Any time you’re hiring from a pool of applicants, some sort of screening is necessary — and that’s also true for temporary employees, although staffing services can help out a great deal.

So what are the danger signs that you have to look out for? Here are some ways to make sure that you’re getting the best of any given set of candidates for a job opening, by scanning resumes for warning signs of problems on the horizon.

Job Gaps and Job Hopping

Even though job security isn’t what it used to be, you’ll still want to look for a fairly stable employment record. That means evidence that someone has lasted a significant length of time at a given job, and not just gone from one entry-level position to another over a number of years.

These types of red flags look different for each person. You might have some legitimate types of job gaps, such as gaps for military service, new births or other life events, but you might also have a job history that just looks jumbled and erratic. In some cases, you might have job histories that don’t quite match up, or evident gaps that aren’t explained away by moves or other routine life changes.

Vague Job History

Another red flag is a resume that never really shows key achievements. There might be some very vague language about past job roles, and sometimes even the names of employers aren’t always there. It makes it extremely hard for human resources people to really fact check the resume, and they have to try to play guessing games about what that person really knows and what he or she has done. A much better resume will provide clear and transparent information on how that person’s career has accelerated over time. That’s extremely useful to any hiring manager who needs to know that he or she is getting the best candidate possible.

Pumped-Up or Inflated Claims

In almost any set of resumes, you’ll see some that feature pumped-up claims that just can’t be real. Where some people try to provide an account of their lives that’s fairly accurate, others use gray areas to self-promote in excessive ways. The result is a resume that warns hiring managers not to invest in a conversation with someone who clearly has delusions of grandeur and isn’t able to self-evaluate honestly.

Too Much Jargon

Another thing you might run across in hiring is the “nobody talks like that” syndrome. Sometimes desperate job seekers take to plagiarism to try to enhance their resume. What you get is a jumble of corporate language that doesn’t really mean anything, and only harms that person’s chances of getting an honest shot. Excessive jargon is annoying, and it’s another big red flag to anyone who’s moving through a pile of resumes.

About Full Steam Staffing

Full Steam Staffing is a full-service staffing agency in Modesto focused on providing clerical and light industrial staffing solutions to manufacturers, distribution centers and other organizations that need qualified, reliable workers. If you are currently looking to hire and grow your workforce, contact our team of skilled recruiters today!