What Hiring Managers Really Want from Jobseekers

It is no surprise to anyone who is seeking a job these days that we are in a very strong buyer’s market. That simply means that there are a lot more good, qualified people looking for jobs than the number of jobs that are a good match for their skills and experience. It has been that way since the economic downturn started in October of 2008.

Most of those who found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly out of work as the downturn in the economy began to gather steam started looking for their next job with the same tools and strategies that helped them get the job they just lost, and there is a good chance that they are still looking. The reason is that the tools and strategies for getting a job when times were good simply do not work in this new and very different economy.

Before the downturn, when we were in a strong seller’s market, jobseekers could get interviews with a resume that had the bare facts about them…contact information, job history, education, and a few references. That recipe will not get it done anymore. It is easy today to find bright, educated people. Even for jobs that require new skills and training, employers can find people who have the intelligence and basic skills to learn how to do the job.

What is not so easy to find are those candidates who will be a good culture fit within the organization, and if a candidate’s resume does not indicate that he or she will be a good fit with those who already work there, that candidate’s resume is generally given very little, if any, consideration. Organizations can be very selective in today’s market because there are so many candidates who have skills, education, and experience. Because of that large pool of people who could do the job, hiring managers want to get the candidates who have all those qualities along with the ability to blend well with those who are already there.

Before the days of electron ic grade reports, schools gave out paper report cards. On the left side of the page were the evaluations of academic performance in subjects like math, science, history, and spelling. On the right side of the page were the teacher’s opinions of each student’s social skills that included listening, following rules, and one that was described as “works and plays well with others.”
In the workplace today, those “soft” skills of listening, following rules, and working and playing well with others are every bit as important as they were in the early school years. Those skills are so important that most of the better MBA programs offered by universities today include group projects that replicate how employees have to work together to accomplish most of the important tasks within organizations. These schools realize that most groups will include members of very different skill sets and attributes. Some individuals will have a “take charge” mentality, some may be better at organization, and others may excel at creativity or dogged determination. And some will be freeloaders who hope to ride the success of the group to their own benefit.

The wise jobseeker today will put include information in his or her resume that lets the employer know what skills and attributes they can bring to the organization that will be beneficial to that organization. They will also make it very clear that they have those qualities that will help them work and play well with those who are already there.

While skills, talents, and experience are important and valuable, they are not uncommon or hard to find. What is hard to find are those qualities that will make someone the type of person that others want to be around and work with each day. Your chances of getting that interview and the job you want will be greatly improved if you can show the employer why you are someone that they would enjoy working with on a daily basis.