Michael Cushman: I spent hours thinking about all the problems with the current job sites and imagining a different future. My excuse for “wasting” a day falls under my research regarding the Future of Business Culture. Here is my idea: create an Employment History Bureau, like a credit bureau, with additional features similar to Linkedin, a Google search, and more. Read on if you want to declare independence from resume madness.
Let’s start with some of the problems.
From the employer point of view:
- Most resumes contain exaggerations; many contain materially false claims regarding education, job titles, and experiences
- 30% of the Fortune 500 companies give pre-employment screening tests. The same person can take multiple tests. The duplication is a waste of money and time
- Small firms can’t afford to give the same tests
- Checking referrals and doing criminal checks adds additional costs that are duplicated by every firm
- Referrals are often friends or biased in favor of the candidate
- The average job posting gets 300 to 500 replies
From the employee point of view:
- Every job site requires a profile and posting of a resume
- Lots of unwanted emails are sent “work-from-home” and other marketing spam companies
- Every job site requires building a job search agent
- Most large companies require a person to fill out their specific online form to apply for a job
- A person can take multiple personality / job fit screening tests
- An honest person often is passed over for someone who exaggerates
- Referrals can feel overused
- A person cannot see what firm or recruiter looked at his or her resume
- Search agents don’t match resume to job postings (no scoring capability)
- No feedback from sent resumes
- The candidate doesn’t know the market salary rate for the job
- Networks like Linkedin are sometimes abused by people who link to anyone
Credit bureaus aren’t perfect. They do however, provide a useful service. They validate a person’s credit history.
Imagine a similar service that validates a person’s work and education history.
Employers would pay for a service that improves the accuracy and reliability of data.
Not only would degrees and class ranks be validated, but also the dates of employment, job titles, skills and accomplishments. As for the later, the name of the person who validated the data would be noted. Add in verification of certifications and awards.
Next include pre-employment screening tests.
Interests and aptitude would be measured and stored with your profile. BTW, these tests add value to the test taker, who becomes more aware of their strengths and weaknesses and learns what types of work will lead to success and happiness and cause the least amount of stress.
Now throw in Linkedin capabilities.
Your network is built and validated almost automatically as your life progresses. I recently linked to a former colleague who had over 2,500 connections. I doubt he really knows that many people well. Having a system that validates contacts would greatly improve the trust, validity, and value of the network. BTW, the links could have attributes, such as the circumstances, the length of time it’s existed, and the strength of the connection.
Finally, add other links, such as to patents, articles, blogs, books, sample work products to complete the picture.
Yes, it raises concerns. Privacy is one. It would have to be protected and controlled. The person could choose to hide their personal information and choose under what circumstances they wished to be contacted by potential employers.
Another concern is accuracy. If data is wrong, you could petition to change it. If the bureau doesn’t change it, then you would be free to sue them if you can prove you are right.
What if you wanted to change careers? No problem. Go back to school, get a certificate, or find someone in your network that can help you switch careers.
Now think of the advantages.
Your resume is in one place. It grows as you live your life. You can turn on your profile when you want to be found. Only the employers with the best fit contact you. You can see the going pay rate for people with similar profiles. Your profile is much more complete and indicative of who you are: education, experiences, skills, personality, interests, aptitudes, links to work products and links to your network.
Most of the frauds and cheats would be discovered and their inaccuracies removed. That’s good for everyone.
Since all the data is pre-validated, the search-to-hire lifecycle would be shortened significantly. There’s no need for security, background, and referral checks.
Summary:
Resumes today don’t come close to capturing the richness and depth of people. The Employment History Bureau would change that. Both employers and employees will be able to finding good matches and avoid bad ones, quickly and inexpensively.
BTW, once a company chooses to build this database, there’s little that can be done to stop it. No one asked your permission to keep your credit history. No one is going to ask your permission to keep your employment history. Once someone builds it the rest is history. I’m looking forward to a resume revolution.
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Michael Cushman, speaker, writer, consultant, and coach for Engaging Change. Proven techniques for change leaders: creating future-friendly cultures, preventing project disasters, and mastering the mindsets and skills of change leadership to create outstanding financial results and fabulous places to work. www.engagingchange.com