The Google Resume Experiment: A Lesson in Finding Humanity in a Fast-Paced Job Search

An example of a worrying mistake happening over and over in the job market

During my search for a new job, the major thing I have noticed in contrast to the last time I was looking for work pre-working in the Civil Service is the speed the job market is now operating in contrast to the last time I was unemployed.

On a personal note, I’ve encountered several times rejections for jobs not before my application goes out to the company, but when it comes back as a rejection minutes later, it can be very annoying when you feel that you have the skills for said role and you feel like you are ignored over and over.

My wife pointed out a fascinating article earlier on today to me on Linkedin by Libby Moyer which raises a very interesting point indeed about this (Source -https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7219725384898990080/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(activity%3A7219725384898990080%2C7221453296379539457)&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A(7221453296379539457%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7219725384898990080)

To quote this article she stated “Ever hear about the Google resume experiment?

→ Managers were rejecting too many candidates

→ Someone found the managers' old resumes

→ Put them in front of the same managers

Plot Twist – They rejected themselves. “

I hadn’t heard of this story before personally, but it raised a fascinating and worrying problem while navigating a fast-paced job market from both sides of it.

CVs/ Resumes are often the first impressions a candidate makes, but with so many applications seemingly for fewer and fewer jobs, it’s easy for qualified individuals to be overlooked by busy recruiters which highlights the problems even more.

In a busier market, recruiters are facing the need to fill the roles quickly (which is another story altogether), and this can lead to qualified candidates being dismissed without a proper review either in haste or using AI programmes or keyword searches instead of looking at it properly with due care.

The ideal scenario would be a balance between speed and quality.

The article suggests that recruiters could benefit from taking the time to carefully assess applications beyond just keywords and with a little more care.

Ultimately, a human touch in the hiring process benefits both employers seeking the perfect fit and qualified candidates seeking the right opportunity.

Failing to do so does not benefit either side of the job market.