...to include personal interests on CV?

[MuffinsAreJustCakesAtBreakfast]

Just wondering if this is still a thing? I know it used to be years ago...but then again decades ago we included photographs on CVs (!!!)

Do you do it? If you regularly interview people then what are your thoughts on people who do include personal interests?

I'm not talking about stating that personal interests are "going out and staying in, restaurants and gym"....but rather societies, charities, groups, exams/certifications for hobbies (such as PADDI diving things), performing arts etc

YABU - it is cringe to include personal interests and I don't do it.

YANBU - I find it interesting and puts some personality to the person behind the page.

I screen CVs for a lot of new grad roles at work and they almost all have a very small section at the end - but usually it's quite specific, not just "football" or "music" but "played in the first XI for the university" or "was chair of the jazz music society" or "organised fund raising events for the Environment society" or "ran a Marathon to raise funds for malaria"
It shows they can work as a team, trained for something, had some responsibility etc which is all good stuff to show for early career jobs and if the job is in environmental science or malaria research, it shows a deeper interest in that beyond just study.

See it less often on CVs for experienced hires beyond where it is something like "Chair of the Woodville Town rugby club" or "Governor at Smithsville Primary" or "Secretary of the Woodville Womens Institute". If people don't have a specific role to list, they don't just write "rugby" or "baking"

As my former boss once said when we were reviewing some CVs, ‘Oh, what a surprise - someone who enjoys swimming, reading and cycling’.

As a section, it very rarely adds anything, and has actually put me off hiring people in the past. ‘Very active on social media’ is one I used to read a lot - that was always a red flag.

I recruit a lot.

Including voluntary work and where hobbies have direct relevance to the role.

‘I dabble in landscape painting and pole dance’ (direct quote) - not so much.

I usually skip the hobbies section. I want info that is relevant to what I’m recruiting for. So if it’s a tech role and you are the treasurer for the local children’s coding club, then please tell me! It’s relevant to the role and makes you sound interesting and passionate about the skills I’m recruiting for. If you enjoy hillwalking, save it for when you’ve started and we’re getting to know each other unless you have developed a successful hillwalking app or whatever.

One CV I saw (a long time ago), had lawnmower racing listed as an interest! I think it can give an indication on the personality of the applicant. A previous HR Manager said if they list things like gardening, if often means they are fairly solitary and like working quietly on their own.

I like seeing hobbies on a CV as it can give you an idea of them as a person and how they might fit into a team. But maybe it's a bit outdated these days, which is a bit of a shame.

I have to be honest, it really puts me off candidates when I'm going through CVs and I dont find it professional

I think it can give an indication on the personality of the applicant. A previous HR Manager said if they list things like gardening, if often means they are fairly solitary and like working quietly on their own.

I find that sort of stereotyping really worrying, actually, and it’s another good reason not to include hobbies on a CV - recruiting managers will bring their preconceptions on what ‘type’ of people do certain hobbies, rather than looking at the candidate as an individual.