6 Things You Shouldn't Judge a Job Candidate By

By Ashley Paskill on December 22, 2021

Hiring managers have a lot of criteria to judge potential job candidates by. It is crucial that these judgments are fair and relevant to the job they are applying for. However, there are unfair and even illegal things to judge candidates by, so it is important to not use those things for choosing candidates over other candidates.

Education

Education can be useful, but it is not the only thing preventing you from hiring someone. Many times, those without degrees get overlooked and those who at minimum attended community college get preference. Even more than that, those who attended a hiring manager’s alma mater or an Ivy League degree get picked over other schools. It is important to factor in education, but it should not be a deciding factor. Consider a candidate’s experience in conjunction with their education. Education can be useful, but experience shows that a candidate is able to do the work and often gives the candidate tangible proof that they know how to do the job.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Illegal Question Standards

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has a list of subjects for questions that are illegal to ask in an interview. These include age, race, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, country of origin, birthplace, religion, disability, marital status, family status, pregnancy, and salary history (in some states). As such, you should not use these to judge your candidates as it is illegal to do so. Even if these subjects were legal, they would be open to possible discrimination, so it is best to tread carefully and avoid basing the candidates you choose for positions.

Image: Andrea Piacquadio via https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-businessman-giving-contract-to-woman-to-sign-3760067/

Resumes

A resume is an important document for job applications, but it is just one piece of paper. However, it does not define an individual. A candidate’s resume is a one-page summary of who they are, which is often not always enough to judge them by. Along with the resume, consider having candidates go through an assessment or interview process to show what they are capable of. This will give you a more comprehensive look at a candidate and all they can do. You may also opt to require applicants to include a cover letter as this will also give you a more comprehensive look at a candidate and how they will be able to use the experience highlighted on their resume to help your company.

Skills test

There are some application sites that offer skills tests in addition to candidates submitting their applications. However, not every candidate is good at test-taking. While you may use this in conjunction with resumes and applications, be sure to use skills tests as just one component of who the candidate is and not judge the candidate on the skills test alone. Use a more comprehensive assessment than just a multiple-choice test. Ask questions as to how the candidate would answer certain situations and have them be open-ended responses.

Appearance

When a candidate comes in for an interview, they may be dressed professionally, or they may not know exactly how to dress to fit the position. They may not have any idea of how to dress properly for certain positions, and they may not have had a chance to get the clothing necessary for the job. While it is not professional for a candidate to wear clothing with swear words and inappropriate images for an interview, do not judge a candidate for trying their best to look professional but missing how they should look for the position.

Other aspects of a candidate’s appearance that also get judged by many employers include visible tattoos, piercings, and hair color, despite other evidence that the candidate can excel in the position. While it may be fitting to have safety rules about certain piercings for safety precautions, it is crucial for employers to not judge based on them as they can be removed. Having particular hair colors, tattoos, and piercings do not determine the personality or the qualifications of the candidate, so it is crucial to not judge candidates by these things.

Employee tenure

In recent years, employee tenure has decreased, and hiring managers have noticed. While it may be tempting to judge candidates based on a candidate’s short tenure at a job, it is crucial to keep in mind that there may be multiple reasons for employees leaving after a short tenure at a job. Shifts in pay and responsibilities as well as a bad company culture can cause an employee to leave, and these things do not have anything to do with an employee’s ability to do the job. This is why it is important to look beyond the candidate’s resume to see why they have short tenures at previous jobs. In the interview process, ask why they are interested in working for your company and you may find out why they are looking for new opportunities.

While there are plenty of things that employers should judge candidates by, it is important for employers to focus on things relevant to the job responsibilities.

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