New social and technological trends are invading the CV. Some of them are undoubtedly positive (candidates’ transparency about jobless periods), while others leave us wondering (the use of ChatGPT) or worrying (the rejection of non-binary candidates). Analysis.
1. A “hole” in the CV, not so problematic
Since the pandemic, perceptions surrounding periods of professional inactivity have changed.
Traditionally identified as taboo, having a period of professional inactivity on a CV is becoming normalized, explains a BBC Worklife article. In some cases, these gaps are being renamed “career breaks”; a time when a worker rests, recharges and returns to work with aplomb. So, even if a hole in the CV continues to raise questions, the ensuing discussions are made with openness, and not all periods without employment are judged in the same way.”
In a way, employers are simply acknowledging the reality of a majority of workers. Among the rising generation of 18-24 year-olds, 47% admit to having already taken a break of six months or more (according to a survey conducted in the UK by Applied in 2023) and, more widely, 62% of workers say they have taken a professional break at some point in their career (LinkedIn, 2023).
Also, the openness of recruiters is starting to show in the surveys. According to a LinkedIn study conducted in 2022, more than half of hiring managers (52%) said that candidates should “actively” discuss their career break to explain what they got out of it. Attitudes are changing, slowly!
2. Using ChatGPT: stop! (or… again)
Candidates clearly don’t wait for anyone’s permission to use a new job search tool. Three months after the launch of ChatGPT, 46% of participants in a ResumeBuilder survey conceded to having used Open AI’s generative AI application to write their CV or cover letter. With great success: 3 out of 4 got an interview, a higher percentage than the control group.
But the trend could be short-lived. Because a significant proportion of HR professionals (39%, according to a survey by iCIMS Research) disapprove of using generative AI to write a CV or cover letter. And knowing that detection tools (for example, GPTZero) are appearing on the market, the recruitment world will have to have a discussion about what is and isn’t allowed.
3. The “non-binary” identity, not so cool…
New uses for gender identity are also beginning to find their way into CVs. More and more people are indicating their pronouns after their name (e.g. he, she, it), but not everyone seems to like it.
A study by Business.com shows that non-binary identity (iel) is not completely accepted by companies and recruiters. On the one hand, a survey of non-binary candidates revealed that 80% of this cohort believed that openly displaying their identity could harm their chances of getting a job. And “they” aren’t entirely wrong, as Business.com also tested applying for 180 junior positions by submitting two similar applications (one gendered, one non-binary) to discover that the “gendered” applications received 8% more interview calls. A sign that mentalities still need to evolve to achieve full gender equity.
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