Resumes are pretty important; it’s an essential part of the job application process. Job applicants tweak each word in their resume compulsively, while recruiters use it as a tool to help them narrow down their candidate pool.

In his TEDx talk, talent acquisition expert John Fleischauer recounts that he’s had a “non-traditional” career path. He studied biomedical toxicology at university but struggled to find a job after graduating because his resume featured only two things:

• His educational background; and
• His experience in manual labour.

Fortunately for John, someone saw something in him and took a chance. But what happens to people who don’t get that chance?

Staying power

How’s this for a history lesson: it was Leonardo da Vinci who invented resumes sometime around 1481 to 1482. His original creation was actually more of a letter which he sent to a potential employer named Ludovico Sforza.

What is it about the resume that have given it staying power of over 500 years? According to John, the most obvious answer is that it starts a conversation between applicants and their potential employers.

But when you look at that conversation and how both parties go about it, we try to capture a two-dimensional highlight reel of how and to whom we’ve sold our time, whether it be to organisations through work or education. We then package everything in a format with keywords that we hope a stranger will actually care about.

We then send the resume, hold our breath and wait.

Resumes lack context

John notes that the practice is strange to him because there are many details missing in a traditional resume. In it, we don’t talk about our passions, what motivates us, or our struggles.

For example, John shared that his first time skydiving was a life-changing experience because he was terrified of heights. Should he put that detail in his resume? Some may think it’s personal and not professional but doesn’t doing that say something about his willingness to face fears?

Taking it one step further, John said he was divorced at age 27. During that time, he had no confidence. Into his 30s, he battled with depression and alcoholism. He’s a better person today because of those experiences but they’ll never make it to his resume. Why not?

Says John:

It’s strange to me that we’re supposed to package our entire life experience into two pages but we’re not supposed to give context in terms of how we became the people we are today.

Companies talk about company culture and cultural fit, and we all know that we live in this world where relationships are becoming so much more important. Yet the way that people and organisations come together, it’s so transactional.

Transactional nature

What is a company’s culture anyway? John defines it as the end result of all the relationships within the organisation and their shared output towards a common belief, vision or goal – yet it’s a transaction.

John ultimately argues that resumes are harmful for business – not because of what’s in them – but because of the transactional behaviours they elicit in people and organisations.

So what’s the solution? How can organisations do a better job of embracing the human side of human resources? How can individuals do a better job of saying, “Hey, I exist!”

John answers this question by asking: “What if we just shared our vision, goals and belief systems?” Because when a person and organisation’s belief system align, magic happens.

When this magic occurs, it may end the transactional behaviours brought about by the resume.

Here’s the video of John Fleischauer’s complete TEDx talk:

Look beyond the resume’s data

If you want to minimise this transactional nature, partner with Remote Workmate. We’ll help you find the most suitable candidates for your organisation while looking beyond the data provided by resumes. We also handle all the heavy lifting for you, including onboarding and payroll.

You can actually choose from our pool of top candidates today. Simply visit our Hotlist at:
https://remoteworkmate.com/hotlist

You can browse a wide range of profiles on our Hotlist page and get to know them better through their videos. Once you find a qualified VA, simply fill out the form at the bottom and we’ll get in touch with you at first opportunity.