Resume Screening for Effective Hiring: Guide for Recruiters

Finding the best match for a vacant position is difficult, especially when top talent has several choices and offers to consider. Screening resumes with a clear perspective is the principal stoop in the hiring journey.

The resume screening process can be time-consuming and tiresome, but finding the best talent for the position is vital. In this article, we will discuss how you, as a recruiter, can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your resume screening.

When you advertise for an open job, many potential applicants apply, but others who may not be the best fit, do the same. However, how do you know if the candidate is the right fit? This step-by-step process begins with screening resumes that you receive.

Screening resumes is the preliminary stage in the recruiting process that assists you in identifying the best candidate for the position. It entails reviewing applicants' resumes to determine whether they fit the job well.

Resumes provide a good orientation of the individual, including the candidate's professional background, educational qualifications, and skill set.

Hiring managers use many tactics to narrow down the list of applicants throughout this procedure. Job descriptions, skills, certifications, and experience are factors in evaluating candidates.

CV screening aims to find the most suitable people that meet your job requirements, professional skills, and position specifications.

Some standard practices used in the screening resumes process include:

• Sorting resumes according to skills, job titles, etc.
• Assigning a number value to each resume to identify the top prospects.
• Parsing resumes identifying candidates who possess the required skills and experiences.
• Checking for similarities in candidate resumes for more efficient screening.
• Identifying gaps in expertise that may disqualify a candidate.
• Eliminating candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements for the position.

The fundamental goal of recruiting is to discover the greatest match from the beginning and resume screening assists in separating the best from the rest. It aids in the selection of the best applicant for future consideration.

Screening resumes effectively is time-saving as it helps select the right candidate in the first go. It helps avoid the tedious process of interviewing candidates who are not suitable for the job role.

Screening resumes using current approaches also helps to reduce the cost of the recruiting process by swiftly selecting the best suitable applicant. It contributes to a more varied pool of applicants by allowing recruiters to find people with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and qualifications.

Overall, the screening resumes process aids in developing a competitive recruiting process and selecting the best candidate.

Create a list of job requirements or use a recruitment profile for reference. When creating a list of job requirements, it is critical to examine the position's particular needs.

For example, a software engineering role may require a computer science degree, while a sales role may require excellent interpersonal and communication skills. It is also necessary to rank these qualifications to identify the most crucial for the position.

You can also use a scorecard to compare a candidate's qualifications against the job requirements.

Scorecards can be categorized into Minimum and Recommended Requirements, Candidate Credentials, and Overall Scores.

While screening resumes, you can update your scores on the following indicators:

• Check the resume for spelling and punctuation mistakes and if the candidate's communication style is acceptable and professional.
• Has the candidate received any honors, accomplishments, or recognition for their work?
• Is the candidate qualified in terms of technical knowledge and experience?
• How does the candidate's work experience compare to the job requirements?
• Does the candidate have other relevant achievements or certifications to the role?

Job questionnaires can help you, and other hiring managers in your company, better understand how each candidate's skills and experience match the job requirements.

You can learn about a candidate's strengths and limitations, as well as their cognitive process and decision-making ability, by asking the right questions.

Job questionnaires can also examine a candidate's fit with the company's culture and values. It is instrumental in identifying whether or not the applicant is a suitable match for the organization.

Finally, job questionnaires can assist you in identifying possible areas for applicant improvement. If the candidate needs more experience or expertise, use the questionnaire to discover which areas require extra training or growth.

Reviewing a candidate's employment history to ensure they have the essential expertise and abilities to meet the job criteria is critical.

You must review the employment history thoroughly to verify that no abnormalities indicate the candidate is unsuitable for the position.

While screening resumes, suppose you find a candidate who worked in a position drastically different from the present function for a brief time. In that case, confirming that the individual has the essential experience and abilities to accomplish the job is critical.

If the candidate has extended gaps in employment, more research into why the individual was not working is required. You should also double-check the entire employment record.

Overall, You must evaluate the individual's career history to ensure that the candidate possesses the qualifications, experience, and abilities required for success in the position.

If the candidate has not applied for the post but has been recommended by someone, then evaluate many factors through references before asking for the individual's CV.

Request that the reference provides examples of the candidate's technical and interpersonal qualities.

In addition, request that the reference offer an overall review of the candidate's performance and ability to fulfill tasks. It will allow you to make an educated assessment regarding the candidate's suitability for the position.

Screening resumes effectively involve reviewing applications quickly and accurately. Modern tools such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) can help streamline the process. ATS technology can quickly scan resumes for keywords, highlight relevant experience and qualifications, and even score applicants based on predefined criteria.

Additionally, ATS can often be integrated with other HR systems, such as background check software, to move qualified applicants through the recruitment process quickly.

Other modern-day screening resume tools include:

Video interview platforms allow recruiters to find top-performing prospects from a vast pool of applications quickly. Recruiters can view candidates' replies to pre-set questions, as well as their facial expressions and other nonverbal indications, using these technologies. With minimum effort, recruiters may better understand the candidate's communication abilities and presence.

Using automated reference checks, recruiters can instantly verify candidates' qualifications and expertise. These technologies can examine a candidate's past and employment experience and any references they may have provided in a matter of seconds. It makes it easier for recruiters to see any irregularities or abnormalities in a candidate's past.

Online assessments quickly assess a candidate's skills and qualifications. These instruments, which can determine a candidate's cognitive, technical, and interpersonal skills, are frequently delivered remotely. It enables recruiters to find the best candidates for a particular position rapidly.

These technologies examine many data points to uncover patterns in the data that suggest a candidate's likelihood of success on the job. Predictive analytics can also identify candidates who may be more likely to stay in the organization longer.

Algorithms are put in place by automated scoring platforms to examine the quality of resumes and determine how well each candidate meets the job criteria. This technology can assist companies in screening resumes in large quantities quickly and objectively, saving time and effort.

Text analytics interprets text using algorithms. This system can screen resumes and identify relevant skills, credentials, and experience. Text analytics can uncover gaps between the job requirements and the candidate's qualifications.

Using AI-backed resume screening technology, recruiters and hiring managers can filter many resumes and discover the most qualified applicants. Artificial intelligence can shorten the time it takes to assess resumes, making the process more efficient and cost-effective. When compared to standard screening, it takes a fraction of the time.

AI powers platforms like Turing to screen and shortlist the top developers for any technology.

The power of AI for screening resumes can also help reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process, as it removes the potential for personal or subjective bias when hiring decisions.

ML models are put into place for the automatic evaluation of resumes. They’re trained with job descriptions, job requirements, and specific skill sets. This helps the recruiter quickly screen the resumes with matching skills and experience.

You can also use AI-powered resume screening to target and approach specific individuals, allowing recruiters to get in touch with the appropriate people more quickly. It helps to speed up the recruitment process and fill available positions more rapidly.

Finally, screening resumes thoroughly is a critical phase in the recruiting process that you must cautiously approach with attention to detail. It enables recruiters to swiftly discover the best candidates for the job and reject those who do not satisfy the qualifications. Using modern tools can streamline and improve the process.

At the same time, remember that resumes are only one piece of the picture and should not be regarded as the main reason for selecting a candidate. Employ interviews, references, and skills testing to gain a deeper view of the individual and their potential for success. Recruiters can ensure that their final hiring is the finest one for the job by taking the time to examine prospects properly.

Hiring with Turing takes very little time compared to the traditional hiring process, where screening through the resumes, initial interviews, technical rounds, and culture fit takes a ton of effort, time, and resources.

With Turing, you can hire top software developers (in 100+ technologies) with a 2-week risk-free trial period, so hire your next dev team in a matter of clicks.