Resume: Payroll Clerk

Professional Credentials

Challenge – I would ideally like this role to progress into progressive accounting positions (which are regulated and require a license). There is no indication that this person is working toward an accounting designation, but some of our other candidates are. Does this lack of development mean I should screen the candidate out?

Solution – During the resume review process, your primary concern is ensuring that candidates meet the minimum professional requirements to move forward in the screening process. At the level of payroll clerk no licenses are required for the role so this is not a factor at this stage.

Professional development activity factors may however come into play during the interview stage where questions regarding professional pursuits and success can provide you with information about the candidate’s specific areas of interest, initiative drive, etc. which can help to inform the selection process.

It should also be noted that the career path from a payroll clerk typically moves to either finance or human resources. Decisions about the career path are ultimately the choice of the incumbent in the role, not the organization. Thus, while there may be foreseeable job openings in the accounting department, this does not guarantee that the Payroll Clerk will want to proceed to this role.

Language Proficiency

Challenge – There are minor grammatical challenges in the resume summary but overall the candidate’s use of the English language appears strong, but did the candidate write their own resume? There is a reference to a local English language school but it isn’t one that we are familiar with. How do I proceed with checking language proficiency?

Solution – Begin with the English language school. Do an Internet search to locate the training program that is referenced, then contact the school identified and request details regarding: the curriculum, instructor qualifications, minimum passing requirements, and their clients. Use the information provided to assess whether the candidate meets the minimum language proficiency requirements for the role.

If you are skeptical regarding the quality of the testing / programming, you may wish to review the options outlined on the Assessing Language Proficiency page, under the challenge heading: A language score is not provided on the New Canadian’s resume, what do I do?

Academic Credentials

Challenge – I wasn’t familiar with the university listed so we conducted a quick Internet search and discovered that the Universidad Iberoamericana is a private university. This has made me nervous about the quality of education. Furthermore, I don’t know what a “Licenciatura” is.

Solution – While the Internet can be a great source of information, it shouldn’t be a basis for assumptions. All information needs to be assessed and verified in an objective way. The focus is on the equivalence of the education, not where the education took place or what it is called.

If a specific academic credential is required for the role, academic equivalence can be assessed by one of the organizations on the Assessing Academic Credentials page.

If you would like suggestions about how to request an assessment of academic credentials from the candidate, see the Assessing Academic Credentials page, under the challenge heading: Can I request that a candidate has his / her academic credentials assessed? Who pays for a candidate’s academic credential assessment?

International Experience

Challenge – The candidate seems to be over qualified for the payroll position that we’ve posted for. I’m not sure what to do with the candidate.

Solution – Many candidates who are new to Canada find it difficult to gain employment in their field. Often they anticipate that it will be easier to obtain employment, or are advised by others to apply for roles at a lower level in order to gain access into an organization. Alternatively, the candidate’s experience may be translated onto the resume in a way that is not accurate. The only way to fully understand which is the case, is to do a phone screening interview. Go here for suggested phone screening questions, and how to proceed based on the responses, see the Assessing International Experience page, under the challenge heading: Based on the qualifications and experience noted on the resume, this candidate appears to be over qualified for the role. Should I screen them out of the process?

International Experience

Challenge – The companies that this candidate has worked for are familiar and are based in North America. Does this tell me anything about the candidate that I should keep in mind?

Solution – During the resume review process, your primary concern is ensuring that candidates meet the minimum experience requirements to move forward in the screening process. The focus is what has been done and achieved previously, rather than where.

That being said, information about the companies and company cultures that the candidate works well in can be valuable information to seek during the interview process. You may also wish to ask about if or how the candidate’s role interacted with Canadian offices in order to get a better understanding of the candidate’s understanding of Canadian culture.

I am not familiar with the organizations listed, let alone their reputations, and the role titles are confusing. Should I screen this person out?

International Experience

Challenge – The majority of this candidate’s experience is in retail companies and we are a manufacturing company. Does this matter?

Solution – For many occupations, skills are transferable across industries. What you are screening for is the ability to meet the core requirements for the role (e.g., any academic, professional and language qualifications) and the ability of the candidate to learn to perform the additional requirements for the role in the way that your company does them (e.g., companies will use different accounting software, have different policies and procedures, etc.). Thus, while the IT Skills outlined may not include the specific payroll system that your organization uses, you should be looking for evidence that the candidate is able to learn to use new payroll systems. For roles which require limited knowledge of the market and competitive landscape this is particularly true (typically entry and junior individual contributor roles).

I am not familiar with the organizations listed, let alone their reputations, and the role titles are confusing. Should I screen this person out?