If you speak with any of us at ML6, you might notice that we do things a little differently than many of the other search firms out there. In fact, if you were to talk to a ML6 associate because you had an interest in a position, they likely wouldn’t ask you for a copy of your resume right away. That’s because we believe in hiring people, not resumes; personalities, not checklists.
This isn’t to say that resumes aren’t important. We’re in the recruitment business, so we spend significant time receiving and reading resumes. They tell us a lot about what a person has done, which is not the same as what someone wants to do, is capable of doing, or how they’ll do it – all equally important. Resumes can provide us with a broad overview of a person’s skillset and accomplishments to date, but not much about what they enjoy working on, or how they work.
When hiring for your team, it can be tempting to focus in on a certain number of years of experience, from a specific background, with a targeted designation. We certainly help our partners find people with those criteria in mind. However, we often find that relaxing the focus and casting a broader net into the job market has resulted in better long-term hires. Stepping away from that checklist of experience allows hiring managers and recruiters to instead focus on future potential. Just because someone graduated from a top university, had 10 years of experience at tier-1 firms and has all the necessary qualifications doesn’t mean they are the best person to fit within your team, or that they will buy in to your company’s culture.
We’re not the only one saying this. Click here to read David Solomon’s, President of Goldman Sachs, thoughts on this very issue. He says he’s seen many great resumes come across his desk, but the people behind them end up having poor communication skills, or are not well-rounded. In other words, it’s not just the skillset on the resume that matters, it’s the person.
We’re always happy to talk about how to make better long-term hiring decisions by assessing the person behind the resume. If you’re open to having the conversation, click here and let us know.