As anyone involved with recruitment will know, finding the ideal candidate is a difficult challenge. From writing the job advert to interviewing candidates, each step has its part to play in making the process run as smoothly as possible.
For many, shortlisting remains one of the most time-consuming steps in the recruitment process. When faced with an huge amount of applications, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Fortunately, by getting your shortlisting strategy nailed early on, you’ll be more able to find the candidate you’re looking for. To help you perfect your approach, let’s take a closer look at some shortlisting and pre-screening tips.
What criteria to use when shortlisting CVs
When it comes to shortlisting CVs, your criteria are the foundations for your success. By establishing well-defined criteria, you’ll be able to shortlist candidates quickly and efficiently.
Primarily, your shortlist criteria should be based on what is needed for someone to be a high performer in the role in question. These could be anything from their education/qualifications, to work experience, skills and knowledge, personality traits, distance from work, and even salary requirements etc. Ideally, your criteria should include both essential criteria and desirable criteria. In our experience, having agreement with everyone involved in the hiring process is key to success.
The importance of clear job ads and job descriptions
Clear job ads and descriptions go hand in hand with efficient shortlisting. Without defining the role, its responsibilities, functions, and expected outcomes, how would you be able to shortlist who might be a good contender for the role? Furthermore, clear job descriptions should result in fewer unsuitable applications. We have found job descriptions with concrete facts about the role are better at attracting passive candidates to apply.
The benefit of phone calls before interview invitations
Telephone calls with candidates before offering them an interview can be a great way to improve your shortlisting successes. A phone interview allows you to dig a little deeper and screen their skills, knowledge, experience, availability to start a new job and even salary expectations, before committing to an onsite interview. This can help to save both time and money in the long-run.
We have often seen a candidate look great on paper, but in reality, wasn’t up to scratch. By conducting a phone interview, you’ll have an extra tool to help you shortlist or even fast-track candidates for the next stage in your recruitment process and begin the process of building rapport with a potential employee.
The use of psychometric tests
In essence, psychometric tests are a way of measuring mental capacities and processes. They provide a standardised set of criteria for measuring a candidate’s aptitude and personality. Importantly, their results are objective, unlike interviews and other forms of non-scientific screening. As with any tool, they are not a standalone solution to hiring the best candidate, however, they can be a great addition to your hiring arsenal. Consider the timing of psychometric tests as part of the recruitment process. Conducting them too early risks alienating passive candidates, however, conducting them at the end of the process risks producing results that conflict with the face to face interview process.
Video interviewing
Over the past few years, video interviewing has emerged as a highly effective recruitment tool. Video interviewing lets you conduct first-round interviews more quickly and efficiently, saving you time and money. This can be particularly useful for high volume roles where you need to churn through lots of candidates. By using video, you’ll be able to watch your interviews at any time. During the recent pandemic, video interviewing has now become a key fixture in most organizations' recruitment process.
Technology in screening
Technology is changing nearly every industry and function, and recruitment is no different. When you see the likes of Indeed.com launching the ability to screen candidates for skills rather than just relying on a CV, it’s clear that tech is starting to have an impact. For recruiters and hiring managers, there are so many layers in which technology can help. In its simplest form, recruiting technology can automate screening by using a scoring matrix, and instantly decide who should be taken to the next stage of your recruitment process. More advanced iterations are also starting to use GDPR compliant artificial intelligence to learn or predict what makes for a promising candidate.
Who Are PreScreenMe?
PrescreenMe was founded by Curtis Thompson in 2019. Throughout his 20-year career in executive search and recruitment, Curtis has led teams recruiting for industry leaders and high growth innovative companies in sectors such as construction, engineering, energy, healthcare, IT and consultancy.
Curtis identified there was more that could be done to share the best practices of recruitment and talent management across sectors and therefore improve the success rates of hiring. PreScreenMe is our way of sharing this best practice with our customers.
If you would like to discuss how PreScreenMe can support you in shortlisting candidates, building talent pools, reducing hiring costs or improving the response rate of your current vacancy marketing, contact Curtis Thompson & PreScreenMe today. (curtis.thompson@prescreenme.co.uk / +44 (0) 2038750330 / www.prescreenme.co.uk)
