Resume Red Flags

There are a lot of things in a resume that can automatically disqualify a candidate: Consistent spelling errors, lack of necessary experience, etc.  But what about those resumes that are near perfect except for one or two red flags?

 Life as a hiring manager is tough work and the last thing you want is more grey area when deciding which candidates to pursue.  Resume red flags could turn out to be no big deal, or they could be an indication of a larger flaw in the job applicant.  It's up to you to do a thorough screening of the candidate to figure out what the situation is.

In their book "The Big Book of HR," Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem list four red flags to look out for when reviewing resumes:

• No dates of employment -- just organizations listed with job duties.
• Gaps in employment (unless these are explained in the resume/cover letter).
• Frequent job changes to positions of lesser responsibility.
• Lists of accomplishments that can't be linked to specific jobs.

Mitchell and Gamlem write that you should immediately highlight these issues while doing a phone screen with candidates.  This will help you to better evaluate them for the position.  It may turn out that they had a perfectly acceptable reason for taking a lesser position (family issues etc).  On the other hand, it could be an indication that they have a history of taking the path of least resistance.  Whatever the case may be, it's important to get to the bottom of it.