Resumes & social media

Question 1

Why are resumes used so often as selection instrument?

Answer 1

1. They are relatively inexpensive
2. Provide an overview of experience, education, knowledge and skills
3. Provide a snap judgement of personality, cognitive ability and fit

Question 2

What do recruiters assess through resumes and is this accurate?

Answer 2

Resumes are used to evaluate hireability, personality traits and cognitive ability.

→ Personality judgements are often inaccurate with the exception of extraversion and openness to experience

→ Even if your self-report is different, if a recruiter perceives you to be conscientious then their perception of you is what matters the most

Question 3

What should resumes be used for?

Answer 3

To check whether applicants fulfil the minimum requirements of the job

Question 4

What can help in averting any potential biases when screening resumes?

Answer 4

Organizing recruiter trainings in order to make recruiters aware of biases and in turn make them less prone to fall for them

Question 5

Do Facebook or LinkedIn have any predictive validity?

Answer 5

→ LinkedIn has a significant level of predictive validity and inter-rater reliability for skills and hiring recommendations

→ Facebook does not provide any incremental validity