What are employers looking for in candidates?

‘There are a lot of ways you could quantify and prove the relevance of your experience’

What are employers looking for in candidates?

Employers are less willing to take a chance on someone at the moment, so you need to make sure you highlight relevant applicable industry experience on your CV, according to Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand.

“Cultural fit is essential too, which is why it’s important to research a hiring organisation’s culture and values then share in your CV and in an interview examples that demonstrate how your way of working is aligned with theirs,” said Deligiannis.

“You must also highlight your relevant experience. Employers today want proof that you could do the job well.”

Of the more than 1,100 employers Hays spoke to, 51% nominated industry experience as the key factor that helps a candidate stand out from the crowd right now.

Read now: Inside SodaStream's unique recruitment strategy

This was closely followed by cultural fit (50%) and a good CV with relevant experience (39%).

They aren’t willing to take a chance on an unproven performer, which is why it’s important to demonstrate the relevance of your experience and the value you could bring to their organisation.

Deligiannis added that one way to prove the relevance of your experience in your CV is to add quantifiable evidence.

Ultimately, impactful numbers are very compelling in the context of a CV and allow you to undeniably prove that your experience makes you the right person for the job.

“There are a lot of ways you could quantify and prove the relevance of your experience,” said Deligiannis.

Read more: What is the secret to a killer recruitment strategy?

“For example, you could state the percentage increase in new sales, clients or website visitors you were responsible for, the number of team members or projects you’ve managed, the volume of work you delivered in a given timeframe, your response rate for queries or the number of customers you typically served.

“The staff retention or promotion rates within your team, the number of stakeholders you’ve worked with, the number of projects delivered ahead of time, the impact of process improvements you’ve made, the number of meetings you chair, any cost or time reductions achieved or the number of new skills or awards you’ve received are other examples.”

Hays are one of the Award sponsors at the 2020 Australian HR Awards. To view the finalists, click here.

Recent articles & video

Ai Group seeks 2.8% minimum wage hike in 2024

Australia's job vacancies fall 6.2% in February

Love and business: Can a break-up lead to unjust dismissal?

Worker claims unfair demotion after temporary supervisor role ended

Most Read Articles

Queensland bans insurance use in paying fines, penalties

Employer shoots down worker's request for 'mutual separation'

Payroll officer charged for stealing over $1 million from employer: reports