Hidden curriculum, what is it and how to detect it?

Knowing what the so-called hidden curriculum and, most importantly, knowing how to detect the information it contains is one of the most important challenges facing the recruitment and selection officers Do you want to know what a hidden CV is and how to detect it as easily as possible? Read on, because in today's article we will tell you all about it in detail.

What is the hidden curriculum?

There are several definitions of the term hidden curriculum, but the most interesting ones from our point of view are would be two:

Hidden curriculum: that which is transmitted unconsciously through social media posts, omissions in the curriculum, overreporting, exaggerations, etc.
Hidden curriculum: information that is derived from academic training. of the candidate, both of the knowledge and skills he/she has acquired through formal training, as well as the knowledge and skills he/she has acquired through formal training. social, academic and living environment in which it has grown up and been formed.

This second definition is a bit more complex to understand, so we'll go more into it with an example: Imagine a candidate who has brilliantly completed his higher studies in mathematics at a prestigious private Catholic university. From his academic profile we can deduce that we are dealing with an analytical, constant, intelligent and capable professional. But if we read between the lines - if we read his hidden CV - we can also see that he has grown personally and professionally in a elitist social environment, with a line ideological marked and that it has been steeped in certain ethical values who may or may not fit into our team.

As you can see, both meanings of the hidden curriculum are very interesting and, moreover, extremely valuable when it comes to forming a team of people who share the values and philosophy of our company, a team of people who share the values and philosophy of our company, a team of people who share the values and philosophy of our company, a team of people who share the values and philosophy of our company. happy, motivated staff, productive and committed to our business objectives.

How can we detect a candidate's hidden CV?

As mentioned in previous paragraphs, the hidden curriculum is not exactly a curriculum, it is not an ordinary professional profile in which the candidate describes his or her professional career, the qualifications he or she has obtained or the interpersonal skills that characterise him or her for the best. In short: a hidden CV not a complete document two- or three-page documents that a recruiter can consider when making a selection process.

This type of curriculum is really, an accumulation of scattered data that the candidate leaves behind like crumbs on the road, a a lot of implicit and explicit information, of pieces of the puzzle that a skilled recruiter must assemble, train and, of course, know how to interpret. How can we read between the lines of this hidden curriculum? In various ways:

When reading a candidate's CV, look at the name of the educational centres in which he or she has been educated since early childhood. Research the reputation of these schools and universities, their teaching staff, their ideology if any, etc.
There are some sections of the real CV that few recruiters look at but which are of great importance in the hidden CV: the non-profit organisations and associations in which the candidate collaborates, his or her hobbies sports, their hobbies, etc. Look at these sections to verify that the person you are going to hire will be a good or bad fit with your current team.
In the first phase of the selection process, you gain access to the social profiles of your candidates and check that your posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Linkedin do not contain racist, sexist, xenophobic or radical messages, etc.

A final note: the words hidden curriculum are relatively new and appeared and grew at the same pace as social media. Knowing this concept and learning how to use the information posted by candidates on their social profiles is one of the most important things you can do. new functions of the Human Resources area, an important task that will allow us to create the best human team happy and motivated for our medium-sized or large company.

Do you find it an interesting topic? We would like to read your impressions.