CV or not CV
An out-of-date summary of candidacy?
History tells us that Leonardo Da Vinci wrote the first CV in 1482.
A document that’s stood the test of time.
Of course, it’s not the whole truth like many popular stories.
Go back another thousand years and more, and Roman athletes would inscribe their victory in stone, to promote their achievements.
Indeed, Victoria was the name of their Goddess of victory, swiped (like much of their culture) from the ancient Greeks, in Nike.
So, some form of CV goes back at least a couple of thousand years, probably further.
There may even be some cuneiform script for a recruitment consultant somewhere in the annals of time.
“Mine favourithest client”
Leo gets fame because he lived during the renaissance, during which time many forgotten technologies and ideas were rediscovered.
A lot of history before then remains lost.
Flashforward to the modern era, in 2017, and the HR Director says to me
“I’m so glad CVs are finished, I’ve partnered with a recruitment agency that represents their candidates through video”.
Or rather their candidates speak into a camera for a few minutes to show their personality and suitability.
Video as a replacement for CV.
Thanks for reading.
Regards,
Greg
P.s. except they have two different places in the assessment funnel.
CVs are great – a marketing document they can bring with to an interview.
A document they have full control over (or should).
That can be printed off and read. That can be tailored to show suitability.
A microcosm of a career.
And when printed, they don’t need leccy to read.
You can compare and contrast with other CVs easily. Everyone can read through at their own pace.
They can be administered and sifted at scale.
CVs allow a ready, low-effort application for a relevant role.
Whereas a video enhances an application, by showing the things a CV cannot. Personality, attitude, energy, drive, and desire - assuming that the candidate is comfortable in front of a camera.
Arguably it isn’t a necessary enhancement if you trust your agency to qualify suitability through conversation and interview, rather than the camera.
Or you can pick up the phone with candidates who have a good enough CV and make your own mind up.
CVs and videos seem to compete, except they shouldn’t, they should complement a process appropriately.
Of course, irrespective of whether or not an employer receives a CV or video, they’re likely to jump straight onto LinkedIn to check out their profile.
And as is popular on LinkedIn “The CV is dead! Long live the LinkedIn profile.”
LinkedIn as a replacement for CV.
Thanks for reading.
Regards,
Greg
p.p.s except a CV has a different purpose than a LinkedIn profile.
They should complement each other, sure, and for active job seekers they may look much the same.
But they are not the same.
A CV positions you as a candidate.
LinkedIn content positions you as a contributor, whether that’s an employee, business owner, or potentially a candidate.
But for passive candidates, forming your LinkedIn profile as a CV can raise the wrong questions of your employer, peers and competitors.
Equally, a CV should be specific for an application, whereas LinkedIn is principally for attracting interest.
Similar, but not the same.
While for a hungry employer, keen to access all candidates, a LinkedIn profile is a great start, especially when you needn’t ask for an up-to-date CV.
This is all to say that the content you consume that relates to candidacy are all different pieces of the puzzle.
They bring problems with their solutions, such as bias or raising barriers for those that may not be comfortable with video.
They allow different ways to form a full picture of whether or not you should move forwards with a candidate.
That’s without touching on similar topics like application forms, cover letters, ATS or psychometrics.
The next time someone tells you the CV is dead – ask them why they want it to be.
Their reason likely has little to do with assessing candidates.
The next couple of newsletters are part of “Innovation from Iteration” on the use of ‘true and fair’ and ‘suitable and sufficient’ in recruitment.
The CV is dead. Long live the CV!
Regards,
Greg
p.p.p.s. While you are here, if you like the idea of improving how you recruit, lack capacity or need better candidates, and are curious how I can help, these are my services:
- commercial, operational and technical leadership recruitment (available for no more than two vacancies)
- manage part or all of your recruitment on an individually designed basis for one client
- recruitment coaching and mentoring (one place available at £200/hr + VAT)
- recruitment strategy setting
- outplacement support
Just hit reply to check if my approach is right for you.