Why Hiring Managers NEED CVs to be tailored

A CV should be generic, otherwise, it falsifies a candidate’s skills and experience, right?

Wrong!

Having worked in recruitment for umpteen number of years, I know that when it comes to CVs, a ‘one size fits all’ approach isn’t the best.

Instead, hiring managers NEED CVs to be tailored, customized to their specific company and job they are recruiting for.

Concerns about tailored CVs

If I had a pound for every time I’d heard that tailoring a CV to a specific job misrepresents or distorts a candidate’s skills and experience, I’d be writing this from a yacht off the coast of St Tropez.

Most candidates that are applying for a job, believe they are suitable for it. Yes, sometimes there are chancers but in general, candidates tend to apply to roles that fit their background, qualifications, or aspirations.

By tailoring a CV to a specific position, a candidate’s experience and skills are showcased in relation to the specifications of the role, making it easier for a hiring manager to sieve out the good from the bad.

Benefits of tailored CVs

• Proof of Candidate desire

• If a candidate sends a CV without modifying it to the job in question, you could argue that it shows a lack of genuine interest in the job. A ‘hit and hope’, if you will.
• Tailored CVs, on the other hand, show a greater amount of passion and interest, and respect for the role a candidate is applying for.

• Resonate with the hiring manager

• A Human Resource manager will usually have a degree of detachment from the day-to-day job itself when compared to the hiring manager. When a hiring manager reads a generic, ‘one-size-fits-all’ CV, the skills and experiences mapped out on the CV are less likely to resonate with the hiring manager in the way a bespoke CV would.
• Instead, tailored CVs enable hiring managers to pinpoint the skills and experience the job description requires, with greater ease.

• Speed

• With a stack of CVs to wade through, generic CVs make shortlisting far more time-intensive could lead to the diamond in the rough candidate not being noticed.
• By contrast, CVs that are tailored specifically to the job in question, are much likelier to stand out, making a hiring manager’s task to find suitable candidates easier and quicker.

• See what you need to see

• All jobs have official duties and tasks, alongside the unofficial. All candidates have skills but not every skill is written. In very simple terms, without tailoring a CV and going generic instead, only assumptions are left to be made for anything not written and we all know that a person is more than the things they happened to pen on their resumé.

For more tips, tricks and advice on appointing the best candidates for your company and without delay, get in contact with me. I’m always willing to listen and offer my advice.