The Job Resume is Dead. Welcome to the Future of Hiring

The Job Resume: Hated by candidates, barely useful to hiring managers. Both the documents and the way they’re collected get in the way of good recruiting. A resume—if it’s truthful—can tell recruiters about a person’s job and educational background. It might demonstrate whether the candidate is qualified for the job, but it can’t answer questions about interest, availability, and cultural fit. In many cases, people who get through the gatekeeping process aren’t necessarily qualified for the job. They’re good at writing resumes, and they’re good at gaming the ATS.

It’s Not Just the Paper; It’s the Process.

The resume collection process has become a habit so comfortable that HR and hiring managers don’t ask themselves whether it’s working. Unfortunately, the process to which we’re all so accustomed restricts screening to active candidates only. Because most companies barely acknowledge receipt of resumes—if an email auto-reply counts—it perpetuates a shoddy candidate experience. Worst of all, the gatekeepers who send resumes to the next level are rarely evaluated on their screening ability. They often make their decisions behind closed doors, where we all know that guesses about age, dislike of a school the candidate attended, or disqualification based on a single typo sends qualified candidates to the slush pile. For years, HR experts called on businesses to drive a stake through the heart of resumes. Now, a perfect storm of technology, including social media, big data, and cloud computing, is actually making their vision a reality. Let’s take a look at how Zappos has ditched job ads and, using technology and innovative thinking, weaned itself off of resume dependence.

Zappos: No More Job Postings

About a year ago, Zappos stopped posting job ads and created its own talent community. Candidates interested in the company, active or passive, now become Zappos Insiders. Candidates join by uploading a resume or connecting using LinkedIn or Facebook. Then, they answer a few logistical and cultural fit assessment questions (e.g., “Is there something weird that makes you happy?”—a question that goes straight to the heart of Zappos culture). After joining, candidates can interact with one another and with recruiters from Zappos. They also gain access to exclusive content, including blog posts introducing Zappos recruiters and Google Hangouts that answer questions about what it’s like to work at Zappos. The Insiders program cuts down on the number of candidates per open position, but it gives the company a wide and varied pool of talent. It also lets recruiters match people to open positions instead of relying on the candidates who raise their hands. Best of all, it’s a dynamite way to cement the Zappos employer brand and create a fun, dynamic candidate experience. The resume still exists in the Zappos model, but it’s no longer makes or breaks a candidate’s future.

More to Come…

Over the next few months, we’ll learn more about how innovative businesses are slowly burying the resume. To get yourself thinking about ways you can bid “farewell” to resumes, you can see how modernizing its recruiting process has helped Hilton boost its candidate satisfaction rate to 94 percent, and achieve an NPS of 225% the hospitality industry average.