boomer, Generation X and Millennial hiring managers, and learned that different generations have varying perspectives. Boomers weigh the interview more heavily, Millennials the candidate’s education level, schools attended and GPA, and Generation X the resume. Proven results and references were more important to Boomers (61% and 30%, respectively) than Millennials (44% and 21%, respectively). And the source of finding candidates were the most polarizing results — 2X as many millennials trust Facebook (45%) and Twitter (28%) to identify candidates versus the other generations (Gen Xers: 27% and 14%; Boomers: 15% and 9%). Pay attention to your hiring manager to understand what their preferences may be – it may give you a leg up in the interview process.
  3. They notice when you use a generic resume for all job postings. 90% of hiring managers admit they always or sometimes notice when a resume isn’t tailored to the role in question. We generally recommend that you customize your resume and cover letter for each job that you apply to, and especially now so after hearing this statistic.
  4. They are less likely to hire you if they can’t find you on line. According to the Social Media Recruitment National survey, which was conducted on behalf of CareerBuilder by Harris Poll this year, 35% of employers are less likely to interview applicants that they can’t find online. The key here is that presence itself is important. If they can’t find you, they may not invite you in for an interview. In addition, 56% want to see that you have a professional online persona.
  5. More than half of hiring managers use social networking and search engine sites to research you. CareerBuilder’s survey showed that a majority of employers now use social networks to screen candidates. 52% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates, up significantly from 43% last year and 39% in 2013. Additionally, 51% of hiring managers use search engines to research candidates. While being found online is important (see on #4), so is having a good online reputation. But don’t be too fearful about hiring managers looking you up online. They aren’t hoping to find something negative – 6 in 10 are “looking for information that supports their qualifications for the job.” It’s valuable to search yourself online and know what hiring managers will learn about you on the Internet. Put yourself in their shoes, and if you find something online that you aren’t proud of — remove it, or begin to make changes to your online reputation.
  6. Hiring managers are less likely to hire you if you don’t send a thank you note. 22% of employers are less likely to hire a candidate if they don’t send a thank-you note after the interview, according to the CareerBuilder Survey of Hiring Managers. Don’t let a thank you note keep you from getting the job! And while you’re at it, be sure to personalize it like you do with your resume and cover letter!

In the course of your job search process you come across different types of people along the way, and each of them are making decisions about you. Gaining an understanding about them and what makes them tick will give you a different perspective on how things work. Working these 6 generalities about hiring managers into to your career transition path, may be the difference between a hiring manager saying “yes” or “no” to moving you into the next steps of the hiring process.

3 responses to “6 Things to Know about Hiring Managers in 2015”

  1. […] when compared to the low power posers. These are all things that are found more appealing to hiring managers and […]

  2. […] and focus on doing a great job at your current position. A strong reference from your employer or hiring manager will take you a long way towards getting a job that you see as more ideal in that industry. […]

  3. career says:

    Thanks for the useful information. Great list all are very beneficial to job seekers.

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