All too often job seekers think
about their resume in terms of being a static document. They update it when
they're in the market for a new job and once employed don't think about it
again. When the need for a new job comes around again they'll scramble to come
up with the right content for their updated resume. It is a vicious cycle that
doesn't need to happen.
LinkedIn is one tool that is
starting to change this trend. Professionals often update their profiles
regularly whether they are looking for a job or not. This means they always
have the most up to date information available.
There may be other ways for
candidates to have live resumes especially in the temporary sector. This is the
value of offering candidates the opportunity to manage their own profiles on a
workforce management system. Let's take a look at some of the reasons, methods,
and results of this practice.
Social Media
LinkedIn and Facebook, among other
social media sites, have really changed the way that we communicate as a
culture. These changes are spreading into other aspects of our lives including
how we apply for jobs. When we look at someone's LinkedIn and Facebook pages we
can learn three things:
- How active they are
- When they last updated
- Their latest experience
This combination of information
gives us a more complete picture of a candidate than just their paper resume.
Stale Information
A paper resume is stagnant. Even if
it is customized for a specific job, as many experts recommend, it becomes out
of date very quickly. Staffing companies will collect resumes from candidates
and place them in their data base but if anything changes a new resume has to
be collected or the information remains stale. There is no real connection
between the staffing company and their temporary employee base when using a
paper resume model.
Candidate Managed Profiles
Let's think about resumes in a new
way. What if your candidates had complete control over their own profile in
your employee data base?
- The resume could be updated regularly whenever the candidate had something new to add.
- They can change their schedule, include new licenses and certifications, and update resumes with the newest information. They may even use new technology to include a video resume.
- Their availability will change each time they start and end a new assignment so they can be considered for other work.
- This information can be easily shared directly with your clients.
As a staffing provider you can also
build a talent
pool of your most marketable candidates based on individual client
requirements. This will allow your clients to hire them on demand. Each time an
employee updates their resume and experience they can be included in private talent
pools that match their skills.
Can real-time updates for candidate resumes help your
business move to the next level?
NextCrew can help today!
Image by Flazingo Photos via Flickr
