In the contemporary recruitment environment, competition is cutthroat. To get the attention from recruiters you need to show more than just the required qualifications, you need to be outstanding.

Social Media channels, for instance, have become one of the most common mediums for recruiters to select potential candidates.

They provide an insight into not just the technical qualifications, but also soft skills of a candidate. Besides, they reflect the personality of an individual and can, hence, make or break your career.

However, that’s not all.

From your résumé to performing well under pressure and being a team player, here are the top 5 parameters the recruiters look for before hiring a potential candidate!

1. An Impressive résumé

‘First impression is the last impression.’ This statement fits the brief well, as your résumé represents you and whatever you are willing to bring to the company. It plays a pivotal role in the process of a candidate’s hiring.

Presenting your qualifications in a striking manner is as important as your credentials and experience.

Hence, picking an appropriate template that is relevant to the industry or the field of specialization you’re applying in, is absolutely crucial. You must also keep in mind to regularly update your résumé to remain relevant in the market, and to get efficient and desired results.

2. Ambition, confidence, and credibility

A recruiter looks for these two indispensable qualities in a one-on-one interview.

Confidence plays a major part as it shows if you can put your skills and qualifications to practical use. Credibility plays an important role, as employers want people in their companies who can work their way up, and ensure that they grow with the company and vice versa.

So, if you change your job annually, or biannually, red flags might go up.

When asked where you see yourself in 5 years or so, it’s best to say that you envision yourself at the company at a sustained successful track. Show that you have the ambition necessary to do great things for the company and build your own path to success.

3. The appropriate skills and training

Your résumé and personality can only help you if you have the relevant and required skills and training for the position you’re applying for.

In today’s competitive economy, you will struggle to find someone who will hire a candidate that needs too much training before they can start their job. Moreover, lack of experience also contributes to slower growth for the company, and recruiters do not want that!

Hence, before you apply, make sure you have the technical qualifications that actually make you a viable candidate, and boost your chances of getting selected.

4. Being a Team player

Even though you apply as an individual, one of the most important things that recruiters look for when they look for potential candidates for a job is a person’s ability to get along with others and work in a team.

Hence, your social and communication skills are put to test, offline. You should be able to engage with a variety of people, and not just work, but also grow with them.

The employer would also want you to enjoy your workplace. Employees who have a sense of belonging in their workplace and with their fellow co-workers tend to happier and more productive.

5. A Good Online Presence, especially on Social Media

Social Media is one of the latest parameters that employers keep in mind while hiring, because of various reasons.

First, it showcases your personality outside of work, your likes and interests. This can aid them in deciding whether you’re good or bad for the company.

Second, it can be used to validate the credibility of your résumé.

It also helps them to establish whether you’re up-to-date with the latest issues and your stand on them.

Hence, it is best advised to regularly update your social media and lock it to people who are not your friends. If you choose to keep it public, or if you have your employer as a connection, the ideal is to limit opinionated and extremist comments, which might hamper your chances of getting hired.

It is very essential, however, to have an online presence, as employers may not even consider someone who doesn’t have any social media presence at all.

You get a head start once you know what recruiters are actually looking for in potential candidates.

The awareness helps you to craft your resume and prepare for interviews, doing any research necessary. The secret is to set yourself apart from the crowds, build up some experience and enhance your CV!

Keep these things in mind, and you’ll definitely increase your chances of success 🙂

If you like this, check out “How to be brutally honest in your résumé and crack the deal”!