What Recruiters Truly Focus On When Reviewing Resumes
Job candidates typically spend quite a bit of time constructing 1-2 page resumes that squeeze as much information to support their qualifications as possible. However, evidence from an innovative study of recruiters by The Ladders provides some new evidence.
The Ladders conducted a quantitative study of recruiters’ on-the-job behavior using an innovative technique called “eye tracking”—an advanced evaluation of eye movement that records and assesses where and how long an individual focuses when reading information or completing tasks. In the case of the study, The Ladders solicited help from thirty professional recruiters who they examined over a 10-week period. They found that recruiters spend an average of only 6 seconds reviewing an individual resume and that:
[note color=”#B6D6F0″]In the short time that they spend with your resume, the study showed recruiters will look at your name, current title and company, current position start and end dates, previous title and company, previous position start and end dates, and education. [/note]
Keeping these findings in mind, due to the time constraints of recruiters, one should take great care in not only the information included within their resume, but also the design and layout. The resume should be organized in a clear hierarchy and omit distracting visuals.
Read more on Business Insider, or for the full report, please see The Ladders.
