Hi-tech recruitment making CVs redundant

Grads and entry-level workers may not need to worry about CVs for much longer as employers turn to hi-tech software that emphasises the importance of cultural fit.

Young jobseekers worried about a lack of experience may not need to stress as employers increasingly use hi-tech recruitment systems to hire for cultural fit over technical skills.

In some instances, they do not even require a CV.

Rather than focusing on how they look on paper, early career jobseekers may benefit from soul searching to find the type of workplace and role that matches their personality.

HR start-up Shortlyster’s chief executive Rudy Crous says employers are beginning to see that workplace culture “is the only competitive advantage organisations now have”.

“People using our platform (understand that) skills can be trained but you can’t easily change someone’s behaviour and fit,” he says.

“Getting that right from the start is important and the rest will follow.”

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Could online neuroscience games be the future of recruitment? Picture: iStock

Shortlyster uses screening questions to determine what motivates a person in the workplace and how they “tick”.

“We ask candidates questions such as whether they like organisations that are structured with policies and procedures or more informal organisations,” he says.

“A traditional CV really captures the technical skills but people are much more than that.”

The bank ANZ recently changed the way it recruits graduates, no longer requiring a CV but instead asking jobseekers to play a series of digital neuroscience games that collect behavioural data.

A report is produced showing the participant’s traits, ranging from attention control and risk preference through to fairness and the ability to learn from mistakes.

Employers increasingly use hi-tech recruitment systems to hire for cultural fit over technical skills. Picture: iStock.

ANZ then identifies jobseekers with a similar trait profile to the organisation’s highest-performing staff members and these short-listed jobseekers go through to the next round of the hiring process.

Graduate recruitment manager Cholena Orr says the goal is to create a “great candidate experience” so jobseekers recommend the ANZ program to their friends, and to eliminate unconscious bias in the hiring process.

“We know some people make judgments based on where people live or an institution they have gone to,” she says.

“A degree really doesn’t matter (for some roles) and I predict in a few years technology graduate programs will not require degrees.”

Lowes’ Angela Yang believes there will come a time when resumes are redundant. Picture: Supplied.

Another HR start-up, Expr3ss!, also aims to eliminate recruitment bias by benchmarking jobseekers against the qualities and skills each role requires.

Screening questions are relevant only to the person’s ability to perform in the role, covering areas such as skills, experience, attitudes and temperament.

Ray White real estate recruiter Simon Power, who uses the Expr3ss! software, says predictive hiring, metadata analysis and intelligent algorithms will all soon be commonplace.

“The old method of relying on resumés and interviews to determine candidate fit is no longer sufficient to identify the appropriate person for the position,” he says.

Lowes HR generalist Angela Yang says the retailer also uses Expr3ss! to hire staff and although she still asks for a CV, she believes that may change in the future.

Lowes trialled advertising for a role with no CV required.

“We had the screening questions asking the history of experience they had so we didn’t have the need,” she says.

“Eventually there will be a time where we are not asking for resumes.”

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