Reviewing resumes and choosing the best candidate

Factors Considered in Hiring New Employees

There are several factors taken into account when hiring new employees for large firms. Academic credentials will typically help someone land their first job, according to the majority of human resource professionals; however, anything beyond that, including promotions and new job offers, solely depends on a person’s work ethic, productivity, and interpersonal and professional networking abilities.

Job Description for Maintenance Technician

A maintenance technician with janitorial experience is needed for this position. The technician must be able to perform and supervise maintenance work within established deadlines, according to the job description. The technician is also responsible for the execution of work orders as well as management of the purchases and inventory control while doubling up as a janitor to clean up common areas. Other requirements for the job include at least seven years of experience, a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification, be on call 24/7 all year round, live within thirty minutes of the property and to be physically fit.

Required Skills for the Job

However, the official job description is more elaborate in what is expected of the applicants. Among other things, the required skill set for the job includes an interest in someone who has excellent verbal communication skills that can foster harmonious work relations, pays attention to detail, is thoughtful and very decisive when multitasking, has proper knowledge of occupational hazards, is of sound judgment and is able to ask appropriate questions when needed, is familiar with the HVAC systems, and is able to follow instructions to complete tasks within budget.

Resume Analysis of Rose Smith

In the analysis of the resumes, Rose Smith has approximately 14 years of experience albeit with gaps in between during which she was unemployed. Her resume is unappealing with a rather unprofessional look. This leads one to conclude that she is rather sloppy and unprofessional. Her work experience is mainly on casual labor, largely as a janitor. There is no evidence of relevant machine operation or service technician knowledge. In reference to her resume, she would make a good janitor but not a proper maintenance technician.

Resume Analysis of Joe Johnson

The resume of Joe Johnson suggests that he has at least 20 years’ experience. Mr. Johnson attended a community college where he acquired welding and machining skills. He also supervises one other employee as part of his responsibility at his current job. His resume suggests that he has most of the required skills for the advertised position and seems employable.

Resume Analysis of Jan I. Tor

Jan I. Tor has about 8 years of technical, sales, and logistics experience. She has a high school diploma with several awards in leadership, sales growth, and teamwork. She is also a qualified driver and has a couple of other engineering-related qualifications and certifications. The resume appears professional and well thought out. The applicant’s resume suggests that she is highly self-motivated, has strong communication and leadership skills, is detail-oriented, and has an inclination toward mechanics. She has worked as a supervisor, managed purchases and inventory control, and surpassed her goals while working as a dispatcher. With knowledge working as a technician and in the county HVAC department, the applicant’s resume pits her as a perfect fit for the job.

Interview Evaluation of Candidates

In the interview, the applicants’ names are not mentioned. However, it is easy to determine who they are as the interview proceeds. Mr. Johnson is the only man. The other two are ladies, and it is easy to differentiate Rose from Jan comparing their answers to the available resumes.

Evaluation of Rose Smith

Rose Smith’s answers suggest she is very indecisive. She is loud, seems temperamental, and her body language and rate of speech may suggest that some of the things she says are untruthful; unfortunately, she answers one of her questions by bad-mouthing her former employer. She claims that she was at one point doing all the supervisory work and acted team leader when her boss was having marriage problems, a private matter that she should have never brought up in the first place. Even so, this claim is unverifiable and as such cannot be used to assess her employability (Hendry, 2012).

Further, the gaps in her work experience were not spent on anything professionally productive. She has no intrinsic motivation and constantly needs a challenge to perform her duties. In light of these misgivings and her almost irrelevant work experience, Rose Smith is an unsuitable candidate for the job.

Evaluation of Joe Johnson

Mr. Johnson’s description of himself has no relation to the job he has applied for. He is distracted as he keeps glancing at his phone and occasionally uses it. He is unable to defend his resume, and like Rose Smith, his body language and shallow knowledge of what he does make him look untruthful. He contemptuously downplays the size of the company he has applied to, appears unmotivated, and only does this as a means to eke a living. Despite his good resume, his cavalier manner and attitude during the interview make him an unsuitable candidate for the job.

Evaluation of Jan I. Tor

Jan I. Tor cements her place as a suitable candidate. The gaps in her work experience were spent backpacking through Europe where she learned multiple cultures. She describes herself well and relates that to the job she applied for. She appears motivated, very enthusiastic, friendly, and with a strong work ethic. Her good judgment is exhibited when she asks a question that seeks clarity unlike the other candidates. The interview confirms the strength of her resume and as such comes out as uniquely qualified for the job (Bratton & Gold, 2012). She gets hired based on her better qualities in comparison with the other applicants.

References

Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2012). Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan.

Fee, M. C. (2014). Human resources management.

Hendry, C. (2012). Human resource management. Routledge.