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.
Bill Beavers
June 1, 2009 at 10:47 am
What you have said is so true. My wife is a Broker and I am a licensed agent and loan officer. Most agents walk away from the client when escrow closes. This opens the door to another agent to walk in. I know because I’ve done it, too many times. We sometimes forget that this is not their last deal. We sometimes forget about their family and their extended families. Clients and friends for life, that’s what they should become. All the best.
Lani Rosales
June 1, 2009 at 10:52 am
@markeckenrode I *love* when you talk about the “simple stupid” concepts such as “stay in touch with clients.” you have a particularly appealing brand of drip marketing that i really enjoy. for anyone not subscribed to mark’s content on his site (click “home stomper” in his bio), you’re missing out!
Brandie Young
June 1, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Hi Mark,
So true. I keyed in on your use of the word “Happy” as in happy clients. That’s quite different than “Satisfied” clients. Satisfied clients feel you did your job – but if you failed to delight them, they are not likely to evangelize you.
Mark Eckenrode
June 1, 2009 at 9:34 pm
@bill – sounds like you’re a step ahead of many agents if you’re continuing to reach out and market to past clients. what methods are working well?
@lani – blush grin 😉 doesn’t it seem that the most simple and common sense approach to things usually has the biggest long-term payoff?
@brandie – i always thought “satisfied clients” was setting sights kind of low. heck, “shoot for ecstatic” and everyone wins
Missy Caulk
June 1, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Gosh Mark, I couldn’t have said it better myself. LOL
It’s really not that hard and actually I miss my clients for weeks after the transaction is over so not hard to stay in touch.
In my 14 year career, I have only deleted 2 people. No regrets.
Joe Loomer
June 2, 2009 at 6:58 am
My wife cooks Christmas cookies every year – about eight or nine different types – our kitchen looks like one of Chris’ MLS fail shot episodes when it’s in full throttle. She cooks ’em, bags ’em up in nice dollar-store bags with pretty ribbons and a business card, and I divide up the map, get in the car for a full week straight and deliver them to all our past clients.
That’s our “major” evolution, but we call, write, host BBQs, do what we can throughout the year. Staying in touch is such a basic, ingrained part of our psyche now that NOT doing it would be harder and feel weird.
One year we both got sick about halfway through the Christmas cookie delivery and failed to get them to about 20 of our past clients until after Christmas – the phone and email messages were full of polite (but anxious) “Where’s my dang cookies!” messages.
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
Mark Eckenrode
June 2, 2009 at 10:35 am
@joe – i’ve known other Realtors to regularly host parties and BBQs and they swear by them, too. so… about those cookies 🙂
@missy – wow! that’s got to be a healthy database you have. how do you keep in touch with so many and continue that relationship?
Louise Scoggins
June 2, 2009 at 10:44 am
I definitely believe in following up with your clients post-closing. We do a closing congrats letter right away, follow up after their move, send a monthly magazine with recipes and home tips, and send personal letters once a year as well. It’s not the BEST follow system but at least it is one that’s in place. I have been in biz long enough now that I have “moved up” a few of my first clients into their second homes. I do get referrals from my past clients as well, so that’s always nice. Your past clients can offer warm leads, especially if you have done a great job with them…just don’t let them forget you or how to get in touch with you!