In a tight market, why not encourage candidates to go beyond the traditional resume to showcase their backgrounds and the kind of deliverables they could bring to a new position?

Supplementals provide a key advantage.

Consider:

• News articles about projects and initiatives
• Examples of “dashboard” metrics they created to track results
• Case studies that highlight situation/analysis/results
• New product pitches
• Research projects
• “Get started” business plan — how candidates would approach the new assignment
• “Deal sheets” that list business/financial transactions

Submit them along with the resume as separate attachments. Or create an additional page to the resume and embed weblinks that can take the reader to the content. Or instruct the candidate to bring them to the interview and use them as a “talking piece” at an appropriate interval.

Supplementals are ideal for those in the early career stage with fewer years of experience. A standout accomplishment in college or graduate school can still be appropriate content as an illustration of your track record of excellence.

Some Success Stories

A young MBA was a near perfect fit for a search assignment I was handling, but had fewer years of experience than the client required for a managerial slot.