We may never know why we didn’t get chosen for a job interview, but we know about the recruiters….
What Recruiters Look At During The 6 Seconds They Spend On Your Resume
A recent study looked on recruiters decision making behavior. According to `TheLadder’ research, recruiters spend an average of ”six seconds before they make the initial ‘fit or no fit’ decision” on candidates .
The study used a scientific technique called “eye tracking” on 30 professional recruiters and examined their eye movements during a 10-week period to “record and analyze where and how long someone focuses when digesting a piece of information or completing a task.”
In the short time that they spend with your resume, the study showed recruiters will look at
- Your name
- Current title and company
- Current position start and end dates
- Previous title and company
- Previous position start and end dates
- Education.
The two resumes below include a heat map of recruiters’ eye movements. The one on the right was looked at more thoroughly than the one of the left because of its clear and concise format:
Now that you know more about what the recruiters look at within the 6 seconds, please check over your resume again being aware of the format and clearness of the visual hierarchy and make sure you don’t include distracting visuals since “such visual elements reduced recruiters’ analytical capability and also disorders their decision-making” which makes it hard for the recruiters to “locate the most relevant information, like skills and experience.”
