What is a portfolio?

Professional portfolios help candidates make a good first impression with employers. They showcase the applicant’s career history and their skills. For recruiters, requesting a portfolio helps understand the candidate’s level of expertise and their achievements. It is a tool used to confirm if the applicant has the skills necessary to be successful in the role. 

Related: 10 resume red flags

Definition of a professional portfolio

A professional portfolio is a selection of documents or materials that aim to demonstrate to employers the work experiences and skills of a candidate. Portfolios allow applicants to express their competencies beyond their CV or cover letter. It is an effective way to showcase accomplishments, skills, training, work examples or testimonials. The collection of examples should demonstrate the capabilities and the quality of the work delivered by the candidate in previous roles. Employers use them to evaluate applicants, measure their skills and assess if they are fit for the role.

Not all job openings or even fields require a portfolio. In writing, design, publishing and even tech roles, portfolios are highly valued. For other fields, although professional portfolios are not a must, they add value to the application and help recruiters understand whether the candidate fits the role.

Related: Recruitment and selection: how to achieve an efficient recruitment process in small businesses

Types of portfolio

There are different types of portfolios. For each type, the objective remains the same: demonstrating skills, experiences, and professional accomplishments. Here are the two forms of portfolios in the labour market:

• Physical portfolios:

Physical portfolios are documents, images, or other materials available to recruiters in person.

• Digital portfolios:

Digital portfolios are more common in today’s highly digitalised hiring market. They can be a personal website, a platform, or a multimedia presentation of the candidate’s work.

Both types of professional portfolios are effective. The type requested by recruiters should depend on the role and the HR systems in place to evaluate candidates.

How professional portfolios make hiring easier for recruiters

Recruiters are constantly searching for the right candidates. To be effective with this search, they need to ensure that they streamline the recruitment process. CVs and cover letters are essential recruitment documents. However, they have limitations that can be overcome with professional portfolios that provide a more dynamic and in-depth view of the candidates’ potential. This section highlights key benefits of professional portfolios for recruiters.

Provide a comprehensive understanding of a candidate’s abilities and potential

Portfolios are a good way to demonstrate the applicant’s expertise, creativity, initiatives and more, through real life examples. They complete the CV and cover letter with documents that demonstrate the candidate’s competencies. Recruiters can align the job description with the skills and expertise shown in the portfolio.  

Additionally, the style of the portfolio gives a glimpse of the candidate’s personality and soft skills. For example, it helps understand whether the candidate has acute attention to details or if they are creative. The feel of the documentation can guide recruiters in understanding if the applicants is a good cultural fit for the organisation.

Related: How to identify job application skills, qualifications and abilities

Validate the candidate’s skills and experiences

Portfolios reassure recruiters on the candidates’ abilities to deliver on the role. They contain concrete examples of what the applicant has accomplished. By viewing samples of work delivered, recruiters can make more informed decisions and ensure they move on with the hiring process with qualified candidates.

Here are examples that portfolios may include:

• Completed design projects (logos, mock-ups, prototypes)
• Writing samples (articles, reports, marketing copy)
• Marketing campaigns with measurable outcomes
• Case studies showing problem-solving approaches

Related: The argument for using a skills based job description

Ensures informed decision making when shortlisting candidates

Portfolios bring value when it comes to shortlisting applicants. As they provide recruiters and hiring managers with a detailed view of the candidates’ style and what they can achieve, they might be a deciding factor between shortlisted applicants. They guide the employer on the style of the candidate, how they approach their work and how they overcome challenges.

With the details they provide, professional portfolios lead to more successful hires. They reduce the company’s turnover and improve internal dynamics.

Related: How to hire employees

Using portfolios to enhance recruitment strategies

By requesting professional portfolios recruiters can enhance their hiring strategies. The integration of portfolios within the hiring process brings clear insight for candidates’ screening. Here are some tips that recruiting teams can use to integrate portfolios into the hiring strategies of the organisation:

Use the job description to identify the skills needed for the role

Recruiters should start by familiarising themselves with the job description and refer back to the job description throughout the recruiting process. By doing so they can be certain of what the chosen candidate will need to succeed in the role. This ensures that the selection process remains aligned with the key requirements and expectations outlined for the position.

Related: How to read a CV

Avoid any bias throughout the recruitment process

Avoiding bias when recruiting new employees is essential for a diverse workplace. When reviewing portfolios, recruiters should put their opinions aside and keep an open mind. Portfolios lead to more objective and skilled based recruitments. By focusing on the candidate’s abilities and work samples, recruiters can ensure a fairer evaluation and reduce the risk of unconscious bias influencing their decision.

Related: 10 Recruiting strategies for hiring great employees

Maintain consistency with a rating scale

When publishing a job opening, recruiters should create a scale to evaluate candidates. The same rating scale should be used for all applicants. Portfolios are a good way to evaluate candidates through a rating scale. It ensures consistency and objectivity throughout the hiring process and allows recruiters to assess candidates based on defined criteria

Related: What is fair chance hiring and fair selection?

Analyse the portfolios before the interviews

When candidates are shortlisted and move to the interview stage, it is essential that their portfolio is reviewed by both recruiters and hiring managers. Understanding the capabilities of the candidate before the interview helps to be more objective. This evaluation allows the interview focus on clarifying details and exploring the candidate’s experience, rather than being influenced by first impressions.

Related: 5 Useful questions employers should ask when conducting a reference check

Portfolios add undeniable value to the recruitment process. They allow for more successful hiring, increase the company’s retention rate and contribute to cultivating the company culture. Organisations can include portfolios into their hiring strategies and use it as a powerful tool to ensure all recruiters use the same criteria to evaluate candidates and to avoid bias.