Getting a Job Offer May Depend on Age of Hiring Manager

Relevant work experience and skills are the most important aspects of a resume for hiring managers of all ages, according to a survey released by Addison Group.

More than half of respondents rank relevant work experience and skills highest when considering moving a candidate to the interview phase. On the other side of the spectrum, hiring managers view volunteer experience, grade point average (GPA) and schools attended as the least important factors for consideration.

However, the survey found not all generations view job candidates equally. The survey examined the preferences of hiring managers who are Baby Boomers, Generation X or Millennials, and found proven results and references were more important to Boomers (61% and 30%, respectively) than Millennials (44% and 21%, respectively). Boomers weigh the interview more heavily, with 30% more Boomer hiring mangers ranking the interview above the resume or references.

Millennials were most concerned with a candidate’s level of education, schools attended and GPA at 27%, 13% and 16%, respectively. Generation X values a candidate’s resume (64%) significantly more than Millennials do (50%).

Coming up: Placing value in social media profiles

Candidate sources are the most polarizing of the survey results, with twice as many Millennials trusting Facebook and Twitter to identify candidates (45% and 28%, respectively) compared with other generations (Generation Xers: 27% and 14%; Boomers: 15% and 9%).

Across all ages, more hiring managers favor work experience not related to a role over volunteer experience. More than three-fourths (77%) of hiring managers note that the reputation of previous employers is an important determinant of a candidate’s qualification for a particular role, while 90% of hiring managers admit they always or sometimes notice when a resume isn’t tailored to the role in question.

“Trends in hiring manager preferences change over time, especially as the work force is becoming more and more dominated by the Millennial generation,” says Addison Group CEO Thomas Moran. “Today’s job-seekers need better resources, more accurate information and greater assistance when anticipating what hiring managers will value throughout the interviewing process if they want to land a job.”

The survey included 505 employees responsible for hiring in some capacity at their company.