When you’re reviewing dozens of resumes you need to be on the lookout for red flags that could quickly show you that a candidate would not be a great fit for the job or could even be a liability. Identifying these bad eggs before interviews or even a disastrous hire can save you not only a lot of time and energy, but maybe even your business’s reputation.
Sign #1: Very Frequent Job Changes
If an applicant has spent a short amount of time, especially less than a year, at multiple companies, it suggests that they struggle with adapting to different work environments. While there could be a good reason for a short stay at one company, look out for this becoming a pattern. It shows that they give up easily and probably won’t stay long at your company as well.
Sign #2: Their Resume Is Too Long
One or two pages is a reasonable length for a resume. A resume that is multiple pages long often is a sign that the applicant is more interested in talking about themself than they are in providing value for their prospective company. This type of applicant often turns out to be rather selfish or not in touch with reality, and will also give you pages of excuses why they aren’t very good at their job.
Sign #3: Unexplained Employment Gaps
Be cautious if there are large gaps of time in an applicant’s work history. While occasional gaps are normal, long periods without a job could indicate commitment or other underlying issues. Possibilities for long times between jobs is that the applicant is not a good employee and was unable to find a new job. Even worse, they may have intentionally omitted a job where they were fired or had poor performance from the resume to mislead you on their work history.
Sign #4: Spelling and Grammatical Mistakes
A poorly written resume with grammatical errors and/or spelling mistakes reflects negatively on a candidate’s attention to detail and professionalism. An applicant’s ability to present themselves clearly and effectively is a crucial aspect of any job. If they haven’t taken the time to proof-read documents for a job application, they most likely don’t have a sense of pride in their work. Poor language skills naturally become significantly more problematic if the job itself involves teaching that language.
Sign #5: Poor Formatting
Applying for a job is a formal process and applicants are supposed to put their best foot forward in order to appeal to the hiring manager to grant them an interview. If a resume does not clearly show an applicant’s work and educational history in a way that is easy for the hiring manager to read, it shows that the applicant has not thought enough about how they will be understood by others, and hasn’t put in much effort. You can expect that if you give them a job, they are very unlikely to give the job their best effort as well.
Sign #6: Lack of Specific Achievements
Resumes that lack quantifiable achievements or specific contributions in previous roles may raise doubts about the applicant’s effectiveness. Look for concrete examples of how the applicant added value to previous jobs, demonstrating their ability to make a measurable impact. Listing only activities, not achievements, like “showed up on time” and “attended meetings” are basic job expectations for any employee and do not tell us anything meaningful about the applicant.
Sign #7: Insufficient Detail in Application
Resumes that have insufficient information or lack of detail might indicate a lack of thoroughness, or that the applicant didn’t believe that they needed to spend too much time on preparing their resume. Either way, this is not a good sign that the applicant would do their best for you if you were to employ them.
In Summary:
While these warning signs may not guarantee a poor fit, they do serve as valuable indicators that the applicant may not be a good fit for your company. Good luck in finding the perfect applicant for your job.
