Why Human Resources Should Not Be Involved in Hiring
Friday, May 7, 2010 at 10:05AM What a statement! Of course, most would say, HR is the logical department to receive resumes, review them and send the “best” candidate resumes on to the hiring manager for consideration. I say it is not.
First, the reliance on computers to do resume scanning is a poor idea. There is nothing like scanning resumes with the human eye. The human to human connection cannot be duplicated by a computer which is based on data, matching fields and precision.
The applicants may not have the exact phrasing or words to meet the parameters set by the HR department. We all know that there are thousands of words which mean the same thing especially in the English language where the nuances of any particular word or phrase can be at opposite ends of the spectrum.
It is said that you “beat the scan” by looking at the ad and populating your resume with the same words as utilized in the ad.
That’s disrespectful and dishonest. Why? Because it is only regurgitating what people want to hear – just like in university – your paper has a better chance of getting an A+ if the paper reflects and proves the ideas of the professor. Is that thinking? Of course not. Yet, it is said a person goes to university to learn to think.
Same principles apply to resumes. If you only tell people what they want to hear, then you, as a candidate are disrespecting yourself and your achievements. Yes, I realize, a person needs to get their foot in the door and “play the game”, as ridiculous as it is. When reviewing resumes, the person reading them must first understand the job, know the type of person being sought, and get the “feeling” of the person applying by reading their cover letters. HR cannot possibly understand all those factors – they are not the manager.
Second, HR generally has no idea what it takes to do the job, what characteristics would be ideal and what “out of the box” knowledge and experience would enhance the performance on the job. Again, it’s a human factor and, if the manager is involved with the people she/he supervises, the manager would understand those nuances. No amount of training can be a substitute for this human understanding.
Thirdly, there is no accounting for chemistry. What attracts people to other people? No one knows. In the centuries humans have existed, it is still a mystery how that magical force between two people can manifest itself. Often, a manager, by reading the cover letter, will get a message that simply cannot be transmitted in a resume, especially one designed for computer scanning and with which HR simply cannot connect.
If any company truly wants to hire the “best person for the job”, it would get rid of computers for scanning resumes. Computers simply cannot “understand” the nuances nor do proper matching mainly because no human can be that exact.
Next, only the manager should review any and all resumes. I can hear it now – there are a couple of hundred resumes coming in – how can the manager have the time to review them? They can. There have always been a lot of resumes received for job postings – it’s nothing new. The resumes don’t arrive all at once. Many of the resumes submitted and cover letters can be read very quickly. How do I know? Because I’ve done it – always – no one could possibly know or understand what I could while reading these documents.
Lastly, only the manager can pick up on the “chemistry” that matches her/his own. No one can do that for the manager. And since the manager should understand the jobs of the people she/he supervises, then they will also understand the “extra factors” which may enhance performance in the job.
So often I reviewed resumes to find skills and abilities I had not thought to include in the job description or ad but my instinct and understanding told me that, though the person’s experience was not precisely what we were looking for, there were many skills, abilities and experiences which could very well fit. Often, I found, in these situations, very good employees because I chose “outside the box”, outside the parameters first laid out. No one can ever dream up all the different combinations of knowledge, skills and experience which can easily transfer into an opening.
Hiring is an art, it’s not data driven. The sooner we understand that process, the sooner we will return to sane means of hiring, human ways of engaging the “right” people and get managers back “on the floor” of their department, understanding exactly what their people do and what it will take to replace them.
That’s why Human Resources should not be involved in the hiring process. No matter how skilled, experienced or knowledgeable they are in the HR Department, they simply cannot possess a duplicate what is in a manager’s mind and, therefore, understand what a manager will “see” that HR cannot.
My experience has been garnered within many types of industries. My forte as a consulting is in designing and implementing organization appropriate systems and procedures to effect positive changes in efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. Along with my consulting practice, I offer personal coaching and workshops.
Please visit my blog about time. There are tips and advice on time management, articles and some food for thought. http://www.wizetime.com
ABOUT THE WRITER – Lorraine Arams
My mission in life is to help people with the knowledge I’ve acquired and to “pass it on”. It is my sincere hope that someone will find this information useful. The main theme of my work is: time. Time is involved in everything we do – and don’t do. It’s the hub of our lives. In terms of experience, I’ve worked in many types of industries including mining, health, law, performing arts, import/export businesses, real estate development, seniors’ activity programming, small business, self-help, associations, education and now online, blogging. I welcome your visits to my blog – http://www.wizetime.com.
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