Putting your COVID-19 vaccine status on your resume could make it easier for you to get a job interview, a new survey has found.
Hiring managers in the US have already begun prioritising vaccinated job applicants with 63 per cent of those surveyed by ResumeBuilder saying they prefer to see a candidate’s vaccination status written on their resume.
When asked if they would rule out applications from people who didn’t say if they were vaccinated against COVID-19, one-third of respondents said yes, they would automatically filter out those resumes.
Career coach Carolyn Kleinman said hiring managers needed to be aware that such practices could limit their companies’ ability to find the right staff.
“Unless there is a clearly stated policy on vaccination status, asking up front for this information may be over-stepping boundaries,” she said.
“Additionally, employers could be losing out on qualified candidates if they use that as a screener, as it is not common practice to include this information on resumes.”
The new preference for vaccine status comes as workplaces and industries in the US and Australia have begun mandating vaccines for workers including the likes of Qantas which will require all 22,000 of its staff to be jabbed by April 2022.
Victorian construction workers will be required to prove they have received their first vaccine dose as of midnight tonight – a controversial policy from the state government that has catalysed consecutive days of civil unrest in Melbourne this week.
US tech giants have promoted their vaccine policies with the likes of Facebook and Google saying they would require all US staff to be jabbed before returning to the office.
Hiring managers said they were prefered to hire vaccinated people. Image: supplied
As these mandates extend to other industries and workers start returning to their offices, those hiring new staff will be looking for proof of vaccination.
Of those hiring managers who work for companies with vaccine mandates, 77 per cent said they preferred seeing vaccination status on resumes while 43 per cent said they would automatically delete resumes without a vaccination status, and 33 per cent said they would prioritise those applicants who have been vaccinated.
Technology companies are the most likely to prefer seeing vaccination status with 78 per cent of hiring managers from IT firms indicating this preference, ahead of retail and education (64 per cent and 60 per cent respectively).
Kleinman said it is important for employers to make vaccine preferences clear at the outset.
“Overall, employers want to hire qualified candidates who will be an asset to the workplace,” she said.
“If they have a clear vaccine policy and they are transparent, this should help both hiring managers and candidates.
“Candidates may not be vaccinated when they apply, or at the time of their interview, but if they are required to be vaccinated by the first day of work, that needs to be clearly communicated.”