I have recruited hundreds of people – here are my top tips

I’ve recruited hundreds of people across multiple companies. Here are my top tips on staying relevant.

Your CV might be an opener, but I need more.

Remember, a recruiting manager has tons of work to do. Recruitment is often bolted onto other tasks that need to be taken care of. For some, it’s even a necessary pain. These are the circumstances you operate within.

It’s a lot of work meeting candidates. The moment I invite a candidate for an interview, I also take responsibility for the lifecycle of that candidate’s application. Even if I have HR with me – it is now my responsibility.

The standard package with a CV and cover letter might get you past HR – now you need to stand out as well.

That is why I want as much information upfront as possible. The standard package with a CV and cover letter might get you past HR – now you need to stand out as well. Because guess what, there are tons of applicants. The larger the company, the more applicants per role.

What sparks my interest is an online portfolio or similar collection of proof of thought. I have recruited probably hundreds of software engineers and the standard hot topic is to have a public GitHub account. I have always liked the idea of this, however, I’ve rarely had the time to review possible repositories.

I want to see how you resonate, design your thinking, and output your thoughts.

Depending on the seniority of the role, I would instead value proof of thought. This means I will glance through your Medium.com articles, online blog, or similar information space. I want to see how you resonate, design your thinking, and output your thoughts.

Now, you have my attention, but what if you don’t really meet the requirements of 3-5 years of experience in X or Y? This is usually no problem for me. Prove to me that you have stamina, can take on long-running tasks, prove to me that you can achieve something. I have hired candidates that didn’t meet the specific requirements but could prove that they ran their own business for a couple of years, could set goals and focus on outcomes. Often, that is more than enough for me.

In reality this means a couple of these requirements are worth less than others.

Coming back to not meeting the requirements. These requirements are often written in cooperation with HR, and the recruiting manager probably let some of the old job ad requirements linger. Because remember as I wrote earlier, the recruiting manager is a busy person. In reality this means a couple of these requirements are worth less than others. However, you dont know which.

That’s why I always encourage people to apply even if they don’t meet all the requirements. Remember I am not hiring for skills, they can always be trained. I am hiring for the right person for the job.

Please have an opinion. I have met many candidates who seem afraid to be opinionated. As the recruiting manager, I am looking for people who want to get involved, have a say, and have an opinion. Don’t be afraid of having an opinion. To me, it signals understanding and the ability to argue for a cause.

In conclusion

• Have some type of online presence with proof of thought.
• Prove you have met goals, are able to work with long-running tasks, and focus on outcomes.
• Don’t worry too much about all the requirements.
• Please have an opinion

If you don’t click the apply button, you will never know what could have happened. A rejection is tough, but it’s certainly not the end.

Go for it! You got this!