Proper Ways to Address Concerns You See in a Candidate's Resume

We all know that searching for qualified candidates to fill your available positions is a very involved (and frustrating!) process.  First, you have to write an engaging and informative job posting.  Next, you have to post the job on the best platforms to attract the attention of qualified candidates (this is an art all unto itself!)  Then you have to read, examine, and review each application, cover letter and resume for each applicant.   

This all takes a great deal of time, patience, organization and concentration.  You don’t want to overlook a qualified candidate by rushing through the process or trying to cut corners. 

In the past, hiring managers could pare down the list of candidates but excluded individuals based on perceived “red flags” on their resumes.  While identifying gaps in employment, typos and lack of salary requirements are valid concerns, they may not be reason enough to disqualify candidates (I know – it’s hard for us to think this way too.)  In fact, giving candidates the opportunity to explain may result in candidates you would previously have ignored. 

Instead of disqualifying applicants for minor issues, there are ways you can properly address these concerns during the phone screening process. 

How to Address Concerns About Employment Gaps

One of the biggest concerns hiring managers identify when reviewing candidates’ resumes is unexplained employment gaps - especially if they involve missing years. 

It’s totally understandable to be concerned.  You want to feel confident in the candidates you are considering for interviews and possibly employment. 

However, the reason for their employee gap may be completely devoid of concern.  Some candidates have gaps due to unfortunate circumstances like downsizing.  In other cases, they may have left a job to care for an ill family member.  Or maybe they took a sabbatical to attend school and earn a certification or a degree.  To find out the reason for their employment gap, you should simply ask them about it. 

That being said, you should avoid asking a question such as “Why is there a gap in your employment?”  This line of questioning can seem blunt (and possibly seeing accusatory, combative or suspicious).  Instead, you can approach the subject more appropriately by asking the candidate to give you a brief overview of their work history.  Often they’ll provide the answer during their overview. 

When a candidate’s experience overview does not reveal the reason for their employment gap, you can approach the subject from another angle.  To keep the conversation flowing smoothly, you can follow-up with a question such as “Tell me about what you did during the period when your career was on hold?”  Asking a candidate to explain their employment gap in this manner is almost like asking a student “What did you do during your summer vacation?”  It feels more like a casual conversation starter - instead of an insensitive conversation killer. 

If their answer reveals that their employment gap was caused by termination, you can gain further insight by asking the candidate “How did you feel about the company’s decision?”  Candidates who answer this question professionally and without disparaging their employer tells you a lot about the candidate.

How to Address Concerns About Resume Typos

Typos and grammatical mistakes on a candidate’s resume, cover letter and/or application is a common disqualifier for many hiring managers.  While this sounds like a reasonable deal breaker, in most cases, it really should not be cause for concern. 

While typos, grammatical mistakes and misspellings are definitely concerning when candidates are applying to positions like copywriter or proofreader, they shouldn’t be deemed a red flag for positions that are not grounded in written communications.  Unless your job description calls out these qualities and/or the available position really does require exceptional grammar and spelling skills, there is no reason to dismiss a candidate if you spot a typo.   

How to Address a Lack of Salary Information

The call to action for most job descriptions is typically “Qualified candidates should send a cover letter, resume and salary requirements to…”  In many cases, candidates will readily supply the first two items in that list - but not the third.  And in those cases, hiring managers will remove those applicants from the list of potential candidates.

While it's important for hiring managers and companies to focus their efforts on candidates with compatible salary requirements, it’s also important not to overlook candidates because they didn’t supply this information. 

In many cases, candidates are apprehensive about discussing salaries before they’ve had a chance to learn more about the position and the company.  Or, if the job description does not provide a salary range for the position, many candidates may worry that providing a desired salary may automatically disqualify them from consideration.  They also may believe that providing salary information may be used as a tool to furnish them with an offer that does not reflect the true value of their skills and experience. 

The best way to avoid this scenario is to be transparent about the salary range for the position in the respective job posting. 

Now that you know how to address the most common concerns with candidate resumes, it's time to put your new knowledge into practice by interviewing qualified candidates! 

If your hiring team needs some extra help identifying the best candidates to fill your available positions, our team can help! Call us if you are looking for topnotch candidates!