What Are Hiring Managers Really Looking For?

John Krautzel
Posted by in Career Advice


Job searching often feels unproductive when you're caught between applicant-tracking software and hiring managers who may never read your resume or cover letter. You may also be afraid to ruin your chances by including too much information upfront. As it turns out, employers are equally frustrated by the communication gap and want applicants to present a distinct story of who they are and what they can offer.

1. Actions and Results

CareerBuilder polled over 1,500 hiring managers and recruiters for a May 2016 survey, and 53 percent of respondents say resumes don't contain sufficient information for employers to make preliminary decisions about an applicant's ability to do the job. If recruiters aren't immediately compelled to add your resume to the interview pile, they may forget your application or research your qualifications using less favorable sources. An effective resume demonstrates strong decision-making skills by summarizing your most significant actions and how they influenced an employer's success. If you have trouble evaluating your strengths, consider working with a professional resume writer.

2. Compatible Skills

A job title and a list of duties don't tell hiring managers how you leverage skills or interact with other people. To distinguish yourself as a top candidate, make sure your resume, cover letter and interview clear up any questions employers have about your qualifications. According to CareerBuilder, 75 percent of employers want a summary of your current skills, 63 percent are interested in soft skills and 77 percent want to know how your skills fit the specific position. Study the desired qualifications in each job posting, and use relevant experiences to show how your skills can evolve and translate to a new role. Emphasize soft skills with examples of successful collaboration, conflict management or customer service.

3. Trustworthiness

Hiring managers don't want a reputation for choosing bad candidates, making it essential for them to spot liars. Trustworthiness is one of the most crucial characteristics hiring managers look for in potential candidates, and many are willing to overlook a minor skill gap if the applicant has an honest personality, says workplace expert Lynn Taylor. According to Taylor, you can convey trustworthiness in interviews by showing warmth and friendliness, listening carefully and following the natural flow of the conversation. Try to exude a balance of confidence and humility, letting employers see you're sure of your skills while capable of taking responsibility for your shortcomings.

4. Brand Story

In the CareerBuilder study, 48 percent of hiring managers say they initiate contact with job seekers to fill positions, and 39 percent want to see a portfolio of a candidate's work. Instead of focusing on an intensive job search, make your experiences attractive to employers by creating a personal website or online profile with examples of your best work. Presenting a cohesive online brand story controls the image you project to employers while answering their most pressing questions about your abilities and work ethic.

No matter how stressful your job search gets, behave respectfully toward hiring managers, and avoid pestering them for updates. Hiring managers judge your behavior and personality throughout the recruitment process, creating opportunities for you to improve or weaken your chances of landing the job.


Photo courtesy of iosphere at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks for the comments. It is true that companies use software to determine if your resume is going into the data bank or to a hiring manager. It gets scored based upon previously determined criteria and keywords. If you don't match up, game over. @Carolyn you need to have a very strong cover letter to explain how your skills will work for that particular company. @Karen it is very sad that you have the experience but no degree and it's keeping you from being hired. As with @Carolyn, you need to write some pretty strong cover letters to go along with your resume explaining why you are best suited for the job even though you do not have the degree. Personally, hands-on experience is worth a thousand times more than a piece of paper stating that I completed some degree program. But that's me, not the hiring company. They want your experience as well as a degree. So again, ladies, VERY strong cover letters might be your answer. Or, if you know someone in the company, you might try getting in touch and having them deliver your resume and cover letter to the hiring manager. Sometimes coming in through the back door is the way to go. You can explain to your friend why you do not have the degree that they are seeking but you have the experience. Worth a shot. Best of luck.

  • CAROLYN S.
    CAROLYN S.

    I have a Masters, a BA and 20 years experience in my field but in another English speaking country but no one wants to know. This is probably because they doubt my ability to transfer skills maybe? I have no local references? they use computers to sort applictions and my degrees don't match?

  • Conya McPherson
    Conya McPherson

    They say technology degrees will no longer be valid in 6 years after getting the degree. The only solution I see in that is to have more than one degree.

  • Karen B.
    Karen B.

    My problem is I am a Controller, and I have 20 plus years in accounting but no Degree. Everyone wants a degree not experience.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks for the comments. @Josephina, admin assistants are needed at all types of companies and for all industries - including marketing and finance companies. Sounds like you are getting alerts that you feel are out of your purview. Check your career alerts and make sure that they are exactly what you want. If you have not added specific alerts, then the system will choose the best possible alerts based upon your resume. We wish you the best in your new adventure. @Maridella so very true. Companies do need to take the time to write a comprehensive job posting so that they will get the applicants that they are seeking. One problem I have seen is that they write this "pie in the sky" job description - one that no one is qualified for - and then they get upset because they can't qualified applicants. What happens is that they are scaring off potential employees. Companies need to write realistic job descriptions and then they will get the applicants they so need.

  • Josephina Henderson
    Josephina Henderson

    I'm always told to choose a career that I'm passionate about. Well, I'm passionate about Administrative tasks. I have attended and recently graduated from a technical school with a certificate as an Administrative Office Specialist, and obtained certifications as an Microsoft Office Specialist. While searching for Administrative Assistant jobs, why do Marketing and/or Finance companies feel that I would be a perfect fit for them?

  • Maridella Campbell
    Maridella Campbell

    Hiring is one of the most important and impactful activities in business. In my opinion Companies really need to take time to do a good job analysis of the positions they are creating. By doing this they will be able to find the right candidate making the overall outcome for the potential employee and the employer a definite win

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Keith that is so true. Usually what happens is that companies will post a "pie in the sky" job posting asking for absolutely everything whether they need it or not. They lose many great applicants that way. It would be nice if they could determine, ahead of time, what they need so that they could get more applicants to choose from. Of course, then we hear on the news about how companies can't find "qualified applicants" to fill their positions!

  • Keith Enste
    Keith Enste

    An enormous part of the problem with Job Searching is the simple fact that far. far too many prospective employers do not really know what skill-sets they need their employees to possess: all they truly know is that they need bodies.

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