Resume Statistics

When it comes to attending interviews, each one of us is competitive in some or the other way when compared to others. One such prime requirement when seeking a job is a resume.

Having a winning resume is inevitable for a job seeker to stand out from others. It is significant to stand out in a world where instead of hiring managers, companies are using applicant tracking systems to read resumes. Being up to date with the resume statistics is essential.

Here is a surprising compilation of the latest resume statistics.

On this page, you’ll find:

• General Resume Statistics
• What kind of jobs do people consider?
• What do the candidates feel when applying for a job?
• How important are job interviews?
• Importance of employee wellness and employee retention

Key Resume Statistics

Here are the top stats for a quick look from the article below:

• The length of an average resume is 489 words long, with about 380 words being the single-page resume cut-off point. (Zety)

• 61% of employers think that soft skills are as important as hard skills on a resume. (Careerbuilder)

• In 2019, 22.1 weeks was the average duration of unemployment. (BLS)

• Career growth (56%), compensation (54%), and health benefits (49%) are the top factors when looking for a new job opportunity. (Jobvite)

• 69% of candidates feel that employer response time has to be improved. (Careerarc)

• Most employers do not communicate adequately according to 63% of candidates. (Talentboard)

• During their most recent job interview, 88% of working Americans reported having a positive experience. (Jobvite)

• A corporate job attracts on average, 250 applicants, of which only 2% are selected to attend the interview. (Glassdoor)

• 51% of employers say, in the next 3–5 years, using health and wellness benefits to maintain employee loyalty and retain talent will become even more important. (Learning Hub)

• Globally, retaining some of their most valued employee groups is difficult for more than 50% of all organizations. (Bonusly)

General Resume Statistics

Resumes have to be up to par. The first point of contact to the employer is through a resume. This decides whether one gets selected for the subsequent stage of hiring or not. That is why it is important as to how one structures their resume and what information they decide to include in their resume. This matters a lot to the recruiters. So, let us look into some important resume statistics that one should know before applying for a job or before hiring someone.

• The length of an average resume is 489 words long, with about 380 words being the single-page resume cut-off point. (Zety)

• 61% of employers think that soft skills are as important as hard skills on a resume. (Careerbuilder)

• Communication (11%), leadership (9%), and time management (8%) are the most popular soft skills to list on a resume. (Zety)

• The top reasons for rejecting a resume are impersonal applications (84%), no thank you note (57%), and lack of resume customization (54%). (Careerbuilder)

• Around 33% of recruiters think job candidates are honest about their skills, while 85% of recruiters think candidates exaggerate their skills on their resume. (Monster)

• Only less than 30 seconds is the time 24% of hiring managers spend on looking at resumes. (Careerbuilder)

• To automatically screen resumes for keywords, around 75% of large companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS). (Capterra)

• ATS has rejected about 75% of qualified applicants because the software couldn’t read their resumes. (Forbes)

• Around 47% of job seekers write cover letters. (Jobvite)

• Cover letters that are a half-page or less are preferred by 70% of employers. (Saddleback)

What Kind of Jobs Do People Consider?

Over the past few years, searching for a job has taken a drastic turn. It is not always about the money which people look for while searching for a job. What is more important is how passionate one is about the job. Some of the other factors that people look for while searching for a job include location, workplace, work-life balance, opportunities, recognition, etc. Let us take a look into some statistics on what job seekers expect when searching for a job.

• In 2019, 22.1 weeks was the average duration of unemployment. (BLS)

• Career growth (56%), compensation (54%), and health benefits (49%) are the top factors when looking for a new job opportunity. (Jobvite)

• In 2020, 74% of job seekers felt that finding a job has become more challenging. (Jobvite)

• Remote work is important for about 7 out of 10 job seekers when deciding whether to take a job offer. (Jobvite)

• Up to 85% of jobs are filled via networking these days. (LinkedIn)

• On average, people with certifications as their highest level of education earn 20% higher than those with a high school diploma as their highest level of education. (BLS)

• Throughout their working lives, people change career paths an average of 12.3 times. (BLS)

• As candidates can access more competitive offers and opportunities, up to 90% of recruiters believe the current market is candidate-driven. (MRINetwork)

• During their careers, 3 out of 5 Americans have had an employment gap. (Monster)

• In 2019, because of low employment and high competition, 30% of HR professionals reported a decrease in applicant quality. (SHRM)

What Do The Candidates Feel When Applying For A Job?

These days, candidate experience has become the new buzzword. Candidate experience is all about the perceptions and feelings of a job seeker during the recruitment process. It also creates goodwill for the employer. A good candidate experience will help the companies to build their brand health and brand loyalty. Now, let us look at some of the mind-blowing candidate experience statistics.

• 69% of candidates feel that employer response time has to be improved. (Careerarc)

• Most employers do not communicate adequately according to 63% of candidates. (Talentboard)

• Candidates are 38% more likely to accept a job offer when they have a positive candidate experience. (IBM)

• After candidates apply for a job, 75% of the employers never or rarely ask for feedback. (Talentegy)

• 60% of candidates drop out of the recruiting process because of lengthy applications. (Workopolis)

• 72% of the candidates will talk about their negative experiences to others. (Forbes)

• 55% of the candidates restrict themselves from applying for a job because of negative Glassdoor reviews. (HCI)

• 15% of candidates put more effort into the job when they have a positive hiring experience. (Officevibe)

• A poor candidate experience would make 60% of the job seekers less likely to purchase products from the employer. (DevSkiller)

• Every year because of a bad candidate experience, Virgin Media lost 6 million in revenue. (LinkedIn)

How Important Are Job Interviews?

A crucial step in the process of recruiting is interviewing. When interviews are done effectively, they enable the employer to decide whether an applicant’s skills, experience, and personality meet the job’s requirements. The employer can assess whether or not an applicant would likely fit in with the corporate culture. Preparing for an interview clarifies a position’s responsibilities. In this section, let us dive into some statistics about the importance of job interviews.

• During their most recent job interview, 88% of working Americans reported having a positive experience. (Jobvite)

• A corporate job attracts on average, 250 applicants, of which only 2% are selected to attend the interview. (Glassdoor)

• During the interview process, information regarding pay (44%), clear growth tracks (39%), and track record of promoting from within (37%) are the top factors job seekers use to assess long-term work potential. (Glassdoor)

• Problem-solving (37%), ability to deal with complexity (32%) and communication (31%) are the top missing soft skills for job candidates say, recruiters. (SHRM)

• In 2020, email (58%), phone calls (25%), and in-person meetings (17%) were the most preferred channels to communicate with recruiters. (Jobvite)

• 63% of companies conducted remote interviews and onboarding during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to just 12% before the COVID-19 pandemic. (Robert Half)

• If they can’t find the candidate’s online presence, then, over 40% of employers say they may not interview those candidates. (Careerbuilder)

• Before a job offer, 50% of the recruiters say it takes at least three job interviews. (MRINetwork)

• For new college graduates, the average amount of time taken from interviews to offer is 24.5 days. (The Balance)

• The average time taken to hire is 3-4 weeks across all industries. (Yello)

Importance of Employee Wellness And Employee Retention

Companies are always on the look for ways to cut employment costs and stop spending so much time on recruitment. Employee retention is an excellent solution for such problems. Employee retention reduces costs and turnover hassle. Overall productivity and morale are increased when retaining employees. Now, let us explore some statistics that emphasize the importance of employee wellness and employee retention.

• 51% of employers say, in the next 3–5 years, using health and wellness benefits to maintain employee loyalty and retain talent will become even more important. (Learning Hub)

• Globally, retaining some of their most valued employee groups is difficult for more than 50% of all organizations. (Bonusly)

• Lack of career development(22%), lack of support with work-life balance(12%), manager’s behavior(11%), unsatisfactory compensation and benefits(9%), and poor well-being(9%) are the top reasons given by employees for leaving their jobs. (Learning Hub)

• To move up to a higher-skill job within their organization, 56% of companies have paid for employees to get skills-based training outside the office. (Learning Hub)

• 75% of employers say some type of wellness program, resource, or service to employees is offered by their companies. (TalentLyft)

• 89% of job seekers believe it’s important for an employer to have a clear mission and purpose. (Glassdoor)

• The desire to change jobs is affected by family status. (Paycor)

• When employees are allowed to work from home, a 13% increase in productivity has been observed. (LinkedIn)

• If there isn’t a culture of encouraging upward feedback, employees won’t stay. (TINYpulse)

• 47% of HR professionals cite work location inflexibility as the biggest challenge when it comes to retaining their old workers. (Learning Hub)

Conclusion

The resume statistics listed here is a glimpse of what and how the future of work is going to be like. Attractive skills and experiences get highlighted to potential employers with the help of a well-structured resume. This will help the employers to move forward with the best and well-qualified candidates. Resumes also highlight what the candidate is going to do for the company.

Therefore, one must ensure that he/she has a well-structured and updated resume which will enable them to get selected for the job.