It is one of the first thing people say about composing your resume: make sure you don’t have any spelling mistakes. Or certainly, a spelling mistake means certain doom even if the rest of your resume looks great. And really, not a day goes by when I don’t see a comment on twitter about how somebody spelled something wrong on a resume. I won’t throw the first stone, I’ve been in that boat before. But I will say this: unless your horrendous spelling really hurts my ability to understand your resume, I am over your spelling mistakes and other HR people should get over it too.
The Argument
First of all, let’s list off the common reasons why some HR and recruiting pros have zero tollerance for spelling mistakes on resumes (seriously, zero tollerance):
- It is easier than ever to check spelling. Most word processing programs do that for you.
- This is one of the most important documents that you have to send out. Why wouldn’t you get it right?
- If you show a lack of detail orientation on your resume, what does that say about your ability to do a detailed job?
And probably a few others that will be pointed out to me in the comment section. I will agree with them in two (and only two) instances:
- Writing or editing writing is your full time job. If you’re a copywriter, technical writer or a newspaper reporter, you’re really screwed if you have a spelling error. No way around that.
- If writing is a big component of your job. I’m thinking many marketing or PR pros fall into this category. Even then, I would still be tollerant of a typo on a customized part of a resume or cover letter.
That’s it.
Soapbox Time
I try not to get on my soapbox too much but I feel I have to, even if I am only talking to myself here.
99% of the time, we are not hiring writers. 99% of the time, we are not hiring interviewees. We are hiring mechanics or sales people or biologists or veterinarians or police officers. It is our job, the HR or recruiting pro, to see past these surface difficiencies and figure out what these people are truly talented at. Even if that means suffering through a couple there/their/they’re or then/than or insure/ensure/assure. Poor us, right?
The Fear
If we’re honest with ourselves, the biggest thing driving this sort of knee jerk reaction is the fear that the one mistake in an interview or resume that you let slip by is a precursor to everything that is wrong with an employee. So we strip away all of these risks and go with someone that might be more talented at resume writing or interviewing than their actual job.
I won’t mention the fact that it takes much more courage to stand up for a candidate that misses the mark on spelling but may be brilliant at their job than a candidate that looks great on paper but is as vanilla as a sundae without the toppings.
In reality, we keep going back to this tired and ineffective way to absolutely screen out candidates because we have a hard time evaluating whether or not someone is a good fit, has the skill set and is the right person for the job. So we latch on to anything concrete we can find in the hiring process to differentiate candidates in a way that doesn’t require thinking about people in an abstract way.
Now I am starting to sound like one of these HR guys that thinks “everyone is special in their own special way.” Those people are the worst. So let’s get to the point here:
If you are disqualifying otherwise highly talented, non-writing professionals because you don’t have the guts to stand up against a process that disqualifies people for something not at all related to their primary duties, you are being put on notice. I will figure out that these people are talented, I will snatch those people up, I will sell them to our hiring managers and we will bury you. And when you figure out that the top sales person in our company is in your resume database three months before they started for me but you disqualified them at screening for something stupid like a spelling mistake, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.
This HR Guy is over spelling mistakes.
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Did you know that you keep spelling “tollerance” wrong? It’s spelled “tolerance.” Even my web browser puts a little red line underneath that word to tell me it’s incorrectly spelled.
I happen to have a good understanding of the algorithms that underlie spellchecking software, and while I won’t disqualify a candidate from interviewing because of a spelling mistake, I also won’t gloss the error over in an interview.
I’ve found that in our global economy, primarily in IT fields, it’s communication skills that set apart the rockstar candidates. Interestingly, I’ve found that written communication skills and oral communication skills are often mutually exclusive!
So, I would ask you, how did you come to spell that word incorrectly? What process do you follow when composing a blog post that omits a spellchecking step? What steps can you take after receiving this feedback to improve your performance in the future?
See, if you have no interest in understanding your processes and improving the quality of your work because spelling is something that can be “good enough,” then you’re not my rockstar.
Some of my best hires have had absolutely abysmal resumes, sometimes because they compose them in vi and format them with LaTeX, which holds them back from working collaboratively with family and friends on proofreading like a normal person’s process would allow — and I’m okay with that, so long as they can carry an intelligent discussion about the drawbacks and limitations of their choices.
Puf sucks at spelling, and Puf subscribes to Andrew Jackson’s philosophy of not having use for a person that can spell a word only one way.
HR Guy — Couldn’t agree more. Sometimes I wonder if people enjoy the “gotcha” part of finding the errors so much that they forget what the resume is for in the first place. Especially in this era of Twitter, texts, and blackberries, where many of us have simply — by choice — reached the conclusion that painstakingly checking one’s spelling and capitalization isn’t worth the time tradeoff (and I’ve written books, have a monter who is an English teach, etc), this obsession with one typo is an outmoded approach to reading resumes.
Steve:
Sorry, but typographical errors and spelling mistakes are entirely different beasts.
Those two classes of problems have different causes, different underlying psychologies, and provide different insights about the author.
The word is ‘pedant.’ I was reviewing the resume of a graphic designer I’m thinking of hiring and noticed some errors. His design work is brilliant though, so I don’t care.
@Qualifica.tion.ca – So if I give you some BS answer about what process improvement technique I am using to minimize spelling mistakes, that will satisfy you? Really? You’re willing to hire someone as long as you can condescendingly discuss how a spelling mistake on their resume can hurt them in a hiring process (as if they didn’t already know that or they didn’t already try to prevent it)?
Reading into a mistake on a resume as deeply as you do has real flaws. If you are truly talking about IT people, you can disqualify or turn off “rock star” candidates based on your assessment (psychological or otherwise). Are you willing to acknowledge that?
Lance,
Gotta hand it to you here. Even entertaining in your comments. I can’t tell if Qualification.ca is joking about “tollerance,” but I can tell you are. Then, Steve Fitz follows up making fun of people who love the “gotcha” part of finding mistakes, when forgetting the purpose of what they are reading. I definitely wouldn’t work for the long Q-name guy unless he gained a sense of humor! (P.S. Being likable in the workplace is *also* important for hiring decisions.)
I’m not an HR guy, I’m an IT guy and I have to say that this even bothers me. I can overlook a spelling error or sometimes a grammatical error, but the world we live in now highlights everything that we mis-type (even the “mis” is underlined in my browser as I type this). So, to not correct some of these things when you are in search of a job is just laziness.
The fact that people are accepting these mistakes because we live in a blackberry, twitter, texting world also reflects the direction our standards are going in this country. If I’m on a forum somewhere or I’m getting a text message, I can accept digital shorthand. A resume is something different. Do I really want to come off as someone that can’t take 5 seconds to click a spell check button? You are trying to get a job. Have some pride in what you are sharing with a prospective employer.
Author and life coach Martha Beck says the way you do anything is the way you do everything.
I agree with Kevin. Great post!
Lance:
I’m never satisfied with BS, I’d expect a real answer. I can usually tell the difference between the two of them.
You’re right that drawing conclusions directly from a resume can lead to bad hiring decisions, but you’re wrong that spelling is a special case. Spelling is one of many flags to be discussed in the interview.
I base my hiring decisions on the interview and reference checks, not on the resume. In fact, I clearly stated that “I won’t disqualify a candidate from interviewing because of a spelling mistake.”
I come up with most of my interview questions based on the resume, and a spelling mistake would certainly be discussed. I’d ask what software they used to prepare the resume, and how they came to choose that software over the alternatives. I’d be curious about their attention to detail, and interested in their ability to handle conflict.
You’re very dismissive of the subject in your responses. You give me the impression that you feel an attention to detail is beneath you.
By saying that I read deeply in to spelling, even while I clearly state that I don’t, you’re absurdly trying to show my points are invalid by implying that this is my one and only criteria, which, I must say, is a rather condescending approach to addressing my points.
Clearly, I believe that spelling can be a valuable red flag, and a valid topic for discussion within the context of a well-rounded and thorough recruiting process.
Are you willing to acknowledge that your reply is a misrepresentation of my previously stated opinion, designed to distract from my points by attempting to marginalize me as a professional?
I don’t read much into spelling and grammar mistakes, because if I did I would hardly have anyone left to work with. I’d have shown myself the door a while ago as well.
Seriously, if you are someone who sees these things leap out at you – and I both make them and see them – then you should realize how rampant it is. I caught “tollerance” immediately and jumped down to the comments to see if anyone else had caught it. That’s because I’m compulsive. But I’m not also stupid, so I’d still hire Lance.
For a person who really sees all these mistakes, the only attitude I can see adopting long-term is resignation. Everyone does these things, on a very regular basis. If you can’t see it then you’re just not paying attention. I find typos in most published books I read, for goodness sake. And I’m pretty sure they follow a “process” to weed those out.
Just a short story:
My wife is a biologist by trade and she keeps a very, very clean laboratory. I know this because I’ve come to see her unannounced at work. I’d eat off of any of her lab equipment. You’d never guess that if you’ve seen the car she drives. It rarely goes through a car wash. There are a billion receipts and papers in the car. If a hiring manager were to get in the car with her, would it be difficult to see that her past performance and results are more important? I imagine so but that’s their job.
The main point of my post is to not allow inattentiveness to something that isn’t very important in the scheme of things (resumes and interviews or in my wife’s case, her car) to severely overshadow the things that are very important (job performance and accomplishments).
I am not saying that you can’t learn anything from spelling errors or that you can’t learn things from probing questions through an interview. But when you take the approach that you are going to analyze to death the spelling mistake and what that means to the psychology of the candidate, you have to absolutely understand what that looks like from their seat. They want to tell you what they’ve done in their jobs, what they’ve accomplished and their skill set.
This game of psycho-analyzing based on suspect evidence is over for me personally. You can continue to do it if you really think it is valuable but I would implore you to at least consider the consequences from where I am sitting.
For a resume or cover letter, it better be spelled out, but I’m not concern about grammar after the rules have changed about commas and semicolons the past several years and where to put them.
If it were a word that can have two languages like defence, authorisation, organisation, I’ll pass it through the yes because the English language can be tricky.
However, for first impressions, the spelling better be correct and people, don’t be afraid to use spell checker.
As with all things, balance is key. In some instances, grammar and spelling on a resume is critical. There are any number of positions where this matters outside of writers – down to bank tellers or project managers. The best reviewer will weigh the value of precision based on the position as well as the experience level of the applicant. If you expect perfection from every entry-level hotel clerk you will be sorely disappointed. But if you’re looking for an experienced front desk manager, then it is more important to see a stronger aptitude in proper grammar and spelling.
I certainly agree it’s wrong to disqualify otherwise highly talented, non-writing professionals for spelling errors on their resume. However,
consider two otherwise equally matched candidates vying for the same position. One displays horrible spelling and grammar on his/her resume, and the other has an impeccable resume. Which one moves to the top of the pile first? Now that doesn’t mean the one with lesser grammar is disqualified, but that he/she has been upstaged by someone else.
Lastly, another point to consider is future growth of the position. If the goal is to hire an IT professional with the intention of this person becoming the MIS Director then that person needs to have the ability to write properly, or show the aptitude to be able to learn to write properly, at the very least.
For most general positions, I agree this should be a non-issue. I do think it’s pertinent for many more positions than 1%, however.
Suite! I’m willing to aknowledge that I like this blogg.
I like your soapbox and agree 100%. Actually, I once purposely left a typo on my resume because I was short on time and after mentally calculating the ROI of fixing the typo versus sending out the resume, I decided progress was better than perfection.
I also like that you point out the instances during which a typo does matter. Turning an erroneous belief into a behavioral prediction based on job qualifications. Awesome!
I look more at the pattern. If there’s one mistake and it’s a minor one (and as Lance says, it’s not for a writing-related job), I’ll overlook it. If there are multiple mistakes? Almost never, since at that point it says something to me about the person’s level of attention to detail, and lack of attention to detail can really cause issues in my workplace.
On occasion, I’ve seen multiple errors on a resume from a candidate who would otherwise look like a rock star, and so I’ve advanced the person to a phone interview. Interestingly, those people generally end up getting disqualified for other reasons, so it might not to crazy to consider those sorts of errors as a fairly reliable indicator of other problems.
HRfan:
Thanks! I was waiting for someone to do that, and I’d almost lost faith in humanity until you came along.
Another angle to consider here is generational. My kids are in their early 20′s. When they were in early grade school, it annoyed me to no end that they were not taught correct spelling. I had any number of arguments with their teachers to no avail. The teaching theory at that time (don’t know if it still is) was that any way they tried to express themselves was correct, and it would stifle their creativity to impose “rules” of right and wrong on them. To this day they have absolutely no appreciation of correct spelling. They were taught from the get-go that it wasn’t important. So when we boomer HR folks try to assign some psychological reasons for their perceived indolence or sloppiness, the actual reason for a spelling error just might be that our brilliant public education system never taught it to them.
I must admit that you make some very good points but I disgaree with your notion that the only time that this is important is when the main purpose of the interviewees job is writing. Although we do live in an electronic world, I still believe (and I may be giving away my “old school” approach) that communications is critical both written and oral. And making sure that spelling and grammar is correct in a resume says something about a person’s approach to things and respect for their audience (especially one they do not yet know). By the way, I hope there are no spelling errors in this but I spell checked the old way — by re-reading this and correcting errors. I still don’t know how to spell check a comment on a post other than to do it first in word and then copy and paste.
@RDF – So if you knew that a bank teller never had a drawer off by more than a nickle for ten years but they sometimes misused there/their/they’re, you’d drop them? I just have a hard time with that. I really do.
@Ask A Manager – Attention to detail in what way and for what positions? I am assuming you wouldn’t use that standard for a janitor so why would you use it for anyone else where writing isn’t a critical skill?
@Scott- I can assure you this isn’t just a generational issue. The reasoning as to why they have misspellings may be different but the end result is the same. Neither one should really matter.
@Lance – Examples of why I care about attention to detail for non-writing positions: A Web developer needs to be meticulous when updating a page’s headline so he doesn’t introduce a typo to it (or, say, accidentally take down the home page). An administrative assistant needs to get the details of messages right. A communications person needs to care about and get the nuance of our positions right. A campaign manager (I’m in politics) needs to think about and notice tiny problems before they become big ones, or at least care about them enough to assign someone else to do that and to know if they’re doing a good job at it or not.
Now, does attention to detail in writing correlate to attention to detail in those things? In my experience, often enough that it’s worth paying attention to like other indicators you watch for in the hiring process. I don’t need a non-writer to write a beautifully eloquent cover letter that thrills the ear, but I do want to see that they seem to care about details. But again, I’m looking for a patterns, not focusing in on a single typo.
@Ask A Manager – See, I think the correlation is both more of a gut judgment and it is less risky hence why it is defaulted to so often.
I’d also say that three of four of the positions you mention do have intensive writing skills (at least, what I see). I know web developers who might not be great spellers but write 1000′s of lines of error free code. I am not willing to correlate clean code writing with clean spelling. Too many bad developers have good resumes for that.
I don’t need someone to be a great speller, just to care enough to use spellcheck or have someone else proof things in documents where the convention is generally to care (like a resume).
But on your other point, maybe most of the positions I work with and hire for are ones where writing does matter even though they’re not “writers.” That could certainly be giving me a different prism to see this through.
I find it short-sighted to state that a position “doesn’t require writing” and therefore proficiency in spelling. In a world where written communication may be the only, or at least dominant, tool for making and maintaining a relationship, to have a spelling or any other grammatical error on a resume should be a major concern. A resume is the penultimate written communication, and should receive orders-of-magnitude more diligence than daily communication, of course.
It doesn’t need to be a show-stopper, but there would have to be a lot of compelling reasons for hiring the individual to overcome a spelling error on a resume.
PS Hope I didn’t make any spelling errors in my comment.
Spell correctly – it is as simple as that – proofread what you’re sending. If you cannot spell, have someone who is capable of doing so look over the resume for errors. Good grief, it is how you get in the door in the first place – make a good impression. Is it the only thing to consider – No. Emails are sent daily throughout organizations (we write more than we speak!) – spelling correctly the words you type makes a difference and draws attention to what you’re trying to say…spelling errors are distracting – distracting from your message or idea. The idea that others need to ‘get over’ spelling is borderline – no – it is absolutely sophmoric! Grow the F up!
I can’t believe we’re advocating accepting poor quality – at any level. Poor spelling is the first step toward not paying attention to important details. Do we start accepting “close enough” on giving change back to customers in the drive-thru, or processing financial information through banks, or performing medical operations? Doing something accurately is doing something accurately, regardless of whether it’s adding, spelling or operating.
If our workforce can’t construct a sentence, we will continue to lose our place in the world economy.
This frightens me on so many levels.
Sorry, I can’t agree with this and I certainly wouldn’t advise anyone to allow even one grammar or spelling error on a resume. Employers will not take an applicant very seriously if they recieve a resume with errors on it. Rightfully so. Presentation counts – many of us did NOT grow up texting each other. You WILL be judged by the quality of your communiction, written and verbal.
My feeling is that if a person can’t run a spell/grammar checker for their own resume, how can I expect them to apply any level of detail to the position for which I am hiring them? Spell/grammar checkers are a dime a dozen. So are friends to look over your resume and offer advice and a second pair of eyes to look for errors.
Communication is a vital part of all but the most solitary positions. Being able to write at at least a high school-level is mandatory in business. I don’t see that you are doing your readers a service by advising them otherwise.
Absolutely agree with Kevin and Jeanette. Have some pride in what you do! Texting/Twittering is one thing…a resume is another!
Just a note, this is guidance for HR and hiring managers, not for people looking for a job. Yes, of course people should do spell check. It is easy and built in. I would never advocate a person not put their best foot forward.
That doesn’t always happen though.
We in HR need to refocus on our goal here. Is it hiring the best person for the job or is it getting the best resume and interview? Do we not know how to do the former so we default to the latter? That’s my fear.
The conclusions people draw off of a spelling mistake is not surprising but it is unfortunate. As I’ve already said though, if you are unwilling to take the risk and truly evaluate a candidate because of a spelling error or two, feel free to continue! It makes it easier for the rest of us. Spelling bee all-stars don’t guarantee success.
I find it quite a coincidence that I happened to read your February 2, 2009 entry right after this entry. Check out the word “employee” in your title.
I cant beleive that applicants lookcing four a job oportunitie would in twodays marcket spell things incorectlie. Especialy with todays tecnology and auto spell cheecks. I agree I wuld not hire any one who culd not spell corectly. Good posts and hapy humd day.
The resume should only constitute one third of a candidates potential to do the job. It does not have to be the make it or break it component. Equal time to both the interview and the character fit constitute the other two thirds. That being said, if the job being posted demands quality and accuracy from both the customer and the boss mistakes on resumes are problematic. The lack of attention to detail in the written history portion of the application is more often than not perceived as a precictive indicator of poor attential to detail. You may not like it, but that is reality.
33 comments and no one else seemed to notice the author’s misspelling of “deficiencies”. Hmmm…maybe I really am the last true ‘spelling nazi’. Ha! Kidding, just had to chime in. And I did get a bit of a rush out of finding that…somewhat worrisome as to what that might say about me, getting pleasure out of others’ mistakes. Y’all have a great day!
Greg Strosaker: “A resume is the penultimate written communication”. What in the world does that mean? A resume is the next-to-the-last written communication?
Anyway, you guys take resumes far too seriously. I’ve seen a lot of resumes. Most of them are terrible from any number of directions. I don’t see much correlation between a good resume and a good employee. In fact, a perfect resume probably means it was professionally prepared and thus its form means virtually nothing. The trick is to get past the resume to the person and the work that they do.
People are often fastidious in one area of life and sloppy in others. Try hiring a musician based upon his spelling or life skills. Many a great musician never learned to read a sheet of music.
I probably don’t see the best candidates. HR probably screens them out based on a typo or two.
The first problem is most organizations usually get so many resumes for any given position that resumes usually hit a screener that is only looking for a reason to cull the pile to something manageable. Boom! You’re gone!
The second problem is that there are about a billion books, articles, pamphlets, websites and blogs giving advice on how to construct the best resume. Given the hype, why would you put so much energy and time into building your “personal branding” tool, parsing through every word and phrase, then let it slide with something as easily corrected as a spelling error?
That being said, I couldn’t agree more with your point. I’ve done a lot of hiring and unless writing and editing was a skill set that was required for the position, the handwriting, spelling and grammar didn’t even factor into my hiring decision. Certainly neatness counts, but I need somebody that can do the work.
I learned a long time ago that it was easy to build in some accommodations for a top performer. Like getting a computer with spell check if they needed to do written communications.
Wow great dialogue! I have to agree with Kevin and Jeanette. While spelling errors may not tell the whole story in my experience attention to detail is extremely important. Letting spelling errors pass through to a published document, especially your resume’ which IS a reflection of who you are is a bad decision. Grammar, spelling, composition and being able to express yourself are part of the entire package. I won’t dismiss a candidate based upon misspelled words either but I look at them the same way I would a coffee stain on a mailed in resume’ . Shows lack of concern and an “I don’t care attitude”. If your going to do something do it right
In reading these comments, I think most agree a mistake could be a red flag and the severity or quantity of them in one resume should be considered, depending on the position, etc etc. However, I am sure I would never be hired by Qualifica.tion.ca . Should I, despite spell check, a husband review, and a 101st check before sending, miss a typo and then be forced to discuss it in the interview, I would be appalled. I would find it unprofessional to force me to explain why I made a typo and it would destroy any feeling that I was being judged on criteria that ultimately matter for the job. If I manage to stifle the pithy and probably inappropriate comment that would immediately come to my mind, I probably would not pursue the position any further. My role in HR is to source candidates that have the qualifications the hiring manager needs. If the manager wants to screen for a typo, that’s their decision. But I would not be servicing my customers if I piss off every candidate by pulling out a red pen and marking up their resume.
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I always thought it was the recruiters’ job to polish off a resume. If you don’t like the cuff links on your candidates’ shirt would that constitute a reason to black list him? I know some recruiter who would disqualify that candidate.
The beauty of our business is that nothing is black and white; not even a spelling mistake with an annoying red wiggly under it.
Lance,
I like the direction and stance, but have to disagree with the advice if you intend job-seekers to take note and I’ve blogged about why, here.
http://virtualjobcoach.com/blog/?p=1171
I’d also be curious about where a company stands where I’ve claimed something on my resume that wasn’t true, but since it contains spelling mistakes (and you corrected it/ invented other words I didn’t write) invalidates the claim/statement. Can you still dismiss me for that? Probably need an employment attorney for that one!
This advice is intended for HR professionals and hiring managers. Everyone bangs on job seekers for spelling mistakes and it is stupid. Of course you should put your best foot forward and make sure you are putting together a professional piece.
The reality is that people make mistakes. I see it in resumes, newspapers, websites and books. So if you’re a HR pro or hiring manager and you are disqualifying people simply for a spelling mistake or two, I don’t think you are making the best hiring decision.
Dave: You are correct, “penultimate” was the wrong word choice. Fortunately I do not use it on my resume. More simply stated, a resume is one of the more important documents many people ever create.
I don’t buy your analogy, as most of the readers of this blog are not hiring musicians. We are hiring individuals who need to portray competence and, many times, precision to those with whom they communicate. If you really want your analogy to work, compare a resume for a corporate professional to an audition of a musician. Missed notes in an audition would cost the musician their opportunity in many, if not all, occasions. The same should hold true for resumes in the corporate world.
I am so with you on this. Eliminating people (for non writing intensive jobs, of course) for a minor spelling mistake or typo is not sound. It is an easy way out for the person doing the screening. End of story.
As a third party recruiter, if I catch a spelling mistake, I tell the candidate and have them fix it.
Lance, the idea of a candidate being thrown out by a recruiter, or HR professional for a spelling error, or one sentence run amok, is the issue. First, I look for a pattern of success doing what I expect the right candidate to do for my client. If they have that, I’ll certainly overlook a spelling error and help them get it corrected before moving on.
If I don’t someone else will and they may just get a very talented addition to the team.
(and god help me if there’s a mistake in my comment!)
Great debate (though I’m a little late with this comment)
I DO look at spelling mistakes. As Lance has said, put your best foot forward.
But I’ll be a little gracious if there’s only one or two minimal ones. However, if the role calls for “attention to detail” then I’m a little more callous. Sorry folks but we are doing the hiring and they want the job.
Everything counts.
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