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By Sherry Bruck, Career Center Operator

The pandemic continues to change the workforce landscape in many ways, one of which is the requirement for new hires to be vaccinated against COVID-19. With this sometimes controversial trend, it’s important for applicants to know how and when to share their vaccination status with potential employers. Recently, Resume Builder conducted a study on best practices.

Here are their key findings:

  • 33% of hiring managers will automatically eliminate resumes that don’t include a vaccine status
  • 32% of hiring managers say they’ll give priority to applicants who indicate their vaccination status on their resume
  • 69% of hiring managers are more likely to hire someone who has already been vaccinated
  • 63% of companies are mandating COVID-19 vaccines for employees

This emerging trend complicates an already tight labor market where employers are increasingly encountering difficulty in finding job candidates in multiple sectors.

“We advise employers to be careful on how they go about incorporating a vaccine policy into the recruiting process. They risk losing out on qualified candidates if they use vaccine status as a blanket tool for screening. We know that it is not yet a common practice to include vaccine information on resumes. In fact, there are differing philosophies about it and it doesn’t account for jobseekers who may be willing to get vaccinated if given an offer,” states Linda McKinzie-Daugherty, Career Center Workforce Team. “We advise our employers to include their vaccination policy and requirements in the job description and job posting in the interest of saving time and to increase clarity for all.”

It is important that employers are upfront about their policy so that jobseekers know what the expectation is and how to best prepare. Every employer strives to hire qualified candidates who will be an asset to the workplace and in this competitive job market, it is strongly suggested that employers consider all qualified jobseekers who apply. Clear communication and policies are always recommended.