A Bad Report Card for Applications
We Surveyed 1,000 Companies

The influence of the Pisa Study on schooling in Germany has been carried over to job applications. One in three applications is considered "unsatisfactory" by human resources managers. This includes applications from newcomers, specialists, managers, department heads and top executives. At most, 40 percent are considered "acceptable". Only one in five candidates received a rating of "very good".
These were the results of a survey conducted by the management consulting firm, von Rundstedt HR Partners. 1,000 companies of various sizes and in various industries were surveyed. We asked managing directors, human resources managers and human resources consultants.

"Many people do not realize how important their job application is for their future. A new job is a new stage in your life", comments Eberhard von Rundstedt, Managing Director of the management consulting firm of the same name.

Career not taken seriously enough

Job applications are not taken seriously enough by many people and are not prepared properly. This lies in the fact that today people tersely think of their career as a "job", rather than a profession of which one is proud and where one receives recognition. "Career" stems from "calling". People should feel that they are meant to do it."

Learning how to use personal strengths

People are often not aware of their strengths. "In German society, we do not know how to deal with our strengths", comments an outplacement consultant. It starts in school, where students are not asked often enough about their talents or skills.

Here is where you could find out what your strengths are by asking some targeted questions: What am I good at? Where am I successful? What do I enjoy? People from all walks of life – fork-lift drivers, nurses, sales managers, managing directors – are capable of answering these questions. Finding these answers makes the job application process more genuine and ultimately leads to success in selling your skills. To examine your strengths, one should not only rely on self evaluation, but also the opinion of one or two trusted colleagues.

How to prepare a job application

Along with knowing your strengths, careful preparation is a decisive factor for successful job applications. "Cover letters should address the challenges offered by the company through the job in question and tell the potential employer why you are the right candidate for that particular job", recommends von Rundstedt.

Whether companies are hiring newcomers, specialists or managers, filling a job is always about finding solutions. Candidates should always consider themselves to be "problem solvers" and make this clear in their job applications. Rather than writing a superficial cover letter, applicants must first think about why they are applying for this particular position.

The survey showed how important it is to research companies. One of the three most important expectations of applicants is their knowledge about the potential employer. Along with Internet research, consultants recommend looking into the specific department in which you might be working. Applicants could try to find people in their contact network who are either employed by the company or who know someone who they can ask about the company.

Credibility is important to companies during interviews

The credibility and authenticity of an applicant are even more important than knowledge about an employer. These attributes are at the top of the list for human resources managers, regardless of the level of the position.

Authenticity means that you are not "sounding off" a prepared speech during an interview, but are aware of your strengths and achievements and can talk about them in an honest way. "Human resources professionals find out quickly if someone is putting on airs by asking targeted questions", comments von Rundstedt.

If, for example, an applicant professes to be a good salesperson, they will have to answer the question "What was your last successful sale? Can you describe your role in this success? How can it be quantified?"

One should also admit limitations, but be open to further development. Example: An ad calls for English language skills, but your skills are limited. Instead of answering "languages are my big weakness", you could enroll in a course and, in the meeting, say "there is room for improvement of my English, I am working on it and am now taking a course." The same applies for lacking PC skills.

Intuition plays a key role

What was once speculation has now been confirmed: 46 percent of companies say that hiring decisions are based on intuition in 30-50% of cases. 23 percent even say that it is more than 50%. "A positive intuitive feeling comes from recognizing and respecting others, the company and its employees", comments von Rundstedt.

Only those who are well-prepared for interviews - well-informed about the company and show respect to potential employers – are ultimately successful.

Superficial statements by applicants like "I'm sure you have no trouble with sales anyway here" show indifference and are an interview killer. Opening statements like "I have the impression that…." or "It seems to me that…" or "Could it be that…" are, on the other hand, a friendly way of formulating respect. Questions about salary and vacation time are also taboo in first interviews.

It is also important to know whose intuition you must influence. Hiring decisions are usually made by more than one person. This could include people that you might be working with later on, as well as those who actually make hiring decisions. "What good is it if someone has recommended me for a job, when someone who I could be working with later doesn't like me?" queries von Rundstedt.

It is extremely important to focus on the people present at an interview. Being well-prepared is essential. You should find out about who will be present, with whom you would be working and who will make the hiring decision.

What human resources professionals look at first

Although human resources managers do not take much time out for applications – for newcomers, it is a maximum of five minutes – they first look at the résumé. Then they look at your current job description, the cover letter and work references.

Top manager references, newcomer spelling errors

Where references and tangible business ideas play an important role for top managers, the curiosity expressed by newcomers during an interview is what employers look for, along with error-free application documents.

An overview of the four most common errors
Newcomers*
· 54.5 % Cover letter does not correspond with job profile
· 37.5 % Spelling errors
· 33.0 % Unconvincing résumé
· 29.5 % Cover letter too overstated
Specialists and Managers*
· 53.4 % No job description
· 39.8 % Cover letter does not correspond with job profile
· 34.1 % Unconvincing résumé
· 33.0 % Too many documents in the folder
Top Manager*
· 50.0 % No job description
· 44.3 % Cover letter too overstated
· 42.0 % Cover letter too abstract
· 38.6 % Too many documents in the folder

*Multiple entries possible