Resumes almost always lie: How to identify the right talent and interview through the façade

We have all been there, weeding through resume after resume, trying to discern which candidates are worth interviewing. The process is tedious, and our success rate is limited for several reasons.

Where resumes fail

First, resumes are often padded with partial truths as employees exaggerate to make themselves appear better than reality. For example, “Completed a conversion to a new CRM system.” Only to find out they were a low-level member of a large team responsible for this accomplishment.

Second, resumes tell you what the applicant has done, not who they are. A list of job titles and corresponding responsibilities reflects tasks, not skills or personality. A resume can’t tell you what they are good at. They may have been a receptionist who was proficient at managing the office minutia but could have done better at customer interactions.

 

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