Will the Resume be Replaced by Blind Interviews?
The number one complaint by jobseekers is the lack of communication when you apply to a job (that you qualify for) and never hear back from the employer. This could be due to many factors like a poor resume, numerous jobs or a poor internal screening process. No matter what the reason, most job seekers just want a chance to prove they are a good fit with a company and can do the job; many of you just never get the chance.
Some very progressive companies are using “blind” interviews. This is where a company posts a job with very specific requirements and when you send your resume they strip it down to only reveal skill sets. No one in the hiring process sees your experience, the companies you worked for or your education. Then, instead of an interview, you will be assigned a project that mirrors the actual job. Your employment will then be judged by how well you perform on the assigned project. You will do the project as Jane or Joe Doe as no one will know your true identity so you get judged on what you can do; not what they find on your LinkedIn or Facebook profiles.
Two things will most likely happen. Hopefully, you will do a great job with the project because it fits your skill set. It should also give you an idea about what a typical day may be like at the company. Secondly, you may find that you don’t have the skill sets the company is requiring to complete the project. Either way, you had a shot that you may never have gotten if someone in human resources had to decide who to interview via a stack of fifty resumes.
It can be great for the employer as well. They get a free day of work from you but really get a chance to measure your exact skill set and your cultural fit. Most companies desire great skills but they also love to hire enthusiastic and positive people. With a blind interview, they get the best of both worlds.
To pull this off, it requires you to really read the job description and make sure you will be able to showcase your experience by actually doing it in front of them. It’s like America’s Got Talent. The judges know very little about the backgrounds of each performer and they don’t care. Everyone is judged solely on their performance and are rewarded with another audition if they do great.
By accepting the job audition challenge, you are telling the company that you really do have the skills they are looking for and you're willing and excited to prove it. The fear of course is that you really don’t have the skill sets required and you embarrass yourself during the project stage. For employers, they want to find this out in one day rather than hiring you only to fire you in the first ninety days which happens all the time. Your first ninety days of any job is an “audition” anyway.
I think you will see more and more progressive companies’ blind interview in the future. As a job seeker with a paper resume that may not look so good (numerous jobs, etc.) and get eliminated by the employer screening process, this is your ticket to a great job as long as you have the skills.