job description of resume screening

Resume Screening Process: Complete Guide for Recruiters

Trinh Nguyen

Apr 18, 2023

The recruiting cycle involves numerous steps, from posting jobs, collecting resumes, interviewing candidates, and sending offers. Frankly, resume screening proves the most critical but time-consuming and overwhelming task. This is the first step that decides whether you pick the right candidate for the position.

In this article, we’ll center on 2 methods to screen CVs efficiently. We’ll also discuss challenges HR staff may face while scanning through resumes. But before digging into the resume screening process details, let us brief you on what resume screening is as well as its importance in your hiring.

What Is Resume Screening?

Resume screening combines reviewing and evaluating job applications to determine whether a candidate meets the requirements for a particular job. During the resume screening process, you analyze CVs, cover letters, and other application materials to assess a candidate’s information. This data include qualifications, skills, experience, education, and other relevant factors.

Scanning through resumes carefully aims to identify the most suitable candidates for further consideration. It helps eliminate those who do not meet the minimum requirements or are not a good fit for the position.

This process is usually carried out by recruiters or hiring managers who use specific criteria to evaluate applicants’ suitability for the job.

Why Is The Resume Screening Process Important?

Screening resumes carefully benefits your organization’s hiring in many ways. Not only does it allows recruiters to check individuals’ background, but it also helps them decide their suitability for the job and company culture.

• Time-saving : It saves you time interviewing unqualified candidates by eliminating them in the early step.
• Improved quality of hires : Employers can identify candidates with the necessary skills and experience for the job, which can lead to higher-quality newcomers.
• Cost-effective : Minimizing additional rounds of interviews or assessments will help lower recruitment costs.
• Reduced bias : A proper resume screening process forces you to focus on objective criteria such as qualifications, experience, and skills. As a result, you can make sure of a diverse pool of candidates for a more inclusive workplace.
• Better candidate experience : This step creates a positive candidate experience by ensuring that only qualified candidates are invited to further stages of the hiring process.

What to Look for in Resumes

There are numerous key factors to consider when going through CVs so you can identify the most qualified candidates.

• Relevant Experience : Only choose candidates that match the requirements of the job.
• Education and Certifications : Check whether the candidate has the required education or certifications.
• Skills : Identify specific skills required for the job and look for evidence of these skills in the candidate’s resume.
• Achievements : Look for achievements or accomplishments that demonstrate the candidate’s ability to perform well in the role.
• Job Stability : See whether the candidate has a stable work history and has stayed with previous employers for a reasonable time. You can prepare some interview questions about why the candidate quickly landed many jobs.
• Keywords : Use keywords related to the job description to identify candidates who have used similar language in their resumes.
• Formatting and Presentation : Pay attention to how well-organized and easy-to-read the resume is. This will partly indicate attention to detail and communication skills.
• Cover Letter : Review the candidate’s cover letter to gain insight into their motivation, communication skills, and fit for the role.

Resume-Screening Methods

It’s possible for you to screen resumes manually or automatically. Each method comes with pros and cons that affect your efficiency in the long run.

How to Screen CVs Manually

Manual resume screening requires careful attention to detail and an objective evaluation of each candidate’s qualifications and fit for the role.

Step 1: Review the job description

Before reviewing resumes, it’s necessary to understand the requirements and qualifications for the position clearly. Meanwhile, you should have a checklist of key skills, experience, and qualifications required for the job. This checklist will help you evaluate each candidate’s resume more easily.

Step 2: Scan for important information

Now, collect CVs from emails or job boards. Then, quickly scan each resume to find related data such as work experience, education, and skills. Look for evidence that the candidate has the necessary qualifications for the job.

For example, if you’re finding a Python developer with 3 years of experience, you can scan each resume for previous positions in Python.

Step 3: Narrow down the candidates

Use your checklist to narrow the list of candidates who meet the job requirements. To do this, you may separate scanned resumes into three different groups. ‘No’ for those who don’t meet the criteria, ‘Maybe’ for those who meet some criteria, and ‘Yes’ for candidates fulfilling all the criteria.

It’s time to double-check people in the ‘Maybe’ group to decide who can be rejected or should be moved to the next phase.

It’s estimated that only 3% of resumes will result in an interview, so don’t worry if you have to reject so many candidates.

Step 4: Follow up with phone interviews

Once you have identified a shortlist of candidates, consider following up with phone interviews to assess their qualifications and interest in the position.

Automate the Resume Screening Process with Dr.Parser

Dr.Parser comes as an AI-powered resume parser that gives you a helping hand in extracting and organizing CV data in one place.

We already have a detailed guide on how to parse resumes online using Dr.Parser . All you need to do is register for a Dr.Parser account, upload the resume, and then receive the extracted data.

Dr.Parser can integrate seamlessly with most Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) , making it easier for you to manage the entire hiring process. Not only does the tool extract and organize resume data, but it also allows you to search for relevant candidates via its smart search function. You can filter them based on skills, experience, and qualifications.

Automatic resume screening requires a careful setup of an ATS system and ongoing monitoring to ensure that it effectively identifies qualified candidates. It saves time and resources in hiring but should be combined with manual review to ensure considering all qualified candidates.

Differences Between Manual and Automated Resume Screening Process

Whether you screen CVs manually or use a tool, each method has pros and cons that may affect your proficiency. The table below compares the main differences between these 2 methods for you to consider.

The best approach will depend on the company’s needs and resources. A combination of both methods may provide the most effective approach to resume screening .

Challenges Recruiters Face During Screening Resumes Process

Resume screening is always one of the most critical steps in the hiring cycle. Thus, you must have several difficulties when reading through every single CV.

• A high volume of resumes : Recruiters often receive tons of resumes for each job opening, making it hard to review each one thoroughly.
• Lack of relevant experience : Many candidates apply for jobs even if they do not have the necessary qualifications or experience. This can challenge HR staff to identify qualified people.
• Unstructured resumes : Poor formats or unclear information in CVs prevent recruiters from evaluating and comparing candidates.
• Bias : Recruiters may unconsciously favor candidates with similar backgrounds or experiences.
• Time constraints : Recruiters often have limited time to review resumes and must balance this task with other responsibilities, such as scheduling interviews and communicating with candidates.
• Inconsistent screening criteria : Different recruiters may use different criteria when evaluating resumes, leading to inconsistencies in the hiring process.
• Language barriers : Resumes from non-native speakers may contain errors or be difficult to understand. This makes it challenging for HR staff to evaluate candidates’ qualifications accurately.

Ready for Efficient CV Screening?

The resume screening process plays a crucial role in any organization’s hiring. It allows recruiters to filter out unqualified candidates and identify potential hires who possess the necessary skills and experience required for the job.

By following a structured approach and using tools such as Dr.Parser, recruiters can streamline the screening process and save time while ensuring they select the best candidates for the job.

Additionally, job seekers must tailor their resumes to match the job requirements and highlight their relevant experience and achievements. Overall, a well-executed resume screening process can result in successful hiring outcomes and contribute to the growth and success of an organization.

If you still have any questions about CV screening, contact us to let us know now.

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Resume Screening: How To Recruit Quality Talent by Screening Smartly

Hiring the right talent is a critical step in ensuring your organization's success. In today's competitive job market, recruiters and hiring managers face the daunting task of sifting through countless resumes to identify the best-fit candidates. That's where a well-crafted resume screening checklist comes into play.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the ins and outs of creating an effective resume screening checklist, understanding its benefits, and implementing best practices to ensure accurate candidate selection. Plus, we'll share strategies to recruit quality talent by screening smartly, elevating your hiring process to new heights. Let's dive in and master the art of resume screening to secure top-tier talent for your team!

A resume screening checklist is a tool used by recruiters and hiring managers to evaluate and filter through a large number of job applications and resumes to identify qualified candidates for a particular job opening. The checklist typically consists of a set of criteria, skills, qualifications, and attributes that are essential or desirable for the job in question.

Recruiters or hiring managers use this checklist to quickly review resumes and compare them against the established criteria. Resumes that meet the checklist's requirements are typically shortlisted for further consideration, such as interviews, while those that don't meet the criteria are often set aside or rejected.

The specific items on a resume screening checklist can vary depending on the job and the organization's needs but may include qualifications, experience, education, skills, certifications, relevant work history, and other factors that are important for the role. This checklist helps streamline the initial stage of the hiring process, making it more efficient and enabling recruiters and hiring managers to identify the most suitable candidates.

Using a resume screening checklist offers several benefits for recruiters and hiring managers during the candidate selection process:

Efficient and Time-Saving: Resume screening checklists allow for a structured and systematic approach to reviewing resumes, making the process more efficient. Recruiters can quickly eliminate resumes that do not meet the established criteria, saving time and effort.

Consistency: A checklist promotes consistency in the evaluation process, ensuring that all candidates are assessed based on the same criteria. This reduces the potential for bias and discrimination in hiring.

Focus on Relevant Criteria: By defining specific qualifications, skills, and attributes required for the job, the checklist ensures that only candidates who closely match the job's requirements are considered. This increases the likelihood of finding the best fit for the position.

Streamlined Candidate Selection: A well-designed screening checklist helps identify top candidates, making it easier to create a shortlist for interviews and further assessment. This saves time and resources in the later stages of the hiring process.

Objective Decision-Making: Checklists encourage objectivity in decision-making. Recruiters can evaluate candidates based on concrete qualifications and skills rather than subjective judgments.

Reduced Overwhelming Volume: In situations where there is a high volume of applications for a single job opening, a screening checklist can help manage the workload by quickly identifying strong candidates.

Legal Compliance: Using a checklist helps organizations adhere to legal requirements by ensuring that hiring decisions are based on job-related criteria rather than discriminatory factors.

Improved Communication: A checklist can serve as a clear and structured tool for communication between hiring team members, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding the qualifications and attributes sought in a candidate.

Candidate Experience: By streamlining the process and ensuring that only qualified candidates proceed to the next stages, organizations can provide a more positive candidate experience, as applicants are less likely to face rejection without clear reasons.

Data Collection and Analysis: Resume screening checklists provide data that can be analyzed to improve the hiring process over time. This data can help identify trends in the qualifications and skills most relevant to successful candidates.

Overall, using a resume screening checklist helps organizations save time, reduce subjectivity, and identify the most qualified candidates for a job, leading to more effective and successful hiring outcomes.

Creating an ideal resume screening checklist involves careful planning and consideration of the specific requirements for the job. Here are the steps to build an effective resume screening checklist:

• Define Job Requirements : To begin building an ideal resume screening checklist, you must start by clearly defining the job requirements. This entails a comprehensive understanding of the job role, its associated responsibilities, and the expectations from the prospective candidates. What qualifications, skills, and attributes are essential for success in this position? Consult with hiring managers, team members, or other relevant stakeholders to gather input and gain a holistic perspective of the role's needs.
• Prioritize Qualifications : Once you have a clear understanding of the job requirements, it's important to prioritize them. List the qualifications, skills, and attributes in order of importance. This prioritization helps you distinguish between "must-have" and "nice-to-have" criteria. By doing this, you can focus on the most critical criteria during the resume screening process, ensuring that candidates meet the core requirements.
• Tailor Criteria to the Position : Every job opening is unique, and not all positions require the same qualifications. To build an effective screening checklist, it's crucial to tailor your criteria to the specific position in question. Generic checklists are less effective in identifying candidates who truly fit the job, so customization is key. Be sure to adapt the checklist to match the distinct requirements of the role.
• Create Clear and Measurable Criteria : To make your checklist practical and actionable, develop specific, clear, and measurable criteria. Instead of using vague terms like "good communication skills," specify the exact skills you're looking for, such as "strong written and verbal communication skills." For additional clarity, consider including specific details like "experience with public speaking." This level of detail will help both you and your team evaluate candidates more effectively.
• Assign Weight to Criteria : Not all criteria are of equal importance. Some qualifications or skills may be critical to the role's success, while others might be less significant. Assigning weights to the criteria in your checklist can help you further refine your focus during the screening process. For example, you may give more weight to essential qualifications and less weight to nice-to-have attributes. Weighted criteria enable a more nuanced evaluation of candidates and enhance the precision of your screening process.
• Test the Checklist : Before fully implementing the checklist, it's advisable to test it on a few sample resumes. This trial run will help identify any potential issues, inconsistencies, or criteria that may need adjustment. It's an essential step in ensuring that your checklist effectively screens and identifies the most qualified candidates for the position.
• Refine and Update : The final step is to continuously refine and update your checklist based on the feedback and results from the screening process. Over time, you may discover that certain criteria are more critical than initially thought or that others need to be adjusted. Regularly revisiting and improving your screening checklist ensures it remains an effective tool for your hiring process.

Following these steps will help you create a resume screening checklist that enhances the efficiency and accuracy of your candidate selection process.

Accurate resume screening is crucial to identify the most qualified candidates for a job opening. Here are some best practices to ensure accuracy in the resume screening process:

Align with Job Requirements :

Accurate resume screening begins with a clear understanding of the specific job requirements. The job description should outline the qualifications, skills, and attributes essential for success. When screening resumes, it's crucial to closely align your criteria with these requirements. This alignment ensures that candidates meet the fundamental expectations for the role. For example, if the job demands a bachelor's degree in a relevant field, prioritize candidates with this qualification in your screening process. This focus on alignment enhances the accuracy of your screening.

Use a Checklist :

Developing a structured resume screening checklist is a cornerstone of accuracy. The checklist serves as a systematic tool that guides your evaluation. It should list all the key criteria, from technical skills to soft skills, experience, and certifications, which are pertinent to the role. This systematic approach makes the screening process more objective and consistent. Using a checklist also ensures that no critical qualifications are overlooked, reducing the risk of missing out on strong candidates.

Quantify Skills :

One way to enhance accuracy is to look for quantifiable skills and achievements in resumes. When candidates provide specific examples of their accomplishments, it offers a more concrete basis for evaluation. For instance, a candidate mentioning "increased sales by 30% in Q4" provides measurable evidence of their impact. Quantifiable information helps you assess a candidate's capacity to deliver results in the new role, contributing to the accuracy of your screening.

Prioritize Core Qualifications :

Accuracy in resume screening also involves a systematic approach to prioritization. Start by focusing on the core qualifications and skills required for the job. These are the "must-have" criteria. By screening for these fundamental qualifications first, you ensure that candidates meet the essential job expectations. This approach helps filter out candidates who may not be a strong fit from the outset, streamlining the selection process and increasing accuracy.

Document the Screening Process :

Accurate resume screening goes beyond the evaluation itself; it also includes documenting your decisions. Keeping records of your screening process is essential for several reasons. It helps in maintaining transparency and consistency in the hiring process. Documentation is invaluable for compliance purposes, and it offers a reference point for revisiting and adjusting screening criteria. Additionally, it helps you track the reasons for selecting or rejecting candidates, which can be crucial for later stages of the hiring process, such as interviews and reference checks.

Recruiting quality talent is a top priority for any organization, and the key to achieving this goal is through smart and effective screening processes. Here are some strategies to help you recruit quality talent by screening smartly:

Define Clear Job Requirements : Start by clearly defining the specific job requirements. Work closely with hiring managers and other relevant stakeholders to create a detailed job description. This document should outline the qualifications, skills, experience, and attributes necessary for success in the role.

Create a Targeted Screening Checklist : Develop a well-structured and targeted resume screening checklist that aligns with the job requirements. This checklist should focus on the most critical qualifications and skills, helping you identify candidates who closely match the role's needs. Prioritize these qualifications to make your screening more efficient and accurate.

Quantify and Measure Skills : Look for quantifiable skills and achievements in candidates' resumes. When applicants provide concrete examples of their accomplishments, it's easier to evaluate their potential impact on the job. For instance, measurable achievements like "increased sales revenue by 20% in the first quarter" provide strong evidence of a candidate's ability to deliver results.

Leverage Technology : Utilize applicant tracking systems (ATS) and resume screening software to streamline the initial screening process. These tools can help you quickly identify qualified candidates based on predefined criteria, saving time and reducing the margin for error. However, remember to fine-tune these systems to align with your specific needs and job requirements.

Standardize Evaluation Criteria : Establish consistent evaluation criteria and guidelines for all team members involved in the screening process. Ensure that your team understands the job requirements and uses the same criteria to assess candidates. This standardization reduces subjectivity and enhances the accuracy of candidate evaluation.

Conduct Behavioral Interviews : Beyond the resume, conduct behavioral interviews to delve deeper into candidates' skills, experiences, and behavior. Ask open-ended questions that encourage candidates to provide specific examples of their accomplishments and how they handled challenges. Behavioral interviews provide insight into a candidate's competencies and suitability for the role.

Reference and Background Checks : Ensure that you conduct thorough reference and background checks for the final candidates. These checks validate the accuracy of the information provided by candidates and offer insights into their work history, performance, and character.

Use these strategies and consistently fine-tuning your screening processes, you can recruit quality talent more effectively and build a strong, capable team that contributes to the success of your organization.

Whether you're an HR professional or a hiring manager, the stakes are high. The rise of remote work and the ever-evolving nature of job roles make it essential to have a tool that can make this process more efficient and precise. Intervue.io is that tool, quietly revolutionizing the world of talent acquisition.

It not only simplifies the complex process of screening resumes but does so with unparalleled accuracy. Our technology helps you build a customized resume screening checklist, aligned with your specific job requirements, allowing you to understand the benefits of a structured approach and the implementation of best practices.

To know more contact and expert or sign-up to our free plan on intervue.io

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Resume Screening: A Detailed Guide

Written by: Talia Knowles

Talia Knowles is an avid reader, writer, and coffee enthusiast, with over five years of experience in writing and editing.

Reviewed by: Keca Ward

As a seasoned HR professional with over 20 years of experience, Keca is an expert in various aspects of Human Resources.

Updated on October 6, 2023

Understanding the Resume Screening Process

Preparing for resume screening, legal and ethical considerations, resume screening faqs.

When recruiters post a job, they often receive a large influx of applications. Unfortunately, there’s simply not enough time in the day to thoroughly read each application, so developing screening skills can help you sort resumes quickly and accurately by scanning them for keywords and other indicators. 

Resume screening is the process of rapidly assessing resumes, focusing on keywords and standout attributes. It simplifies the hiring process by allowing recruiters to review many resumes quickly without sacrificing discernment and hiring strategy. 

Whether conducted manually or with the help of software, employing effective screening techniques enables recruiting teams to identify highly qualified candidates.

This guide will walk you through the importance of the screening process and offer tips on developing your own strategy to ensure the best hires for your organization. 

The role of screening in recruitment serves several essential purposes. 

During the hiring process, organizations often receive numerous resumes and applications. 

The screening process filters these applications to identify candidates who meet the basic requirements for the position, helping efficiently manage the recruitment process and saving valuable time and resources.

Screening also allows recruiters to evaluate candidates’ qualifications, skills, and experience in a short amount of time. 

When they know what they’re looking for, recruiters can quickly identify individuals with the necessary background and qualifications for the role. This helps shortlist candidates who are most likely to succeed in the position.

The screening stage is also useful in identifying candidates who align with the organization’s culture and values . 

By considering factors such as their previous experiences, achievements, and skills, recruiters can get a feel for an applicant’s cultural fit, improving the likelihood of selecting candidates who have the potential to thrive within the organization and contribute positively to the team.

Beyond scanning resumes, the screening stage often involves asking applicants a few preliminary questions that can help mitigate risks associated with hiring, such as confirming their legal right to work in the country. 

Screening questions help ensure compliance with legal requirements, such as equal employment opportunity laws and industry-specific regulations.

Effective screening ensures that only the most suitable candidates progress to the subsequent stages of the recruitment process , optimizing the use of resources and increasing the chances of finding the right fit for the position. 

By thoroughly reviewing resumes and conducting background checks, employers can identify any discrepancies or potential issues early rather than investing more time into the hiring process. 

Whatever system you use, an effective screening process can quickly identify qualified candidates, assess suitability, mitigate hiring risks, and ensure compliance with legal and organizational requirements. 

Before you can swiftly sort through resumes, you have to know precisely what you’re looking for. There are a few preliminary steps you can take to ensure optimal screening results. 

1. Define Job Requirements

Even if you’ve written a job description, it’s possible that you haven’t fully considered exactly what is necessary for a candidate to thrive in the role. 

Begin by formulating the job requirements and qualifications for the position. Then, consult with hiring managers or other experienced team members to gain insight into the essential skills and experience that have allowed previous employees to be successful. 

Asking for employee feedback can help you develop a more comprehensive understanding of what it takes to thrive in a particular role.

2. Develop Screening Criteria

Based on the job requirements, create a set of screening criteria that will be used to evaluate resumes. These criteria can include specific qualifications, years of experience, relevant skills, education, certifications, or other factors crucial for the position.

It’s important not to make these criteria too restrictive, as that might cause you to miss out on someone with slightly different qualifications who could still be a great asset to the organization. Still, establishing guidelines can bring uniformity and fairness to the screening process.  

3. Create an Evaluation System

Once you’ve decided on the criteria you’re looking for, establish a scoring system or rating scale to objectively assess resumes against the screening criteria. This can be a numerical scale or a set of categories (e.g., “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” “poor”). Your system could even be as simple as a thumbs up or thumbs down! 

Developing an evaluation system can help compare and prioritize candidates based on their qualifications, as sorting through various lists of qualifications can be tedious and confusing. 

4. Familiarize Yourself With Anti-Discrimination Laws

Any instance of screening long lists of candidates runs the risk of becoming biased. Combatting this requires consistent intentionality on both a personal and systemic level. 

Ensure you know applicable anti-discrimination laws to avoid biased decision-making during resume screening and understand which factors are relevant and legally permissible during the screening process.

5. Determine the Screening Process

There are two primary ways to conduct the screening process. You can either utilize an automated system, known as an applicant tracking system (ATS), or complete the process manually. 

Applicant Tracking Systems

Applicant tracking systems , or ATS, are often used with recruiting and hiring software. ATS software can make every aspect of recruiting easier for your HR department, from sourcing applications to keeping track of their progress through the steps of recruitment. 

If using an ATS, ensure it is appropriately configured to screen resumes based on the defined criteria. Then, the program can filter resumes based on your predetermined criteria, saving you the time of perusing each resume in search of the desired qualifications. 

This software makes it easy to keep resumes on hand in case a new position opens up that is perfect for a previous candidate. You can also use these programs to facilitate conversations with potential candidates over social media. 

Beyond its time-saving capabilities, ATS software can help ensure legal compliance throughout the hiring process and keep track of recruiting metrics that will help you analyze and improve your hiring process overall. 

For organizations looking to improve their diversity hiring , ATS software can also collect data and generate reports on applicant demographics, as well as which candidates are most likely to make it to the final rounds of hiring. If there’s a bias concern , ATS software can help identify it. 

Manual Resume Screening

Though manual screening can take longer and is prone to human error, it also has several benefits. Automated screening processes rely on recognizing keywords, which can sometimes cause them to miss out on excellent candidates who may not have used that specific language. 

An ATS also cannot take soft skills or cultural fit into consideration. For example, if someone spent a year traveling, their employment gap might hurt them in an automated resume review. However, a human recruiter might see that experience as an asset in the right circumstances. 

Manual resume screening also opens up the option of a collaborative screening process, which is a system where multiple team members participate in hiring to ensure the best-fitting candidate is selected. 

If multiple individuals are involved in the resume screening process, provide training to ensure consistency and uniformity in evaluating resumes, including the screening criteria, scoring system, and any legal considerations to ensure compliance and avoid biases.

It may be helpful to create standardized evaluation forms or templates to record assessment outcomes for each resume. These forms can include sections for scoring criteria, comments, and overall impressions. 

6. Establish Timeframes

Set realistic timelines for the resume screening process to ensure it aligns with the overall recruitment schedule. For example, determine how many resumes can be reviewed per day or week, considering the volume of applications. 

Particularly when using an automated screening process, it can be tempting to cut corners. Setting realistic expectations can prevent instances of hasty decision-making that may not provide the best results for the company. 

7. Communicate Expectations

To provide a level playing field, clearly communicate the screening criteria and expectations to applicants in the job posting or application instructions. This helps applicants understand what is required and ensures they submit relevant and tailored resumes. 

It also provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their attention to detail by catering their resumes to match the job description. It’s reasonable to expect a polished resume, as typos or formatting errors can indicate carelessness.

8. Prioritize Candidates

Determine how candidates will be prioritized for further evaluation or interview based on their scores or qualifications. To keep things fair, establish a threshold or cutoff point for moving candidates to the next stage. 

That way, you’ll have tiered levels of qualified candidates that you can easily draw upon for future opportunities. 

Be sure to maintain clear and well-documented records of screening decisions, including the rationale behind shortlisting or rejecting candidates. This documentation helps maintain transparency, facilitates communication with stakeholders, and ensures compliance with legal requirements.

While it may not be possible to provide individualized feedback to every applicant, consider offering constructive feedback to candidates who reach the later stages of the recruitment process. This helps candidates understand their strengths and areas for improvement. 

Equal employment opportunity laws prohibit discriminating against candidates for their age, disabilities, gender, genetics, national origin, pregnancy status, race, religion, or sexual orientation in any stage or aspect of the hiring process. 

Equal employment laws are a form of federal legislation, but it’s important to pay attention to state laws as well. Many states have additional standards in place that limit background checks, credit checks, or asking certain kinds of invasive questions. 

It’s also essential to take steps to protect candidate privacy and maintain data security. 

Even if it’s not intentional, unconscious bias can significantly affect the equity of your hiring process. One way to combat this is to implement blind resume screening, in which the names and other details of candidates are not visible while their resume is screened for qualifications and experience. 

Beyond this, promoting diversity and inclusion are essential to maintaining a fair hiring process and a healthy company culture.

Resume screening is an essential part of the hiring process that, when done well, can save time and yield great hiring results. 

Because it is essentially the action of filtering resumes, it is critical to ensure that the criteria you use to filter are best suited to connect your organization with top talent. 

Resume screening is important because it helps employers identify qualified candidates who possess the necessary skills, qualifications, and experience for a specific job opening. It saves time and resources by narrowing down the applicant pool for further evaluation.

The criteria for resume screening depend on the job requirements and qualifications. Common criteria include relevant work experience, education, skills, certifications, achievements, and alignment with the job description.

Using an ATS can streamline the resume screening process, especially for large volumes of applications. ATS software can automatically scan and filter resumes based on predefined criteria, saving time and effort. However, it’s essential to ensure the ATS is properly configured to avoid missing out on qualified candidates.

To avoid bias, it’s crucial to establish standardized screening criteria and evaluate candidates solely based on their qualifications and relevant experience. Consider implementing blind resume screening, where personal identifying information is removed from resumes during the initial screening phase.

Red flags during resume screening may include significant employment gaps, frequent job changes, lack of relevant experience or qualifications, inconsistencies in dates or information provided, and poorly formatted or error-ridden resumes.

Soft skills can be assessed by carefully reviewing the candidate’s resume for keywords, phrases, or achievements that indicate strong communication, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, or interpersonal skills. Additionally, looking for relevant extracurricular activities or volunteer experiences can provide insight into a candidate’s soft skills.

While it’s not always necessary to communicate with candidates during the initial resume screening phase, it is considered good practice to inform candidates about the status of their application, especially if they have been shortlisted for further consideration.

Employers must comply with equal employment opportunity laws and ensure that their screening process does not discriminate against protected groups. It’s important to avoid asking inappropriate or discriminatory questions and to handle candidate data and privacy in accordance with applicable laws.

Documenting screening decisions helps maintain transparency and consistency throughout the hiring process. It’s advisable to keep records of the criteria used, evaluation outcomes, and any notes or comments made during the screening process.

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The Ultimate Guide To Resume Screening

Regardless of whether you decide to screen resumes yourself or use software with a built-in algorithm, you’ll want to keep the following tips for screening resumes in mind: 

1. Screen based on minimum qualifications

Minimum qualifications are a resume ranking tool, taking into account the “must-have” experience, education, or accreditations listed in the original job post. Screening for minimum qualifications means rejecting any resumes that do not fulfill those basic qualifications. 

2. Screen based on preferred qualifications

Preferred qualifications typically describe soft skills that will add value to your organization but are not necessarily required for a candidate to fulfill their job. Examples of preferred qualifications include:

• Leadership skills 
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Attention to detail
• Ability to work with a team
• Positive or proactive thinking
• Strong work ethic

One step follows the other. First, narrow down your list of resumes by your minimum or required qualifications, then filter your resumes further based on these preferred qualifications. 

3. Shortlist based on minimum and preferred qualifications

The remainder of the resumes you’re left with should meet both your minimum and preferred qualifications. From there, take a look at the applicant’s work history, listed skills, and notable achievements and see how they stack up compared to others. 

At this time, you may choose to move candidates forward depending on how small your applicant pool becomes or continue to filter out resumes based on other qualifications or requirements, such as the accuracy of the information they provide or performing reference checks. 

It turns out that while resume screening offers plenty of benefits, how companies screen resumes can lead to a few challenges , including:

If you have a significant number of applicants applying for a role, it can be hard to screen resumes, especially if you do so manually instead of using software. Recruiters may find that they simply don’t have the time to give each resume the consideration it needs. In fact, a 2018 study showed that recruiters only spend an average of 7 seconds initially looking at each resume — which is definitely not enough time to get a grasp of someone’s qualifications or if they’re really the best fit for the job. 

Inaccuracies 

Unfortunately, there is plenty of evidence that candidates lie on their resumes and often get away with it . Many job-seekers know the algorithms and software used to screen applications and resumes and will purposely include certain keywords based on your job description to get around these filters. While you may be able to discern what’s accurate — or real — and what’s not, electronic resume screening software and AI programs may not. 

Quality of hire

Quality of hire is essentially a measure of how much value a new hire can add to your organization , especially over time. Although there’s no strict formula for calculating quality, recruiters understand that this metric is important to keep in mind when screening resumes.

However, doing so can be quite difficult, especially considering that the key indicators used to fulfill this metric aren’t easily identifiable simply by looking at a candidate’s resume. 

Even if a candidate is honest with the details included in their resume, recruiters can only rely on their provided credentials and work experience for screening. This information alone is usually not enough to determine whether the applicant will succeed in the role, so you may need to require them to complete a skills test or interview to truly determine their eligibility and qualifications. 

Otherwise, you may end up hiring a candidate who may have the right education level and work experience (based on what you see on their resume) but may not have the skills ideal for fulfilling the job successfully. 

Unconscious bias

As mentioned above, resumes are a snapshot of a candidate’s academic credentials and work experience, neither of which necessarily predict success . What’s worse, if you focus on pedigree, you are prioritizing candidates from privileged backgrounds . Perhaps most alarmingly, bias against minorities is prevalent through the resume screening process .

Although this is an issue that may be more common among businesses that rely on manual resume screening, it could potentially become a problem with resume screening software if it is set to automatically “ screen out ” candidates based on factors such as their educational background. Keep in mind also that poor AI can automate and propagate human biases .

Screening for skills

This final challenge ties in with the previous two points. Because a resume can only tell recruiters so much about an applicant, there’s usually not enough information present to assess whether candidates have the right skills for a role.

In these instances, hiring teams have to rely on what they can glean from a candidate’s previous work experience to determine whether they have the skills necessary for a role. This cannot be considered a “skills test”. 

Some organizations recommend supplementing resume screening with a skills test. Others, including the team here at Vervoe, recommend replacing resume screening with skills testing. 

Although there is a fair share of challenges that come with resume screening, fortunately, there are plenty of innovations that make overcoming these obstacles easier and the process simpler for recruiters, from advanced automation to AI technology. 

Tech solutions that automate parts of the process

Recruiters have the option to take advantage of an ATS, or an applicant tracking system, to aid with resume screening. An ATS usually acts as a database that holds all candidate information and offers additional features to help with the overall hiring process, including:

• Posting job openings
• Interview scheduling
• Sending messages to applicants
• Processing assessments
• Screening answers to application questions
• Creating reports and review analytics

There are several types of ATS, many of which offer resume screening as well. Essentially, once a new resume enters the database from an application, the ATS will parse the document’s content, scanning it for keywords to determine whether it should be sent to a recruiter to review. 

Many benefits come with using an ATS: 

• They save time by automating multiple processes such as resume screening which helps reduce time to fill
• They’re particularly useful for screening candidates based on minimum qualifications 
• They eliminate unconscious bias during screening (assuming the AI is managed carefully)
• Multiple colleagues can leave ratings or notes about various candidates to help with the hiring process 
• They improve the candidate experience by eliminating gaps in communication with automated messages
• They use a database to select candidates from a former pool of applicants
• There are multiple ATS options available that make it easy for businesses to find the right software for them

However, it’s also worth noting these common ATS downsides: 

• If ATS filters are too strict, you can miss out on well-qualified candidates. For example, an ATS tends to eliminate the least-qualified applicants from a pool rather than identify candidates who are the best fit for a particular role. 
• Some ATS resume screening abilities are limited to only being able to decipher specific fonts or resume formats.
• User error could impact ATS effectiveness.

Tech solutions that rethink screening beyond resumes

Besides an ATS, some solutions go above and beyond simply narrowing down a pool of applicants based on their resumes. For example, skills assessments from software such as Vervoe and Vervoe’s AI can be sent out to prospective candidates to identify their current skills and produce a final ranking that suggests whether they would actually be a good fit for a role. 

Rather than just assuming skills based on previous experience listed on a resume, you can actually put applicants to the test and take the guesswork out of hiring. 

AI Solutions

Several AI solutions help businesses simplify the resume screening and overall recruitment process . Beyond screening, AI can also be used to source and interview candidates as well. 

AI tools can help assess candidates and their fit for a role, using algorithms to analyze applicant responses, personality traits, skills, and more within these different processes. And because AI can manage some of the more time-consuming activities involved with hiring, recruiting teams can effectively speed things up. 

Additionally, using AI for recruitment practices can allow companies to: 

• Reduce unconscious bias
• Better predict candidate performance
• Hire at a larger scale
• Participate in remote hiring
• Provide positive candidate experiences
• Lower hiring costs

However, as most of us know, just like humans, AI isn’t exactly perfect, which can result in a few challenges for recruiters:

• AI uses machine learning algorithms that rely on existing data; implementing AI into your recruiting process may take a long time as it begins to analyze the thousands to millions of data points you have available 
• Specific data points can impact the effectiveness of the AI’s algorithm
• AI has the potential to mimic human bias; going from the previous point, if the wrong data points are fed through the algorithm, the AI can replicate any pre-existing bias

[Read more: AI Resume Screening ]

Traditional hiring is like a funnel . It starts with a large group of candidates we know little about and ends with one person we hope to know a lot about. Resume screening is a key part of this shortlisting process .

CV screening means recruiters can narrow down a large list of eligible candidates, bringing the best candidates to the next stage of the hiring process, usually an interview or an invitation to complete skills testing . It can also help businesses determine whether their job post is attracting candidates with the right qualifications.

Although there are challenges that come with the practice, to screen resumes means there’s a higher chance of reducing a company’s time-to-hire and time-to-fill, making the complex hiring process manageable.

Emily Heaslip

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How To Screen Resumes

When a new position opens up, hundreds of people will apply for the coveted spot. Hours can fly by while recruiting, just sorting resumes into piles of “no,” “yes,” and “maybe.”

It is up to recruiters to sift through a high volume of resumes just to find a candidate with proper qualifications worth interviewing.

Even experienced recruiters say the hardest part of the job is resume screening. In fact, on average, 75% of all candidates are unqualified for a position! But once you learn how to streamline the resume screening process, you will save time, have better candidates, and more successful recruitment.

This article will break down everything you need to know about resume screening and increase your chances of recruiting only the best talent.

What Is Resume Screening?

Screening resumes are basically like the recruiting version of playing matchmaker. Recruiters or hiring managers match qualifications to job requirements. The end goal is to create a shortlist of those candidates who seem perfectly suited for the open position.

Recruiters analyze education, experience, certifications, achievements, awards, and more when determining who moves on to the next stage of the hiring process. Screening resumes is an essential part of the recruitment process and the only way to learn about a candidate before they come in for an interview.

What Is the Importance of Resume Screening?

Resume screening is a vital step in the recruitment process. When applications start rolling in, they can quickly pile up, creating a monstrous – and stressful – selection procedure. Any  pre-employment screening  can be useful, but when hiring managers or recruiters sift through a large volume of applications to identify candidates who best match the job criteria, screening resumes can save a lot of time and energy.

Screening carefully filters out unqualified candidates early, ensuring that only the most promising applicants move forward to the next stages of the interview process. It speeds everything up but also provides a higher standard of applicants.

Steps for Effectively Screening Resumes

Have high standards from the start.

If you come across typos and clear errors while resume screening, toss it before moving on. This is a clear indicator the applicant lacks attention to detail. A resume that seems copied and pasted is a sign that the candidate is not actually eager for the open position. It can also be a warning of job-hopping or throwing resumes into the wind and hoping one sticks.

There should be no difficulty in reading a resume. It should plainly and concisely break down previous experience and qualifications. Do not waste your time screening resumes that were made without care or effort.

Create a Clear Job Posting

The more specific you can be when breaking down the roles and responsibilities of the position, the more likely you are to attract the best candidates. List all skills, software knowledge, and years of experience necessary in the job description to narrow the volume of candidates.

Rewarding recruitment starts on your end, and a clear list of necessities will give applicants a better time deciding if it is worth their time to apply.

Request Cover Letters and References

The more barriers you put in place before an application is allowed to be submitted, the fewer people will apply. Those who do apply will have spent time and effort writing about themselves and reaching out to past colleagues.

You can trust listed qualifications when other professionals have backed them up.

Check For Employment Gaps

If you spot more than a month between jobs while screening resumes, ask the candidate to explain that period of unemployment. Some people have legitimate reasons for gaps, like military service or family leave. But while hiring, you need to be sure your candidate will commit to a long-term position.

Resumes Are About Work

Resumes sometimes document hobbies, volunteer positions , and vacations. A professional resume should only list qualifications, not interests. During resume screening, you should reject all non-professional resumes that do not have any real job experience.

Prioritize a Cultural Fit

Even candidates with top qualifications on their resumes can have limited success in person. Always value communication skills, leadership, and teamwork in your search.

If a candidate cannot work well with others, you may find yourself posting another listing and screening resumes again sooner than you would hope.

Value Quality Over Quantity

More jobs on a resume do not mean better, more varied experience. Most likely, this is a sign of job-hopping, especially if the candidate seems to change positions every few months.

A candidate who has committed several years at past companies has clearly valued long-term growth within a business.

Consider an Applicant Tracking System

Many companies use an  applicant tracking system (ATS)  to optimize and shorten the resume screening process. This technology automates the initial evaluation of resumes by scanning them for keywords and phrases relevant to the job description. ATS can slash the time needed to screen resumes manually, meaning that companies can focus all their efforts on the interview and selection phases to ensure they’ve got the right candidate for the job.

What Should You Look For When Screening Resumes?

Relevance of experience.

The first step is to assess the candidate’s  previous work experience  and look for specific roles and responsibilities that align closely with the job description. You’ll need to evaluate the industries in which the candidate has worked, the relevance of their tasks, and any achievements that might be a good potential fit for the new role.

Skills Alignment

Identifying skills of all kinds should also be high on the list. These include hard skills—technical abilities specific to the role—and soft skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Pay close attention to skills directly mentioned in the job posting and consider how the candidate has demonstrated these skills in past positions.

Educational Background

Educational background is essential, but not as much as it once was. Today, companies are increasingly willing to look for candidates with real-world experience and ideas that could drive an organization forward. However, degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework can still be good indicators of a candidate’s dedication and ability to meet the demands of the position.

What Are The Challenges Recruiters Face While Screening Resumes?

For years resume screening has been a long and tedious manual task usually just done by a single hiring manager or recruiter. This, of course, leads to many challenges in the recruiting hunt for great talent.

Let’s take a look at the notorious difficulties involved in resume screening.

The average number of candidates for a new position is 250! Let’s say you spend 10 minutes looking at every single resume in detail, which comes out to over 41 hours of resume screening. Anyone would start to burn out after reading so many applications.

What makes this even more difficult is that over three-quarters of candidates will be irrelevant or not have proper qualifications.

Recruiter’s Personal Knowledge

A recruiter is hired to screen resumes and bring in the best candidates, but they are often not experts on the open position. Detailed jobs in the IT department can be more difficult to screen than general management.

A recruiter could bring in the wrong candidates just from not fully understanding the requirements and qualifications of the job.

Settling Too Quickly

Sometimes a recruiter will find what seems like the perfect resume near the top of the pile and call them and hope they work out. Often this leaves out other candidates who might be more well-suited but happen to land further down.

This is one of the cons of accepting and screening resumes on a rolling basis versus waiting for applications to be submitted before resume screening.

Time to Hire

Qualified candidates are going to have many offers. The average time to hire is 36 days , but your favorite pick could be stolen by another company that is faster in offering a position.

Shortening the time between resume screening and job offers will only benefit you and the company. Get ahead of the curve and hire outstanding applicants before it is too late.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does resume screening take.

Even when using automated steps, resume screenings usually last the most extended period of the hiring selection process. It depends on how many resumes need to be screened, but on average, recruiters may look at each resume for 10-20 seconds or a few minutes if they want a deeper dive.

Final Thoughts

An extensive selection process can easily last months, so any method to shorten that time while maintaining accuracy is a no-brainer. By using a careful screening process and focusing on key factors such as relevance of experience, skills alignment, and educational background, companies can refine their hiring process to be faster and more efficient.

Once the screening process is out of the way and you feel confident that you’ve chosen the right candidate, a comprehensive verification and  background check  should always be the final step of any selective hiring. ScoutLogic takes care of all the final stages of the hiring process, leaving you safe and secure, knowing that you’ve got the best person for the job.

Download this free guide to go into the searching process prepared. This guide includes actionable steps to:

• Gather your requirements
• Determine vendors
• Check references
• Determine success metrics

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Guide to Resume Screening

In a consistently complex labor market, employers need to maximize their recruitment strategies to find the best talent. Resume screening is a crucial step in the recruitment process that typically involves going through resumes to identify the most qualified candidates. While it is possible to screen resumes manually, the use of technology is highly recommended for high-volume recruitment.

In this article, we will look at the definition of resume screening, the main challenges to be aware of, innovations, and steps for efficient resume screening. 

What is Resume Screening

Resume screening is the process of reviewing resumes to determine qualified candidates based on their experience, education, and other information captured on their resumes. It's a form of pattern matching between job requirements and applicants' qualifications based on their resumes. Resume screening can save talent acquisition specialists time during the hiring process and leads to faster onboarding of new hires. 

There are typically two ways to screen resumes - manually reviewing them or using a resume screening software for automatic applicant screening. Manual screening involves recruiters reviewing each resume on their own, while resume screening tools use AI programming to scan applicant documents for predetermined criteria.

The Challenges with Screening Resumes

While resume screening offers plenty of benefits, it’s not easy to match job requirements with suitable candidates. Given the number of candidates applying for a job, it’s not surprising that talent acquisition specialists often find it challenging to make the right choice. As a result, poor screening often leads to bad hires and makes the whole hiring process counterproductive. 

Here are the three major challenges recruiters face when screening resumes:

Volume of resumes 

If a company has a significant number of people applying for an open position, it can be hard for recruiters to screen resumes, especially if they do so manually instead of using a screening tool. 

Hiring bias 

There have been major studies that show that the hiring process is often biased and unfair. Unconscious racism, sexism, and ageism play a big role in who gets hired. 

Quality of hires 

While there may be software in place, it cannot measure the quality of hire. Thus, even if applicants are honest with the details provided in their resumes, recruiters can only rely on this information alone to determine their eligibility and qualifications. As a result, recruiters often end up hiring a candidate who does not have the skills ideal for fulfilling the job successfully. 

How to Screen Resumes

Develop screening criteria.

The first step to screening resumes is to look at qualifications, experience, and skills required from the job description and develop screening criteria. Make a list of the required qualifications and the preferred qualifications. 

Review Resumes

The next step is to start reviewing the resumes. One suggested technique is to use an evaluation grid. Read through each application and give one point for each required and preferred skill. In the end, the higher the candidate's score, the more closely they match the job requirements. This method allows for an easy and organized way to screen each application.

Check for Red Flags

When screening resumes, look for potential red flags, such as spelling and grammar issues, unexplained employment gaps, job hopping, poor formatting, and unprofessional social media presence. While red flags should not always disqualify a candidate from the process, they alert you to concerns to question during the interview. 

Categorize 

Go over the pile and take a closer look at candidates' qualifications. Divide the pile into three new piles - the "Yes," "Maybe," and "No piles." Depending on your time availability, you will mostly interview applicants in the "Yes" pile and perhaps some candidates in the "Maybe" pile. The goal is to narrow down the number of candidates even more by looking at additional experience and skills that can benefit the company. 

Tech Innovations

While it is possible to screen candidates manually, automated resume screening can bring a process to a new level. A resume screening software can parse resumes at least 40% faster. Therefore, investing in an effective screening tool may be the first step toward efficient resume screening. 

Recruiters can take advantage of an applicant tracking system (ATS) to streamline resume screening. An ATS usually acts as a database that stores information about candidates and offers plenty of additional features to optimize the overall hiring process, including:

• Career page hosting
• Posting job openings
• Interview scheduling
• Integrated text recruiting
• Analytics and dashboards
• Hiring manager collaboration tools
• Onboarding tools

In addition to ATS, there are many integrations that can make the resume screening process even more efficient. For instance, Employa is an AI-driven resume parsing solution that helps find qualified talent quickly and efficiently. It’s integrated with ATS and makes the candidate screening process more effective.

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Resume Screening: A How-To Guide for Recruiters

Talent discovery is crucial for every organization, so they’ll invest in a recruitment team saddled with finding the best hire for the available job position.

But an average hiring process can get complex, as any HR manager would tell you. Recruiters often have to dedicate significant work hours, poring through CV and resume submissions to see which of them makes the screening standards. 

But that doesn’t tell the entire story. When you put things into scale, hiring talent for a job takes more processes than usual. On average, most job offers received  about 250 applications   . Therefore, the hiring team must set several standards to narrow the list to the most qualified candidate in the job market .

Furthermore, companies may decide to increase their hiring rate while keeping the recruitment team roughly the same or smaller in some cases. Such strategies may force recruiters to get creative in the resume screening process to get the right-fit talent with as few resources as possible. They also focus on  talent intelligence    during the hiring process.

As hiring personnel, you might wonder where to begin a modern-day resume screening procedure. What are the initial considerations? Don’t worry; we’ve got a quick and easy How-To guide on the most effective resume screening process.

Resume Screening: Its Place in the Hiring Process

Resume screening is one of the first steps to talent onboarding in an organization. It’s the preliminary step where the manager vets each resume application to determine if they can fit into the open job description.

Typically, the recruiter runs each resume against some factors that would objectively decide which of them gets approved for the next phase. 

Resume Screening Factors

Since every submitted resume contains each prospective applicant’s qualifications, the recruiter must develop specific factors to ensure that the submissions are considered without bias. The following are the standard screening factors you must consider:

Minimum Qualifications

The minimum qualification for an open job position means the lowest possible attributes each prospective applicant must have to make it to the next stage. Any candidate who doesn’t meet the minimum qualifications gets dropped automatically.

However, the minimum qualifications can differ based on the job description. For instance, it can be a specific degree for a technical position and a license for clerical roles. 

Preferred Qualifications

You’ll take things further by considering the preferred qualifications during the resume screening process. Again, these attributes are nice and would make the candidate fit more snugly into the vacant position.

Preferred qualifications    aren’t compulsory and don’t mean you’d drop anyone who doesn’t have them. However, any resume with the preferred qualifications would have a higher priority than those with only the minimum attributes.

A preferred qualification might be years of working experience, an advanced degree, or additional certification. Candidates with such attributes can get considered for the next screening phase much faster than others. 

The Shortlist

You must understand that none of the abovementioned screening factors work in black-and-white. The minimum and preferred qualifications should give you insights into drawing up a shortlist, allowing you to complement your recruitment needs with the available talent options. 

Depending on the number of candidates you’ll eventually hire, your resume screening shortlist can include every application or the most suitable one that meets both minimum and preferred qualifications.

Resume Screening Software

As an organization grows in the workforce, its recruitment team has to evolve to accommodate the increased applications for open positions. Unfortunately, HR departments rarely expand to accommodate the added resumes they have to handle. That leaves them to explore the possibility of using screening software to address each applicant.

Resume screening software is often a part of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) package. They enable the manager to automate each resume consideration, effectively cutting down the time taken for the entire process. 

A typical resume screening application will parse applicants’ qualifications to determine their eligibility. You have to upload the talents’ into the system. Some packages allow for bulk uploads if you’ve got many applicants at a time. 

Then, the system automatically scans through the emails and attachments to pick the right candidate. Finally, it will upload the selections to a central dashboard where other recruiters can view them. Furthermore, you can configure the resume screening software using mapping functions and modes. 

Also, you can find some excellent screen software alternatives on the market. You may need a subscription to access their full features, or you can try to find some free options.

A complete recruitment process has many progressive steps and can get intensive for the managers. That’s partly because organizations want to onboard new talents with as little a cost as they can manage. 

Are you a new recruiting personnel looking to learn the  latest methods    to breeze through the resume screening process? Then, our short but handy guide above can set you on the right path. 

Lori Wade is a journalist and content writer for many outlets, including   Draftable   .

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Resume screening made simple: A guide for recruiters

Resume screening can feel daunting. 

For instance, with the average corporate job opening receiving roughly 250 applications , resume screening can be a highly time-consuming process. As a hiring manager, you often have hundreds of resumes to sift through for just one open position – both from unqualified applicants and applicants who could be a great fit for the role. 

So how do you ensure you're making the right hiring decisions ? How do you separate good hires from poor fits? And what reliable criteria should you use for deciding who does and who doesn't get invited to the interview process?

This resume screening guide answers these questions and is packed with valuable information to help ensure that you don't mistakenly miss out on great talent. You'll also learn how to speed up the resume screening process. 

But first things first. 

Table of contents

What is resume screening, manual resume screening vs automated resume screening , importance of having a clear-cut resume screening process, the disadvantages of screening resumes, what to look for in resumes when you're screening manually, how to screen resumes and make the hiring process more efficient, red flags to look out for during resume screening, enhance your resume screening process with online skills assessments.

Resume screening is the process of assessing and evaluating whether a job candidate has the qualifications, desired skills, education, personality traits, and work history for a specific role based on their resume. The resume screening process usually happens after a job listing has been posted and comes before an interview. 

For recruiting teams who often receive a large number of resumes, resume screening may feel like finding the best needles in the haystack of job applications. 

Manual resume screening involves recruiters or hiring managers reviewing each resume individually. This approach is a time-consuming process, but it allows recruiters to assess the full scope of each candidate's qualifications and experience.

On the other hand, automated resume screening typically uses a resume screening tool. For example, an applicant tracking system(ATS) scans resumes for keywords and criteria relevant to the job opening. This process is much faster than manual resume screening, but it can also be less accurate.

Both automated screening and manual screening have their own pros and cons. The best approach for your company will depend on your specific needs and resources. 

If you have a high volume of resumes to screen, then automated resume screening may be a good option for you. However, if you are looking for a more holistic assessment of candidates, then manual resume screening may be a better choice than using a software tool. 

A well-defined and systematic resume screening process will help you and your team with the following: 

It improves your quality of hires because it allows for a precise alignment of candidate qualifications with job requirements. A well-defined process ensures that candidates moving forward have the necessary skills and experience for the role, increasing the chances of a successful hire.

Resume screening ensures that your company adheres to labor laws and regulations, promotes fair hiring practices , and reduces the risk of discrimination claims.

Manual screening also identifies top candidates who may be overlooked by applicant tracking systems (ATS).

It saves you time and resources. This is applicable if you're using automated resume screening tools. For example, employers can quickly identify unsuitable candidates. This saves valuable time, preventing unnecessary interviews with individuals who don't meet the job criteria.

Although resume screening is a valuable tool for helping recruiters and hiring managers like you narrow down the pool of applicants to a smaller group of qualified candidates, it has its downsides too. 

Here are some its disadvantages:

False positives and false negatives. Automated resume screening tools are not perfect, and they can sometimes make mistakes. This can lead to false positives (candidates who are not qualified but are selected for an interview) and false negatives (qualified candidates who are eliminated from the selection process).

Unconscious bias. Despite a standardized resume screening process, you may still be influenced by unconscious bias . This can lead you to overlook qualified candidates who do not fit their stereotype of the ideal candidate.

Keyword stuffing. Some candidates may try to game the resume screening process by keyword stuffing their resumes. This means that they may include specified keywords in their resume in an attempt to get their resume selected for an interview.

Limited scope. Resume screening only provides a limited view of a candidate's qualifications and potential. Remember: a resume is just a piece of paper, and it cannot fully convey the skills, experience, and personality of potential candidates. 

With these downsides, keep in mind that resume screening is more effective when used with other hiring methods, such as interviews and skills testing. 

Further reading: Are CVs the best tool for hiring? Here’s what the data says

There are three important elements to check for when reviewing resumes during the recruitment process. 

1. The non-negotiables

The first step in effectively screening resumes is to ensure that your selected pool of candidates for interview meets your basic requirements. These basic requirements may include a candidate's employment history, certain level of education (such as high-school graduate) or a specific skill-set, like coding skills or customer service skills . 

2. The nice-to-haves

After screening candidates based on their basic experience and qualifications, it’s time to narrow the pool further by focusing on the “nice to haves”. 

Nice to haves might include additional qualifications, desirable interpersonal skills for the role, and impressive soft skills – like listening skills, and impressive additional experience.

3. Culture add

Culture add refers to how a candidate’s values, behaviors, and interests align with your company values and the behaviors and activities that would make your ideal hire successful in a specific role. 

Further reading - Culture add vs. Culture fit: Why culture add is the new way forward

With so many applicants to choose from, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the resume screening process. Here’s how to make the process easier, less time-consuming, and more efficient. 

Define your criteria. 

Before screening and reviewing resumes, have a predetermined criteria for what makes a qualified candidate. This step will help you focus your screening efforts and save time at the same time. 

"On every search, I like to focus on three skills that will screen a candidate in or out regardless of the amount of requirements that are on the job description. If they have the three skills, I move them forward and invite them for a phone screen. If not, I reject them and send a rejection email," shares Ryan Watson , senior technical recruiter at By Light Professional IT services . 

Highlight your predetermined criteria in the job description.

An effective resume screening process begins before you receive a pile of eligible resumes from applicants. It also starts with well-written job descriptions. 

To whittle down the applicant pool, provide a detailed job description and role requirements. You might also want to desribe your company culture . Be sure to include: 

The experience needed for the role

A list of of relevant skills required

Details regarding their responsibilities during a standard workday

Necessary education and preferred qualifications needed for the position

Insights into the job and company culture – do you have regular socials? Is your team more independent? What are the social expectations of a new employee?

Further reading: How to write great job descriptions plus template

Use resume screening software. 

Resume screening software or candidate screening software like applicant tracking systems (ATS) can help you sort candidates based on keyword search results or answers to particular questions. 

As a talent assessment tool that is often powered by artificial intelligence , this type of software can go a long way in helping speed up the screening process, as it quickly and efficiently screens large pools of candidates to find the best fit. 

Moreover, resume screening software also helps hiring managers avoid costly mistakes during the hiring process. For example, key information can often be mistakenly missed when a hiring manager has to sift through a large number of applications. Resume screening software ensures that candidates who meet the specific selection criteria are added to the "yes" pile.

In short, resume screening tools can free up your time so that you can focus on reviewing the most qualified candidates.

Use skills testing. 

Use skills tests to test whether candidates genuinely possess the skills they claim to have. According to a new ResumeLab survey, a staggering 36% of Americans admitted to lying on their resumes. 

To check a candidate's credibility and ensure that they genuinely possess the skills they need for the job, ask candidates to take skills-based tests. 

There is a wide range of skills tests that you can utilize based on the role you need to fill. Here are some examples of our most popular skills-based tests: 

UX/UI Design test

Working with Data test

WordPress developer test

SEO copywriting skills test

Problem solving test

In addition, there are several tests that you can use to test how well someone will fit with your team. Here are some examples: 

Enneagram personality test

Culture Add test

Ocean 5 personality test 

Use a rubric when reviewing resumes. 

A rubric is a scoring guide that you can use to assess resumes consistently and objectively. It consists of criteria and a rating scale for each criterion. 

For example, a rubric for resume screening might include the following criteria:

Education: Does the candidate have the required education for the role?

Experience: Does the candidate have the required experience for the role?

Skills: Does the candidate have the required skills for the role?

Communication skills: Is the candidate's resume well-written and easy to understand?

Overall impression: Did the candidate's resume leave a positive impression?

For each criterion, the rubric would then provide a rating scale, such as:

1: Poor 2: Fair 3: Good 4: Excellent

To use a rubric to screen resumes, you can simply read each resume and assign a rating to each criterion. Once all of the criteria have been rated, you can then calculate a total score for the resume. The resumes with the highest scores would then be shortlisted for the next stage of the recruiting process. 

Seek feedback from other team members. 

Seeking feedback from team members when screening resumes can be a valuable way to get different perspectives and identify more qualified candidates who may have been overlooked.

It also makes sense to give your team members clear instructions on what you are looking for in a candidate. This may include providing them with a copy of the job description and a list of the must-have and nice-to-have qualifications.

Finally, be open to hearing feedback from your team members, even if it is negative. Remember that the goal is not to simply confirm your own biases, but to find qualified candidates and interview the right candidates for the job.

When screening resumes, watch out for red flags indicating potential issues or mismatches between the candidate and the job. Here are some common red flags to be aware of:

Grammar and spelling errors. 

Depending on the role, poor spelling and grammar can be a red flag on a resume. More practical roles may not require grammar and spelling proficiency, so any mistakes can be overlooked. However, for many roles, strong writing skills are required to make a good impression on the company. 

In addition, poor spelling and grammar can often be a red flag, as they may signify that someone has been careless and in a rush to apply for the role. This suggests that someone has not taken time and care in crafting their application and may also hint at carelessness. 

Unclear or inaccurate information. 

A resume with unclear or inaccurate information, such as incorrect dates of employment or job titles, may indicate that the candidate is dishonest or careless.

Unexplained gaps in employment. 

Unexplained gaps in employment may indicate that the candidate has been unemployed or that they have something to hide. While gaps are not uncommon, unexplained ones can raise questions. As a recruiter, it's important to understand the reasons behind these gaps, which may range from personal reasons to job loss to job hopping. 

Mismatched job titles and responsibilities. 

A resume with job titles and responsibilities that are not relevant to the position the candidate is applying for may indicate the following: 

The candidate is not serious about the job

They do not understand the requirements of the role

If you notice any of these red flags on a resume, it is important to investigate further before deciding whether or not to invite the candidate for an interview. 

You may want to contact the candidate's former employers or ask them to provide additional information about their skills and experience.

Finally, it’s worth noting that not all red flags are deal breakers. For example, a candidate with a few grammar and spelling errors may still be qualified for the job. It is important to consider the red flags in context and to make a judgment based on the candidate's overall qualifications.

Online skills assessments like TestGorilla are a huge help when you’re trying to find the best candidates. Here are some ways to use skills testing:

Screen for minimum qualifications 

Assess for advanced skills and knowledge

Compare candidates

Get a more holistic view of candidates

By using skills testing, you can also weed out unqualified candidates while gaining valuable insights into the skills and abilities of qualified applicants. Overlooking good candidates is also less likely to happen.

When you assess your candidates with TestGorilla, you can rank them by skill leve l before you screen hundreds of resumes. Then you only need to evaluate the resumes of qualified candidates. As a result, everyone who has the necessary skills gets a fair shot, and you don’t waste any time on the vast majority of applications that aren’t a good fit.

Ready to see how you can streamline the resume screening process with TestGorilla? Sign up for a free trial or explore our test library . 

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-Jim Stroud

Recruiters pour hours into finding that one perfect resource for their company. The majority of this time is consumed by the ever so tedious CV screening process.

Do you know how many resumes a single job opening receives? Over 250! And then comes the process of wading through the unqualified applications, which are way more than the qualified ones, to reach the few applications worth considering.

On top of it all, surveys have shown that while most companies will increase their hiring volume (over 56%) but the size of 66% of recruiting teams will either stay the same size or shrink.

With so many roadblocks to overcome, we thought why not make their lives easier by laying down a detailed guide for CV screening and how to use CV screening software.

In this guide, we will show you the parts of the CV screening process that could be automated resume screening and use technological advances like resume screening machine learning so you have to put lesser effort for high yielding results.

So, roll up your sleeves and dive into this guide without further ado.

Here are the top tips that we will be covering in this resume screening guide:

Resume Screening Meaning

A detailed how-to guide on resume screening, challenges to overcome, leveraging technology for resume screening, key takeaways.

[ Back to Table of Content ]

Resume screening is the first level of vetting the applicants to determine their candidacy for any open role.

There are several aspects taken into consideration for defining the ideal candidate which often includes education criteria, previous experience, and other profile relevant information.

While screening a resume, a recruiter matches these factors/job requirements with the resumes to make a final decision on whether or not to move the candidate to the next round of recruitment.

Read on to understand how you can minimize the time taken to screen resumes and ensure the quality of hire at the same time.

The first basis for screening resumes is deciding the minimum and preferred qualifications of a role. It is best if the recruiter liaises with the concerning department head to draw up a job description that perfectly encapsulates both these types of qualifications.

The qualifications encompass anything from previous professional experience, education details, to required skills (whether hard or soft).

Once you have decided the minimum and preferred qualifications, you can move on to the following steps and create a resume screening checklist to follow:

Resume screening according to minimum qualifications

[ Back to Table of Content ] This is the minimum benchmark that each applicant should be held up to. Anyone falling below it gets rejected automatically.

Minimum qualifications can mean different things for different jobs. It usually represents a basic level of competence that would be required from the candidate if hired.

For a technical job, it could mean a degree in the relevant field. However, if the job is clerical it could mean a certain permit to work, etc.

Once you have screened the resumes that meet this basic demand, you can escalate them to the next step.

Resume screening according to preferred qualifications

[ Back to Table of Content ] These are nice-to-have qualifications that would make a candidate a shoo-in for the role. However, not necessarily mandatory but if present they should be given higher priority than candidates only having the minimum qualifications.

Prior work experience in a similar field or setting is one such example of preferred qualifications. You can move both the candidates to the final step of CV screening but remember to give preference to the ones with the more favorable qualifications.

Shortlisting resumes based on both minimum and preferred qualifications

[ Back to Table of Content ] Assess your recruitment needs before finally making a call over who to shortlist and who to reject.

If you are performing mass recruitment or conducting recruitment in high volumes then you can shortlist all the resumes from step 1 and make the final decision during the interview process.

However, if you are hiring for a specific role, it is better to only go for the cream from the bunch. Select only a few top resumes that meet both the minimum and preferred qualifications and interview them for the job.

Determining the number of resumes to be shortlisted

[ Back to Table of Content ] Now that you know how to go about shortlisting candidates. The question arises, what is the right number of candidates to be called in for an interview?

Recruitment data show that only 12% of received applications are converted to interviews. Out of these only 17% of candidates are made an offer. Further, out of these 17%, 89% usually accept the offer.

In short, to get one hire, you have to shortlist 12 candidates from every 100 resumes screened.

The biggest challenge the recruiters face today is sifting through the sheer volume of resumes submitted for a job opening. It would not be wrong to say that this causes one of the biggest bottlenecks in the recruitment process.

Followed by that, it falls on the recruiter if after going through such a strenuous CV screening process, the quality of hire is not up to the mark.

Optimizing your resume screening process can help you overcome these challenges.

Take a look below:

Dealing with volume

[ Back to Table of Content ] It takes longer and longer to fill a position these days because there are just too many resumes and not enough time to assess them all.

An eye-opening metric is that out of over 250 resumes received for a job opening, more than 88% of them are underqualified. Do you know what this means for the recruiter? That they have to spend over 23 hours screening resumes for a single hire.

A simple solution to this is the Applicant Tracking System (ATS resume screening) which is a resume screening software. If you are a recruiter or a hiring manager then this will probably become your best friend at work.

You can use it to organize all the resumes you receive for each role and further adopt an automated resume screening process. It works on a keyword search model, i.e, you can feed keywords into the system for a role and it will scan the resume for the same and only parse the resumes where the keywords are present.

However, this leaves open chances for exploitation. Oftentimes candidates can stuff their resumes with keywords just to pass the resume screening software test even if they are not qualified. On the other hand, totally capable candidates can be left out because they did not write the desired keywords in their resumes.

We will show you how you can overcome this loophole later in the guide. So, keep reading!

Quality of hire

[ Back to Table of Content ] The basis of determining whether a hire is up to the mark is different for different companies. Following are some of the most common ways that companies measure the quality of hire:

• The performance of a new hire
• Low turnover
• Satisfaction of hiring managers

There is no easy way to ensure that the quality of hire is 100% all the time and up to everyone’s expectations. If you are only using a traditional resume screening software/ATS resume screening than it won’t be enough to maintain the quality of hire. ATS is just designed to screen resumes. They are not advanced enough to learn the patterns in resumes of successful and unsuccessful employees.

Using more advanced resume screening tools like resume screening machine learning or artificial intelligence resume screening will help achieve the desired quality.

Let’s see what up and coming innovations in the recruitment industry will rule the recruitment world. You can also start using technical advancements to meet your KPIs as a recruiter.

Innovations have been made and more and more companies are looking towards artificial intelligence resume screening and resume screening machine learning to fulfill their requirement needs.

Once completely adopted, manually screening resumes will forever be a thing of the past.

Resume screening using AI

[ Back to Table of Content ] AI when integrated with the resume screening software/ATS resume screening can help to largely make it an automated resume screening process. This will be helpful for recruiters as the more monotonous jobs will be taken care of by the technology while they will be free to apply their talent elsewhere in the recruitment process.

How does it work? The AI will go through the resumes of successful employees hired previously to understand what ideal applicants should look like. It will further learn the job qualifications based on the job description and apply all this knowledge to screen resumes.

It will not only analyze the resume of successful employees but also crawl your entire resume database to understand what an unsuccessful employees’ resume looks like. The unsuccessful employee will be judged on their performance and tenure.

There’s more! artificial intelligence resume screening will also utilize the candidate’s public data from their social media profiles to interactions about prior employers to make a profile.

Moreover, the AI software will be able to make it a more automated resume screening process which will help recruiters overcome the challenges we previously talked about.

Let’s see how?

Solving the volume issue

[ Back to Table of Content ] Resume screening using AI can fix this problem once and for all. AI needs a large volume of data to accurately recommend which candidates to shortlist for interviews.

So, it is perfect for screening resumes especially if performing mass recruitment.

If you are wondering if they will replace a recruiter, the answer is no. There are many more aspects to recruitment that need a human touch that a recruiter will be free to take up once they are not spending endless hours screening resumes. From sourcing to interviewing, recruiters will have a more hands-on approach while hiring new employees.

Ensuring quality of hire

[ Back to Table of Content ] AI takes away the loophole created by resume screening software/ATS. Where an ATS would parse a keyword stiffed resume, AI will easily capture it and dismiss the candidate.

Moreover, candidates unaware of the keyword game also do not slip through as it will catch good candidates that do not have the desired keywords in their resumes.

Moreover, it will crawl your database and learn from your current hiring decisions to understand what your company envisions as a desirable candidate. Thus more or less successfully predicting quality of hire.

The testament to its success is that the companies performing resume screening using AI have reported seeing an increase in performance by 20% and their turnover rate has decreased by 35%.

I would call that a huge win!

• CV screening is the process of determining whether a candidate is desirable for a role by scrutinizing their resume for educational details, past experience, skills, etc.
• The first step is to determine the minimum qualifications required for the job.
• The second step is to determine the nice-to-haves and be on a lookout for the resumes that have them
• The third step is to shortlist candidates based on your recruitment needs and move the shortlisted candidates to the interview stage of the recruitment process.
• Create a resume screening checklist to make your job easier.
• Be aware of the challenges, especially tackling the volume and the quality of hire and seek ways to overcome them.
• Leverage technical innovations like resume screening machine learning and resume screening using AI to overcome CV screening challenges.

With this, you have reached the end of this blog. We hope that your next hire is awesome!!

Go to Hiration career platform which has 24/7 chat support and get professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries. You can also write to us at [email protected] and we will make sure to reach out to you as soon as possible.

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Resume Screening Best Practices for Recruiters (2024)

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Key takeaways :

• Factors to consider while screening resumes include job experience, educational experience, and relevant skills.
• To avoid bias in the screening phase, ignore resume elements like headshots, personal details, and hobbies.
• Applicant tracking systems (ATS) offer resume screening features that help ensure all candidates are evaluated using consistent, objective criteria.

Explore our ATS Software Guide to find tools that can make your resume screening process more efficient.

What is resume screening?

Resume screening is the practice of reviewing a candidate’s resume to determine if they are qualified for the position. It occurs after a candidate submits their resume and acts as the first checkpoint for recruiters to filter who moves forward in the interview and hiring process.

Resume screening takes many factors into account, including education, professional experience, and skills that are relevant to the job. This process may be done manually by the hiring team or recruiter, or it may happen automatically through an ATS or full-service recruiting software.

Automated screening can give recruiters more time and bandwidth to improve the candidate experience and reduce time-to-hire metrics. Resume screening can also help your team make faster decisions based on how well they fit the job description.

Also read: 7 of the Most Reliable Employment Screening Services

What should you look for when screening resumes?

There are multiple factors to look for when screening CVs, including job experience, educational experience, and relevant skills.

Job experience

When evaluating a resume, look at how closely the candidate’s past job experience matches your ideal standards for the position as well as your company’s industry. Consider what companies they have worked at previously and the length of their employment.

Pay attention to signs of job hopping as well as long employment gaps. There are numerous reasons a candidate may have stepped away from the workforce, including caregiving responsibilities, health issues, or relocation. Prying too much into a candidate’s employment history may be unethical — and illegal, in some cases — so make note of any red flags but keep an open mind.

Educational experience

Depending on the role, a candidate’s educational background may be a critical piece of their qualifications. This is especially true for highly technical positions or roles that require certifications for compliance or liability purposes.

However, a diploma or certificate is primarily an indicator of a candidate’s success in an academic setting. It’s risky to assume someone who performed well in school will have better outcomes on the job than someone who struggled in school or never graduated.

Similarly, if someone has been in the workforce for a while, their recent work experience is more relevant than their GPA from a degree they received 15 years ago. Don’t weigh educational experience too heavily if it’s not applicable.

Relevant skills

When screening resumes, you should look for other skills that are relevant to the open position. Many candidates list their main competencies as separate bullet points to make it easy to parse.

However, a bulleted list doesn’t necessarily reflect a candidate’s proficiency. If a particular skill seems out of place, make a note to ask follow-up questions during an interview to get more information.

Language and formatting

Like the rest of the application materials, the resume should use professional language and proper formatting with few or no errors. 

What’s considered appropriate formatting largely depends on the role. A standard template might be expected for engineering positions or executives, but candidates in creative fields like graphic design or social media may use their resumes to showcase their skills.

Don’t reject an otherwise perfect candidate over a tiny spelling error, but major mistakes or formatting issues may reflect a candidate’s attention to detail or enthusiasm for the role.

What to ignore on a resume

While there are plenty of things to look for while screening a CV, there are some elements that aren’t as helpful when it’s time to make a decision. These include:

• Candidate names
• Volunteer experience
• Resume length
• Objective statements

Instead of focusing on details that might reflect a candidate’s race, gender, marital status, socioeconomic background, or other identity markers, prioritize the information that predicts how well the applicant would perform in the role.

Some ATS solutions like Pinpoint remove personally-identifying information automatically. This helps preserve hiring objectivity and prevent unconscious bias from creeping in.

Resume screening best practices

Best practices for resume screening include establishing selection criteria beforehand, creating a resume rating system and using an applicant tracking system.

Establish your selection criteria

Before you start the CV screening process, decide what criteria you are looking for so you can evaluate each resume objectively. Streamlined standards also make it easier to sort resumes quickly while reducing the risk that a promising candidate slips through the cracks.

If you are hiring for multiple positions or clients, it can be difficult to stay on top of the criteria for each job. Review the relevant job description before going through resumes to ensure the relevant criteria are fresh in your mind.

Create a resume rating system

To keep the screening process simple, rank or tag resumes based on how well they fit your hiring criteria as you sort through candidates. Most companies group resumes into Yes, No, and Maybe piles to keep things simple, but some hiring teams use more complex systems for critical roles.

Sometimes you will get resumes from candidates who aren’t a fit for the job they applied for but may be the right match for another job down the road. Don’t delete “Maybe” resumes that have potential; instead, keep them on file to build up a pool for future openings.

Read more: What Are Passive Candidates & How Can You Recruit Them?

Consider using an ATS

Manually screening resumes is time-consuming and tedious and takes your HR team away from more valuable activities. If your company receives a high volume of resumes for each job listing, consider using an ATS or a standalone resume screening tool.

Products in this software category typically come with several features to improve the resume screening phase:

• Social media integration matches candidate resumes to their online profiles.
• Custom workflow automations send templated emails to candidates based on whether they advance to the next hiring phase.
• Resume archiving stores candidate information for future job opportunities.

Ready to take your recruiting process to the next level with the help of an applicant tracking system? Check out our ATS Software Guide to find the right tools for your hiring team.

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Get a free ats resume scan, powered by artifical intelligence, companies often receive hundreds of resumes for every job posting they put out. they and their hiring managers don't have the time to go through each resume individually, so they use software, often called applicant tracking systems (ats), to filter through all the resumes they receive. you need to make sure your resume is read correctly by these ats and resume screening software. if it is not, your resume could get instantly rejected by these systems and never make its way to a recruiter or hiring manager. our resume scanner evaluates whether your resume will be read correctly by ats, i.e. if it is ats compliant. in addition, it also gives you detailed feedback on key criteria recruiters and hiring managers look for, for free., how do i make sure my resume is ats-compliant, here are some guidelines you should follow to ensure your resume gets correctly scanned by all applicant tracking systems..

Use standard section titles : Label your work experience and education sections with conventional section titles. For example, use "Professional Experience" instead of "My career in a nutshell".

Use standard fonts : Some newer fonts convert letters to special characters which often get scanned incorrectly by ATS. Where possible, stick to a standard font (Garamond, Arial, Calibri) where possible.

Single-column layouts : Modern ATS are better at scanning multi-column layout but there are several ATS that fail at reading multi-column resumes in the way you'd expect it to.

No tables : Tables rarely get parsed correctly. Use tabs and right/left aligns to structure your resume instead.

No scanned documents, pictures or diagrams : Your resume's text must be highlightable and readable. Avoid using images or diagrams in your resume - this includes pie charts and graphs too!

Find out if your resume passes the ATS resume test

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An example of an ATS friendly resume template that is readable by ATS and resume scanners

Here are the guidelines we outlined above in practice. notice the clean single-column design and how fancy formatting like tables, diagrams and graphs have been stripped out. ats resume scanners either ignore these or read them incorrectly. you want to make sure you stick to text and a standard font with minimal use of special characters. similarly, notice how this resume also uses standard section titles, such as "experience" and "education". resume scanners specifically look out for these core sections and you want to make sure they're easy to find. bonus tip: use reverse chronological order for your dates. many applicant tracking systems try to find your most recent work experience and assumes your resume is in reverse chronological order (i.e. most recent first)., the importance of resume keywords, if you're reading until this point, you've understood how to make your resume readable and scanned correctly by applicant tracking systems, or ats. this is a great start - well done however, you're not done yet. you need to now make sure these resume scanners actually rank your resume highly. let's back up for a bit. if you recall at the start of this page, we discussed that companies use ats to filter down the number of applicants they receive. they filter resumes by looking for keywords that match the job description. fortunately for you, our resume keyword scanner helps you identify the right keywords to include on your resume. this tool helps you test your resume against a specific job description, enabling you to optimize for that posting (and of course, dramatically increase your success rate)..

What tests does our ATS resume scanner run?

We'll scan your resume in 30 seconds and evaluate it against a range of criteria that recruiters and hiring managers consider important. our resume test goes even deeper than an ats scan, and gives you feedback on many other areas of your resume such as impact, soft skills and brevity. this enables you to identify gaps on your resume so you can fix them., unlimited ats resume scans, you get several free uploads to our resume scanner. if you have different versions of your resumes (and you should, especially if you are applying to different industries), you can test each of your resumes through our resume scanner. this allows you to evaluate all versions of your resume for not only ats friendliness, but also other key criteria (like impact, hard skills and core competencies), to make sure you get as many interviews as possible. to get started, upload your resume in pdf. if you're wondering if pdfs can be read by ats, the answer is yes unless specified, always use pdf. all ats can read them perfectly as long as you stick to the guidelines we've outlined above - i.e. ensure your resume is not a scan, is not an image and uses standard formatting (it should ideally have been exported by google docs or microsoft word)., an effective free resume scanner, as of 2024, our free resume scanner has supported 5 million job seekers globally. it's an effective platform to determine: whether you have a scannable resume : find out if your resume will be scanned correctly by an applicant tracking system. are your achievements read correctly find out instantly. your ats readability : check that your work experience and skills are identified correctly. note that if your work experience isn't detected correctly, an ats may auto-flag you as unemployed — you want to avoid this since you might automatically get rejected. how well your resume matches the job description : you will be given a resume score, which will help you understand if your resume covers all the right keywords and recruiter checks. you'll also get access to our advanced ai resume writer, which will enhance your resume's existing content and turn it into professional content you can use on your resume. you'll never have to ever ask, "is my resume good enough". you'll know it is..

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A Resume Screening Checklist For Identifying The Best Candidates

Adrian Dixon

November 11, 2016

Screening resumes is usually the most time-consuming part of recruiting so a good resume screening checklist is crucial to stay on track.

Step 1: Compile a list of the job qualifications

The first step in your resume screening checklist is understanding which skills, traits, and behaviors are necessary to be successful in the role.

The best way to do this is to assess what the qualifications of successful employees look.

Figuring out the job’s qualifications can involve talking to current employees and their supervisors as well as examining their resumes to find common patterns in:

• Work Experience
• Skills, Knowledge, and Competencies
• Personality Traits

Step 2: Categorize each job qualification as minimum or preferred

The second step in your resume screening checklist is deciding if each job qualification is a minimum or preferred one.

Minimum qualifications are ones that a candidate must have in order to do the job. An example of a minimum qualification for a retail associate is good written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred qualifications are ones that would make someone a stronger candidate. An example of a preferred qualification is whether the candidate has prior related work experience.

A good rule of thumb is that a candidate would be unable to do the job without each minimum qualification whereas he or she would be able to do the job without any of the preferred qualifications.

For example, an extroverted candidate with good communication skills (minimum qualification) who lacks prior retail experience (preferred qualification) can be successful as a retail associate with some on-the-job training.

Depending on a job’s workflow, candidates can be screened based on minimum qualifications, preferred qualifications, or both.

Step 3: Create a resume screening scorecard for the job qualifications

The third step in your resume screening checklist is taking the minimum and preferred qualifications and creating a resume screening scorecard.

The purpose of this scorecard is to be able to easily rank each candidate based on the job qualifications and shortlisting the strongest candidates.

For a retail associate role, your scorecard might look like this:

Step 4: Find a good resume screening technology tool

If you’re conducting high-volume recruitment, step four in your resume screening checklist may be the most important: finding and investing in a good resume screening technology tool.

When you’re recruiting for roles that receive hundreds or even thousands of resumes per job opening, you don’t always have the time to manually screen every resume.

That’s why a new category of resume screening tools called AI for recruiting is getting so much attention.

Intelligent resume screening is software that integrates with your ATS that automates steps 1 to 3 of your resume screening checklist for you.

It does this by learning the job qualifications based on the resumes of existing successful employees to automatically screen, shortlist, and grade new candidates (e.g., A to C or Red , Yellow , and Green ).

For high-volume recruitment, intelligent resume screening is a huge technological step forward. Not only does it save you the time it takes to manually screen resumes, it helps you better predict quality of hire by learning which candidates moved on to become successful and unsuccessful employees.

The takeaways for creating a resume screening checklist

The majority of recruiters believe screening candidates is the most time-consuming and hardest part of their job. As hiring volume is predicted to increase in 2017, screening resumes will only become more of a challenge.

To help you stay on track and identify the best candidates, follow this 4-step resume screening checklist:

• Step 1: Compile a list of the job qualifications based on current successful employees.
• Step 2: Categorize each job qualification as a minimum or preferred qualification.
• Step 3: Create a resume screening scorecard for the job qualifications to shortlist candidates.
• Step 4: Find a good resume screening technology tool, especially if you conduct high-volume recruitment.

Depending on your hiring volume, you may want to automate some or all of your resume screening checklist. In that case, investing in a resume screening technology may be the way to go.

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9 Resume Screening Tools to Boost Your Hiring

The old ways of hiring candidates are outdated and stagnant, not to mention that they can lead to organizations hiring the wrong people. With the advancement of HR technology, it’s never been easier for companies to hire the right people for open positions.

Resume screening plays a crucial part in this new wave of HR technology. But how does it integrate into your hiring pipeline, and what will it actually do for YOU?

Below, we’ll chat about the importance of resume screening software, why hiring managers should be signing up for new software asap, and how applicant tracking systems are the future of hiring.

TL;DR – Key Takeaways

• Resume screening tools offer unparalleled advantages in processing job applications, providing efficiency and time-saving benefits by automating initial pre-screening.
• By using candidate screening software, you can handle large volumes of resumes quickly and accurately, ensuring consistency in evaluations.
• However, resume screening software can rely too heavily on matching keywords in resumes and job descriptions. They lack the ability to assess soft skills and have difficulty recognizing non-traditional candidates. Discover more about the resume screening process .
• A shift to evidence-based hiring puts resume screening tools in a tight corner. With more hiring managers focusing on skills over resumes, skills assessment platforms offer a viable alternative to spotting truly qualified candidates.
• For example, Toggl Hire’s role-based assessments enable recruiters and hiring managers to quickly check if a candidate’s qualifications and experience listed on the resume match their job-relevant technical skills.

What are the different types of resume screening software?

What are the benefits of resume screening tools?

When it comes to processing job applications, resume screening tools offer an unparalleled advantage. While a human recruiter can only sift through one resume at a time, these automated tools can effortlessly handle hundreds or even thousands of resumes in a fraction of the time.

“With the help of applicant tracking systems, HR teams can quickly and easily screen resumes, manage job postings, and communicate with candidates, improving the recruitment process and ensuring that the best candidates are hired.” Sumit Sabharwal, Vice President of HR at Fujitsu

Efficiency and time-saving

Utilizing resume screening tools can significantly increase efficiency and save time in the hiring process. These powerful tools can rapidly process vast quantities of resumes in a matter of minutes, reducing the workload for human recruiters.

And automating the initial screening stage allows recruiters to quickly and precisely assess candidates’ qualifications, skills, and experience. Simply put, say goodbye to reading over piles and piles of CVs and LinkedIn profiles.

Consistency

Maintaining consistency in the resume screening process is essential to ensure all applicants are evaluated equitably and without bias. Human recruiters may be prone to fatigue or personal preferences, leading to companies potentially hiring candidates that don’t fit the required tole.

Resume screening tools, however, ensure all resumes are assessed the same way, reducing the risk of prejudice and errors and resulting in a more impartial screening process.

Improved quality of hire

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology has revolutionized resume screening tools. These tools use sophisticated algorithms to examine resumes, searching for specific keywords, job qualifications, and applicable experience.

By harnessing the power of AI and ML, recruiters can pick out exceptional candidates that may have been missed in a manual screening process. Additionally, these tools ceaselessly learn and adjust according to feedback and results, elevating their accuracy and refining the selection process over time.

Cost savings

Automating the resume screening process may potentially cut hiring costs for organizations. By minimizing the demand for extra recruitment personnel, companies can maximize their resources and allocate them to other essential parts of the hiring process.

What’s more, the time saved through automation transforms into cost savings, as recruiters can concentrate on more strategic aspects of talent acquisition.

Scalability

Resume screening tools offer businesses unparalleled scalability for expansion or seasonal fluctuations in recruitment requirements. They can easily accommodate increasing numbers of applications while maintaining accuracy and efficiency.

Resume screening tools provide the flexibility to quickly adjust to changing demands, whether a company is expanding rapidly or facing increases in applicant volume.

The challenges of relying on resume screening software

While resume screening software can be an efficient tool, it does face certain limitations.

“CVs are written to present the applicant in the most positive light possible. They focus on the strengths of the candidate and might leave out important weaknesses. They also require you to trust in the honesty of the applicant, which at this stage in the process, is not a given.” Paul Scharf, CTO @ Toggl

These are the limitations you’ll need to keep in mind when looking at and integrating resume-screening software.

Over-reliance on keywords

One such drawback is its reliance on specific key phrases. These tools tend to prioritize comparing resumes to job postings based on precise keywords.

Unfortunately, this strategy could unintentionally leave out competent candidates who may have used different language or word choices. For example, if a job description highlights “content production,” the software could overlook a candidate who listed “content creation” as a relevant capability. Not to mention the unintended incentive for job seekers to lean on keyword stuffing to pass the initial ATS software check – that can really muddle your talent pool !

Potential for bias

Even though they can diminish prejudice, resume screening software is not invulnerable to it. If the algorithms that power these tools are trained on prejudiced data, they can inadvertently continue present unconscious biases .

For instance, there have been cases where resume screening AI developed partiality against female applicants due to the historical data it was based on — mainly consisting of resumes from male candidates. This highlights the significance of frequently overseeing and enhancing the algorithms to guarantee equitable and unprejudiced results.

Difficulty recognizing non-traditional candidates

Another major challenge faced by resume screening software is its struggle to acknowledge the worth of non-conventional candidates. These applicants, such as those switching careers or having unusual work records, could possess beneficial abilities and experiences that are not effortlessly picked up by traditional screening standards.

If an experienced teacher submits an application for a corporate training position, the software may have difficulty recognizing the transferability of the candidate’s teaching expertise. A candidate’s work history and professional title don’t predict future job performance, so you’re much better off pre-screening and shortlisting candidates based on job-specific abilities.

Technological limitations and errors

These tools may sporadically misinterpret or mishandle information, specifically when faced with distinct resume formats. If, for example, a candidate’s resume is formatted as a PDF file rather than a Word file, the software might incorrectly process or even disregard it.

Inability to assess soft skills

Resume screening software often has trouble effectively gauging and evaluating soft skills , like communication , teamwork, and problem-solving aptitudes. These tools generally focus on keyword matching and certifications.

As a result, a candidate may appear highly qualified on paper but lack the indispensable soft skills required for success in a particular job. It emphasizes the importance of including alternate assessment methods to thoroughly analyze applicants’ overall fit.

The rising star: skill assessments as a modern alternative

As we’ve already pointed out, skill assessment platforms are proving invaluable to employers. Rather than profiling candidates solely on their resumes, these platforms offer a deeper understanding of a candidate’s true abilities. So, let’s take a look at all of the benefits associated with them.

Demonstrating actual ability

Skill assessment tools give candidates a chance to show off their actual aptitudes and skills, allowing employers to see their skillfulness firsthand. Rather than relying solely on self-declared abilities mentioned on a resume or their social media profile, these platforms enable candidates to actively demonstrate their competencies through practical assessments.

Skill assessments supply a more accurate and reliable measure of a candidate’s talents by focusing on in-the-moment performance rather than just verbal statements.

Reducing bias

A remarkable benefit of skill assessment tools is their capability to assist in diminishing prejudice and bias in the recruitment process. By concentrating on a candidate’s capability to undertake work-related tasks or resolve issues directly associated with the role, these platforms move the emphasis away from subjective elements such as personal background or demographics.

Applicable to various roles

Skill assessments are flexible and adjustable to meet different job roles and sectors. From coding tests for software engineering roles to writing evaluations for content producer roles, the variability allows employers to rate candidates’ talents in a precise and job-specific fashion.

Data-Driven Decisions

Skill assessment platforms provide employers with quantifiable information about each applicant’s aptitudes, allowing for data-driven decision-making in the recruitment process.

By tracking objective measurements of capabilities and performance, these tools supply useful insights that can be contrasted and examined to make informed hiring decisions . Employers can judge candidates depending on pre-established criteria, ultimately enhancing the caliber of hiring results.

Improved Candidate Experience

Candidates usually appreciate the chance to demonstrate their talents through skill assessments. By giving a balanced and involving evaluation process, skill assessment platforms add to a better candidate experience .

Candidates sense that their capacities are really thought about, augmenting their involvement and contentment throughout the recruitment journey.

Efficient and Cost-Effective

Skill assessments streamline the evaluation stage and help reduce the amount of time and effort spent reviewing each resume. Not only that, but the data-driven nature of skill assessments also helps employers focus their resources on the top contenders, making the entire hiring process easier and more effective.

9 Great resume screening software tools

Now, it’s finally time to get to the heart of the article: we will tell you about some of the best resume screening software for your organization.

Mind you, we’re listing different types of resume screening software in no particular order, so don’t jump to conclusions too fast 😉

#1 – Zoho Recruit

Zoho Recruit is a resume management software that helps recruiters save time spent on shortlisting, engaging, and hiring candidates. It lets you parse multiple resumes and transfer candidate information to your candidate or client database.

Category: Applicant tracking system with multiple solutions

Key features: Candidate sourcing, resume management, social recruiting , employee referrals, job advertising, background screening

What customers say:

“Zoho Recruit is tailor-made for a recruiter so that I can interact with my client in real-time, 24/7 no matter where I am. I don’t have to do a lot of documentation that in itself is worth a million bucks.” Katari Grassiel, MD, Seattle BC Group, Seattle

Ideal is an AI-driven HR software platform that enables hiring managers to make better, faster, and unbiased talent decisions.

Category: AI-driven Resume Screening

Key features: AI-powered screening, resume parsing, job board integration, chatbot assistant, candidate ranking and scoring, workflow automation, collaborative hiring

“The IDEAL project team is easy to work with and aren’t “Locked In” to their own way of doing things rather they are willing to listen and open to new concepts. Ideal brought an entire integration project team to the table from day 1 to help us integrate and get launched.” Robert B, Director, Talent Acquisition Systems and Strategy

#3 – Oracle Talent Management Cloud (formerly Taleo)

Oracle Talent Management facilitates strategic review and analysis of talent, retention and improvement of skills, provision of career opportunities, coaching of goals and performance, talent reviews, and succession planning to keep talent engaged and productive.

Category: Traditional Applicant Tracking System

Key features: Recruiting, candidate relationship management (CRM), onboarding, performance management, learning and development, succession planning, career development, compensation management, analytics and reporting, integration and API, compliance and security, and mobile accessibility.

“ Detail-oriented recruitment tool. Globally used and I have been using this tool for the past 5 years. Easy to understand and use the tool for creating candidate experience and others with respect to recruitment.” Priyanshul G., Talent Acquisition – Sourcing & Identification Specialist

#4 – Sovren

Sovren is a software company specializing in creating configurable, scalable, and precise recruitment intelligence software.

Category: Resume parsing

Key features: Resume parsing, job order parsing, skill extraction and matching, semantic search, AI-powered matching, data standardization What customers say:

Their technology affords you an opportunity…a means to do what you do at a higher level, more efficiently, more effectively…than ever before.

#5 – DaXtra Parser

DaXtra Parser is the most accurate and multi-lingual resume/job parsing software, capable of converting unstructured documents into structured XML/JSON in multiple languages.

Key features: Resume parsing, job parsing, skill extraction, semantic search, multi-language support, industry-specific taxonomies, data standardization, integration capabilities, configurable rules and filters, and compliance and privacy.

They did exactly what the told us they could do. Efficient parsing, comprehensive search.

#6 – Affinda

Affinda ‘s machine-learning system identifies more than 100 details from resumes, organizing the information into a searchable format.

Key features: document processing, data extraction, entity recognition, language detection, sentiment analysis, named entity recognition (NER), optical character recognition (OCR), text classification, relationship extraction, and data visualization.

When I compared the accuracy of the Affinda resume parser to 8 other resume parsers, Affinda was better than or equal to the others. But where Affinda really stood out head and shoulders above the others is in their level of support and attention to the customer.

#7 – Tracker

Tracker is a web-based recruitment management and CRM solution designed for recruiting professionals across all industries.

Category: semantic search and matching

Key features: applicant tracking, job posting and distribution, resume parsing, candidate database, interview scheduling

“As the marketing director for our firm, I am already seeing an increase in productivity and ease-of-use for implementing all strategies. The built-in campaign and sequencing is clutch for our prospecting. Data import and access to both client and candidate data online has been terrific.”

#8 – Eightfold.ai

Eightfold.ai , an AI-driven, continuous learning platform brings intelligence from mining millions of data points and billions of interactions across the internet to your organization.

Key features: talent intelligence platform, candidate relationship management, personalized candidate experience, AI-powered candidate matching, diversity and inclusion analytics

“The Eightfold AI is very intuitive and brings in several dimensions to present employees with quality recommendations. The combination of jobs, learning, mentors and projects helps employees and the enterprise connect all the dots. It is truly a dynamic tool delivering a quality employee experience.”

#9 – Toggl Hire

Toggl Hire is a skills assessment platform with powerful applicant tracking system capabilities. It gives hiring teams incredible insight into candidates’ job-specific skills with smart screening tools. Instead of focusing on self-reported competencies on candidates’ resumes, recruiters and hiring managers can get reliable proof of competence via pre-employment assessments , pre-recorded video interviews , and homework assignments . So you find and shortlist quality talent, real fast!

Category: Skills-based hiring platform

Key features: 200+ skills, 180+ ready-made assessment templates, anti-cheating automatic tracking system, different types of tests: skills tests, video tests, homework assignments, hiring pipeline, talent pool, team collaboration

“We’ve been using Toggl Hire for almost 3 years, with more than 20,000 test-takers that completed one of the 20+ tests we have on the platform. The service is easy to use and helps us perform quick and effective top-of-the-funnel filtering while keeping a great Candidate Experience.” Gilad Bornstein, Co-Founder and CEO at Flatworld.co

No More Paper Chasing: The Rise of Skills over Resumes

Resume screening software tools have become invaluable in the hiring process due to their efficiency and time-saving capabilities. Leveraging AI and machine learning algorithms, they quickly process large volumes of resumes, promoting consistent evaluations while minimizing bias and errors.

In addition, they can identify exceptional candidates that might be missed in manual screenings, thus enhancing the quality of hire .

By adopting these tools, organizations can make data-driven decisions, enhance the candidate experience, and streamline the evaluation stage, ultimately making the hiring process more efficient and cost-effective.

But if you’re really serious about efficient candidate screening, enrich your screening process with auto-graded skills tests !

Juste loves investigating through writing. A copywriter by trade, she spent the last ten years in startups, telling stories and building marketing teams. She works at Toggl Hire and writes about how businesses can recruit really great people.

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Master Phone Screening Interview Questions With This Guide

A phone screening is a steadfast part of nearly every interview process, acting as an initial filter to identify suitable candidates and weed out others who may be unqualified for a particular role. They serve to save recruiters time and their company’s money by being the buffer between a candidate applying for a job and being scheduled for a full-fledged interview.

Here, we’ll discuss the art of phone screening and how to ask the right questions to help hiring managers and recruiters streamline their hiring process.

Phone Screening: The Ultimate Time Saver

Phone screenings are a popular part of the hiring process for a reason. They’re quick and effective for identifying promise in potential candidates ahead of a real interview. When a phone screening is executed correctly, the recruiter (and their organization) can benefit greatly from its streamlined structure.

Quick Elimination

Phone screenings help to quickly eliminate candidates who are not a good fit for the position right out of the gate, saving invaluable time in the hiring process. With the right phone screening interview questions, recruiters can swiftly discern whether a candidate’s qualifications, experience and salary expectations align with the job description. If they don’t, there’s typically no need to push them further through the funnel.

Efficient Filtering

Most jobs have essential criteria that candidates must meet. Phone screenings are a great way to efficiently filter out candidates who don’t meet baseline requirements, ensuring subsequent interviews are only scheduled for the most promising candidates.

Leveraging the brevity of phone screenings is another key advantage. These screenings allow recruiters to evaluate a larger number of candidates within a shorter time frame compared to traditional interviews. While they’re not a true replacement, the concise nature of a phone screen interview enables quick assessments of candidates’ communication skills , professionalism and suitability for the role.

Flexibility

The flexibility of phone screenings can help reduce hiring delays. Unlike traditional interviews, phone screenings are lower stakes and, in some cases, a lot less formal. They’re flexible to accommodate both the recruiter’s and the candidate’s schedules, which helps maintain momentum in the hiring process .

What Types Of Questions to Ask During a Phone Screening

To realize the benefits of phone screenings, recruiters have to ask the right questions. As these calls are typically short, there’s no time to waste inquiring about information that won’t move the needle — in one direction or the other.

These question categories are a great place to start; developing just one query for each can be more than enough:

Basic Qualification Questions

Asking about basic qualifications helps recruiters quickly understand whether or not a candidate’s background aligns with the role at hand. Learning about their education, certifications, and specific skills related to the position helps the hiring manager determine if they meet the minimum requirements. These questions, or variations thereof, are great examples of basic questions to kick the phone screening off.

• Why are you interested in this position?
• Can you briefly walk me through your professional experience? How does it relate to this role?

Experience and Skill-Based Questions

Diving a little deeper than the above questions, discussing a candidate’s experience and skills through project examples and tool proficiency is another effective way to gauge their suitability for the position. 

Ask candidates to describe their involvement in previous projects and the tools they used to get a sense of their hands-on experience and problem-solving abilities and to identify candidates with the practical skills necessary to succeed. Try questions like:

• Can you provide an example of a project or task you’ve handled that is similar to what this role requires? What role did you play in getting that project across the finish line?
• What tools or software relevant to this role do you have experience using?

Cultural Fit Questions

Culture is an important part of most workplaces. Evaluating cultural fit helps determine whether a job candidate will thrive at the organization. Questions about teamwork, adaptability and conflict resolution can provide insights into how a prospective candidate interacts with colleagues and handles challenges. Consider questions like:

• How do you approach teamwork and collaboration?
• Can you describe a time when you had to adapt to a significant change at work?

Understanding a candidate’s work style and values can strongly indicate how they’ll integrate into the workplace and even shine a light on their potential for long-term success with the company.

Logistical and Availability Questions

Checking availability factors, such as potential start dates, willingness to relocate or ability to work specific hours, ensures that logistical requirements are addressed early on. This helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that candidates who progress further in the interview process can meet the job’s demands. These types of questions are typically fairly straightforward, but here are a couple of  examples:

• What is your current availability? When would you be able to start if hired?
• Are you comfortable with the location or remote work requirements for this role?

Motivation and Goals

Understanding the reasons that a candidate is seeking a new job and what their career aspirations are can reveal valuable information about what drives them and their long-term career goals. How committed are they? What’s their potential for growth within the company? To help reveal their passion and vision for their future, ask questions like:

• Why are you looking to leave your current position (or why did you leave your last role)?
• Where do you see yourself in the next few years? How does this role align with your overarching career goals?

Clarifying Questions

Finally, leave some time for one or two clarifying questions. If the candidate has employment gaps, specific skills or experiences listed on their resume that would be valuable to learn more about, ask about them. This allows candidates to explain areas of concern directly, giving recruiters a more complete picture of their background and capabilities. While these will be customized to each individual candidate, try questions like:

• I noticed a gap in your employment history—can you explain what you were doing during that time?
• Your resume mentions a skill (or experience) we’re particularly interested in—can you elaborate on that?

Tips To Apply To Your Next Candidate Phone Screening

With those categorical questions in mind, there are a few valuable tips recruiters can couple with their phone screening interview questions to deliver the best possible candidate experience and gather the most valuable information:

• Prepare in advance: Review the candidate’s resume ahead of time to ensure a productive phone screening . Become familiar with their work history, skills and achievements and tailor phone interview questions to their specific background.
• Introduce yourself: Set the context of the call by starting with a brief introduction. This helps put the candidate at ease and provides a clear understanding of the purpose of the call, which can help create a structured yet lax environment that encourages open and honest communication.
• Listen actively: Practicing active listening during the phone screen is key to identifying a candidate’s qualifications and potential red flags. Pay close attention to their responses and read between the lines to pick up on nuances that may not be evident on their resume. Active listening also shows the candidate that the organization values what they have to say, building positive rapport from the get-go.
• Take notes: Take brief notes on qualifications and red flags and consider using a simple rating system to enhance the efficiency of the phone screening process, like assigning a score of 1-10 to their answers. Documenting key points and impressions during the call provides a reference for later comparison and decision-making.
• Allow the candidate to ask questions: Candidate questions can reveal their level of interest in the role, their understanding of the job requirements and their expectations regarding company culture and career advancement.
• Communicate next steps: Talk about timelines and what’s next at the end of the phone screen to set clear expectations for the candidate. Transparency helps maintain engagement and respect throughout the recruitment process , ensuring that candidates are informed and prepared for what comes next.
• Review your notes immediately following the call: Promptly reviewing notes post-call helps maintain momentum. Quick follow-up actions, such as scheduling the next interview or requesting additional information, keep the recruitment process moving. And, responsiveness demonstrates the company’s commitment to finding the right candidate and can significantly enhance the candidate’s experience.

By applying these tips to phone screenings, recruiters can maximize the effectiveness of this important step in the hiring process. A well-conducted phone screen not only saves time but can significantly impact hiring decisions to ensure the right candidate moves forward.

Take Control of All Aspects of Your Hiring Process

ApplicantStack gives recruiters everything they need to find, attract and hire the right candidates for their open roles. With built-in tools for recruiting that cast a wide net across social channels to features that make it easy to create questionnaires and score candidates, recruiters can focus more on asking the right questions at the right times during their phone screenings. Top talent is one complete recruiting solution away. Start a free trial today to see how ApplicantStack streamlines the hiring process—from job bulletins to onboarding.

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Product Assistant Job Description and Templates

Interested in product assistant roles? You’re in the right place!

In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of product assistant roles through detailed job descriptions and handy templates.

Whether you’re hiring, job hunting, or simply curious, we’ve got you covered with practical insights and ready-to-use resources.

Let’s dive in!

A product assistant in the SaaS industry supports product managers by conducting market research , analyzing user feedback, and coordinating with cross-functional teams.

• A product assistant job description outlines the essential tasks, skills, and qualifications required to effectively support the product management team. These tasks can involve various aspects of the product lifecycle, from market research and development to launch and post-launch activities.
• It may also include preferred skills, experience, and certifications. The specific requirements for this role can vary depending on the company size, product complexity, and the level of support needed by the product team.
• For instance, a product assistant at a small startup might be involved in a wide range of tasks, from customer support to product testing, while one at a larger company might focus on specific areas like market analysis or competitor research.

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What is a product assistant?

This role ensures the product meets user needs and business goals – requiring strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills. product assistants are essential in guiding product development and enhancing software solutions.

Product assistant’s main responsibilities

Here are the main responsibilities and duties of a product assistant:

• Conduct thorough market analysis to identify trends and user needs.
• Collect and interpret user feedback to guide product enhancements.
• Collaborate with development, marketing, and sales teams to ensure product alignment and successful launches .
• Develop and maintain comprehensive product documentation, including user manuals and feature descriptions.
• Organize and prioritize the product backlog , ensuring key features and improvements are addressed.
• Participate in agile ceremonies such as sprint planning and daily stand-ups.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators to track product success and areas for improvement.
• Assist in the creation and maintenance of product roadmaps and release schedules.
• Support product managers in the execution of strategic projects and initiatives.
• Conduct competitive analysis to benchmark product performance and identify opportunities.

Product assistant job description and template

We are looking for a dedicated and detail-oriented product assistant to join our dynamic SaaS team.

The product assistant will support the Product Manager in various aspects of product development. This role is critical in ensuring that our software products meet user needs and business goals.

Key responsibilities

• Assist in conducting market research to identify user needs and market trends.
• Gather and analyze user feedback to inform product improvements and new features.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams, including development, marketing, and sales, to ensure seamless product development and launch.
• Maintain and update product documentation , including user guides, release notes, and FAQs.
• Manage product backlogs and assist in prioritizing tasks and features.
• Participate in agile sprints and scrum meetings to track progress and ensure timely delivery of product updates.
• Monitor key performance metrics to evaluate product success and identify areas for improvement.
• Support the Product Manager in day-to-day tasks and special projects as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Previous experience in a product support or assistant role, preferably within the SaaS industry.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with agile methodologies and tools such as Jira or Trello is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and project management software.

Best practices to be a great product assistant

Here are some best practices to help you excel as a product assistant:

• Stay organized : Keep track of tasks , deadlines, and project details meticulously. Use tools like Trello or Asana to manage your workload efficiently, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.
• Communicate effectively : Maintain clear and concise communication with cross-functional teams and stakeholders. Regular updates and transparent communication help prevent misunderstandings and keep everyone aligned.
• Be proactive : Anticipate potential challenges or opportunities in product development. Take the initiative to suggest improvements, address issues early, and contribute ideas that can enhance the product.
• Continuously learn : Stay updated on industry trends, product management methodologies, and relevant tools. This ongoing learning will help you bring fresh insights and best practices to your role.
• Focus on user needs : Always keep the end-user in mind when assisting in product decisions. Understanding user pain points and needs ensures that the product remains user-centric and delivers real value.

Product assistant FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions related to product assistants:

• What are the roles of a production assistant?
• A production assistant supports the production team with logistical tasks and scheduling. They manage equipment, coordinate with departments, and ensure smooth production processes.
• What is the role of a product manager assistant?
• A product manager assistant conducts market research and analyzes user feedback for the product manager. They also assist in managing product backlogs, documenting requirements, and coordinating with cross-functional teams.
• What is the role of a product control assistant?
• A product control assistant oversees quality control processes during product development . They ensure products meet standards and regulations and identify areas for quality improvement.
• What is a product marketing assistant?
• A product marketing assistant assists in developing and executing marketing strategies for products. They support promotional activities, market research, and content creation to boost product visibility and sales.

We hope this guide has provided you with valuable insights into the roles and responsibilities of product assistants.

By understanding the key responsibilities and skills required, you can make informed decisions and take meaningful steps in your career or recruitment journey.

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