IES Blog

Applicants and hiring managers on different pages

Posted on October 29th, 2013 Read time: 1 minutes

Americans looking for jobs have a different understanding of the skills needed for employment than the hiring managers offering the positions. According to the job preparedness indicator by Devry University's Career Advisory Board, there is a significant gap in the importance applicants and managers place on various skills.

When it comes to hiring new managers, companies seek business acumen, global outlook and a strategic perspective in their applicants. Managerial candidates, however, tended to rate themselves very low in these categories to interviewers.

Overall, 72 percent of respondents said they knew how to present their skills to employers. Fifty-six percent were confident that they knew what traits managers seek. Yet, only 14 percent of hiring managers said nearly all or most job seekers have the skills their companies require, further illustrating the disconnect.

For one reason or another, candidates appear to be out of touch with the actual demands of the employers. HR services may try to appease this issue by writing more intricate job descriptions. On the other hand, job seekers may need to do more research before responding to ads and scheduling interviews. The Career Advisory Board recommends applicants turn to mentors for advice on how to present themselves or develop necessary skills for employers.

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