I began to wonder if the written résumé was losing some of its power to clearly identify someone as a key prospective candidate and help employees lock up those highly sought-after promotions and jobs. If that is the case, how are senior executives making hiring decisions today when talented, qualified people are all vying for the same jobs and promotion? What sets a candidate who's been chosen for the coveted slot apart from the others?

I decided to put that question to 11 senior executives in this format: Assuming you have a management position of critical importance that is vacant in your organization and you have more than one qualified person to choose from to fill it, what are the key selection criteria you use in picking the person you will either promote or hire?

Their answers were truly illuminating. There was broad agreement that a written résumé was only a door-opener, an introduction, if you will. When it came time to make a hiring decision they all agreed, with one exception, that it was based on something else — a collection of things including insights, impressions, instinct and chemistry that wasn't written down anywhere. In other words, hiring and promotion decisions were based on their interpretation of what I call the "Unwritten Résumé."

One chief operating officer said people who make hiring decisions know a written résumé can be stretched and exaggerated at times, but the look in someone's eyes, their body language, the inflection in their voice and the quality of their observations — the elements of the Unwritten Résumé — are very hard to fake. He explained: "Because the written résumé is what you want me to see, how you want me to see it, and the Unwritten Résumé is who you really are."

Checking candidates' references and degrees are important parts of the process, to be sure, but, the Unwritten résumé is the single most powerful and compelling element. Why? Because without a good Unwritten Résumé, you won't make it as far as the referencing or degree-check stage. It either validates or causes one to question who your written résumé says you are.

Listed below are the 10 elements of an Unwritten Résumé. Look at them as a whole, not disparate pieces. "It's the stew and how all the pieces come together, not the individual ingredients that are important," according to my friend Allan Cox, author, executive coach and head of Allan Cox & Associates.

Attitude

Attitude tells a senior executive a lot about someone's resilience, flexibility and commitment — it's a reliable predictor.

"Attitude creates a 'life-force' and style that is a clear differentiator," says Cox. "It is what converts a skill or ability to completion. It's the difference between being able to run well and being an Olympic athlete." In other words, it's the difference between someone who excels in life versus someone who is going through the motions.

Intelligence

Intelligence is often revealed by how well you prepare for the interview and by the quality of your questions and observations. Scanning easily available information about a company, its competitors and industry sector can trigger some great questions and insights. Or, as another CEO told me, "Precociousness that's in perspective, novel solutions and ideas are all proxies for intelligence."

Communication skills

There are people who listen and there are people who are just waiting to talk. Yes, communicating is a two-way street. What better way can you demonstrate that you "hear" the needs of others than to show good listening skills?

Eye contact was also an element of communicating that received unanimous support among those interviewed. Maintaining appropriate eye contact sends a message of veracity and confidence.

Another "primary screen" in communicating is the written form. Believe it or not, a common complaint from senior executives is that people can't write a letter today.

The advent of e-mail and text messaging has done a lot of damage when it comes to syntax, punctuation and grammar — all of which speak volumes about who you are to someone who is considering how well you might represent the company to the outside world. Ignore the written word at your peril.

Passion and balance

Being passionate about what you do and what you believe in is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is recognized as being that special something that drives people to win. On the other hand, behavioral extremes are a major red flag to a savvy interviewer — that's where the balance part of it comes in.

People skills

People skills represent the foundation of trust, relationship management and leadership and are displayed in a wide variety of ways. People skills also involve "peripheral observation skills," according to one former CEO. Whether it's picking up on the death of an employee's pet, a favorite author whose work is represented in a colleague's bookcase, or a cuff link that tells a story: Noticing these things and making an appropriate comment makes a "human connection" that is hard to duplicate.

Most of those interviewed spoke of the concept of investing in a relationship. The degree to which you will inconvenience yourself on behalf of another is an investment that has an incredibly high return.

Ability to execute

This is where the rubber meets the road. To many, it became the most important element of the Unwritten Résumé after the Internet flameout. To a venture capitalist, ideas are like belly buttons; everybody's got one. It's the people who can convert ideas into results, people who know how to prioritize and tune out the static who are in demand. The real emphasis here is on how it was done.

Honesty

In the post-Enron world of today, honesty is sacred ground. This trait is seen by senior executives and boards of directors as the bedrock of character and integrity. It is an absolute sine qua non, period. CEOs and boards don't want to go into battle with people they can't trust.

Humility

The act of remembering that other people are involved in every success or to acknowledge that luck played a big role in that particular accomplishment being discussed or to be genuinely self-effacing at times sends a powerful message of maturity, ego-balance and authenticity.

Self-confidence

There is a fine line between self-confidence and arrogance and it's an easy line for many to cross. Overuse of the first-person singular, interrupting others, always being the first to offer an opinion — these are the fingernails on the blackboard of conversation. People naturally are drawn to those who display self-confidence. Arrogance, on the other hand, can close doors quicker than anything.

Manners

Manners show sophistication, understanding and respect for those with whom you are dealing — pretty important skills if you're being considered for a position that requires you to interact with other people.

For those who know how to construct, polish and present an Unwritten Résumé and understand the lasting impressions it creates, the future is bright no matter what the economy's current cycle is or where their global employers send them.

For those who don't understand the concept of the Unwritten Résumé and the power of its subtleties, the future will be made up of what's left over.