According to research by employment search website Simply Hired, hiring managers get an average of 34 applications per job listing, but they spend time genuinely considering an average of only 12.6% of them – that’s less than 1/3. Some applicants may feel the need to go above and beyond the average application and do something unusual or unexpected to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
Simply Hired conducted a survey to find out whether or not “nontraditional” strategies to stand out are worth the risk, or whether it makes sense to stick to a traditional resume and cover letter. They surveyed over 500 hiring managers and over 500 job applicants to find out what sort of outside-of-the-box approaches applicants are willing to take, and which ones do and don’t pay off.
Most notably, the survey found that over 63% of hiring managers find attention-grabbing gimmicks totally unacceptable, with only 20.2% saying they were acceptable. Hiring managers were also given a list of unusual strategies to rank from most to least acceptable. Unsurprisingly, the least acceptable strategy was offering to sleep with the hiring manager – which should really go without saying.
Interestingly, hiring managers also really disliked when applicants persistently emailed their resumes over and over until they got a response. One or two follow-up emails after your initial application aren’t such a bad idea – but if you don’t get a response after that, continuing to pester the hiring manager isn’t going to help.
While sending baked goods to the office was considered a somewhat acceptable strategy, sending those same cookies to the manager’s home address was a big no-no. Desserts might sweeten your application, but not if you cross a professional boundary by bringing them to someone’s home – that’s just creepy.
Another tactic that hiring managers received fairly positively was “enduring extreme weather to hand-deliver a resume” – but waiting around for inclement weather to apply for a job doesn’t seem very efficient. However, hiring managers did respond well to applicants who went out of their way to demonstrate a skill, for example, by creating a mock product or presentation or completing their interview in a second language. A librarian who was surveyed said she landed her job by making her resume into a book and creating QR codes with links to her portfolio, while a woman applying to work at the hotel hopped behind the counter and started checking customers in.
It’s worth noting that while most hiring managers aren’t into your gimmicks and games, of the 12.9% of applicants who said they have risked an unusual strategy, 67.7% of those actually landed the job.
Still, it’s probably a safer bet to stick to the protocol and not try any theatrics. So then, what can you actually do to improve your chances of landing the job?
Applicants surveyed tended to focus most of their time on their resumes, but according to hiring managers, the interview and cover letter are “the top ways to stand out among the rest.” Sure, brush up your resume, but make sure to give equal time to writing a strong cover letter and practicing potential interview questions.
In the survey, applicants also tended to overestimate the importance of knowing people within the company and having a “unique” cover letter and interview question answers; meanwhile, they underestimated the importance of asking smart questions at the interview and personality. In fact, hiring managers reported that personality was the most impactful factor in their hiring decisions.
It appears that the best way to stand out in a job interview is to wow them with your personality and nail the interview. Weird outfits, stunts, and baked goods will only get you so far – and in fact, may backfire.
Derek Overbey
October 23, 2008 at 1:26 pm
This is a great post. You and I have similar PR backgrounds so we have seen how the “pitch” has changed over the last several years. This “pitch” is no different in real estate. You are looking to source business and engage with clients. The twist is how you go about sourcing that business. We are seeing a whole new wave of agents that understand how the consumers want to be touched and communicated with, not at. Unfortunately, there are still many out there that are trying to use the old tried and true methods and can’t understand why their business is shrinking. Hopefully they will get it before it’s too late.
Ken Brand
October 23, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Damn skippy Heather. Your post reminded of a comment/share I heard at the Houston REBarCamp yesterday (it was great!). I wish I remember who said it, I wrote it down, but don’t remember who said it, dang.
Here’s what was said, I’m paraphrasing, “We’re all bombarded with hundreds of advertising message every day, you know you’re on track and cutting through the clutter when your advertising turns to information. People desire “information” not advertising talk”.
Amen right? Don’ capture and cuff – attract, magnetize and delight. Don’t tell – show. Don’t slug it out – hug it out. Conversations not confrontations. Etc.
Thanks for sharing.
Paula Henry
October 23, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Heather – So right on – people are tired of being talked at! We need to let them know we care, we are listening and not selling them! I love what Ken paraphrased:)
Todd Carpenter
October 23, 2008 at 9:53 pm
“The key in understanding someone’s actions is understanding their agenda.”
Seth Godin might be a Henry Ford Fan.
“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.”
Made sense a hundred years ago. Still works today.
Katie Minkus, R(B)
March 2, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Great post, Heather. Reminds me of an old saying, “We have one mouth and two ears for a reason…” Happy Monday! Warm aloha, Katie Minkus, R(B).