Recruiters' Dos and Don'ts When Screening Candidates

Recruitment is a time-consuming and difficult process that requires great attention to detail and dedication. In addition, in today's social atmosphere, it's critical to have established contacts in order to secure top-tier personnel. As a result, once the applications start coming in, separating the qualified from the ineligible requires a certain level of competence.

Businesses commonly make the mistake of bypassing the essential stage of pre-screening prospects when conducting their own recruiting. They'll typically choose the top five prospects who seem great on paper and invite them in for an interview.

The following tips, from the perspective of seasoned recruiters, will guide you through the dos and don'ts of prospect screening.

1. Check the Credentials

When determining a candidate's qualifications for a position, the first place to examine is the resume. A quick glance at a candidate's CV might give you an idea of what qualities they possess or lack, such as meticulousness and degree of experience.

Resumes that are disorganized, too long, too brief, or full of errors may indicate that the candidate is ineligible for the position. This may or may not be a deal breaker, depending on the position and its specific requirements.

2. References should be examined

Checking the references provided by recruiters is another tried and true method of screening them. Speaking with previous employers and personal references, especially for higher-level positions, can provide invaluable insight into someone's work ethic and performance.

3. Evaluate the Cover Letters

Resumes are an excellent way to get a good overview of a candidate's key qualifications and expertise. However, they can be somewhat confining. It's difficult to tell if a candidate has the right work ethic, morale, and personality to blend in with the rest of your team.

Cover letters are a fantastic way to evaluate these additional qualities. When crafting your job description, we strongly encourage requesting candidates to submit a cover letter alongside their resumes. A cover letter can show how well a candidate communicates. It can also provide them the opportunity to go over their previous work experience in greater detail and show how it relates to the desired position.

4. Arrange for phone or video interviews

Before meeting in person, it's a good idea to schedule a phone or video chat interview. Many video conferencing services are now available, making holding a phone or video meeting a breeze.

Through phone or video interviews, you can assess a candidate's communication abilities and learn about their availability. On video, you can read their body language and observe how they express themselves.

5. Pre-Employment Talent Assessments

When it comes to hiring, the most crucial thing for a firm to know is whether the candidate possesses the required abilities. A CV, cover letter, or even a phone interview does not always reveal a candidate's qualifications.

Another kind of pre-screening is skills testing. Pre-employment skill evaluations are a great way to see how an applicant will react to real-world situations they might encounter on the job.

Spend your time seeking for a needle in a haystack rather than looking for one. Allow us to find the best fit for your team so that you may focus your efforts where they're needed the most.