Screening applicants involves reviewing resumes and cover letters, verifying qualifications, and assessing the candidates experience and skills. Effective screening can include phone interviews, assessments, on-site interviews, video interviews, background checks, and job trials. Regular evaluation of the screening process can enhance its effectiveness.
You’ve decided to recruit a new team member. You’ve spent hours discussing with your colleagues what the new hire should bring to the table and now you’re ready to post the job description on your careers page and on job boards. If everything goes well, you’ll soon get the first applications. Hard part’s over, right?
Well, not yet. Lots of questions will occur down the line. How experienced is this candidate in this must-have skill? How can we interview this applicant who lives two hours away? And ultimately, how do we know who the best candidate is?
In this step-by-step guide, you will find useful screening techniques and tips to follow. Before we go into details though, take a step back for a moment to make sure you’ve:
Screening job applicants is one of the most critical steps in the hiring process. With the average job posting receiving 250 resumes, it’s essential to have an effective screening process to narrow down the pool and identify the most qualified candidates.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the key steps involved in screening applicants, from reviewing resumes to conducting interviews and skills assessments. I’ll also share tips on how to create an objective, bias-free screening process.
Step 1: Review Resumes and Cover Letters
The first step in applicant screening is reviewing resumes and cover letters to get an initial sense of each candidate’s background and fit for the role.
When reviewing resumes, look for
- Relevant work experience and skills that align with the job description
- Education and credentials required for the role
- Length of time spent in previous positions
- Gaps in employment history
- Tailoring of resume to the specific role
Cover letters provide additional insight into a candidate’s motivation, writing skills, and ability to express interest in the company and position Look for cover letters that
- Are customized for the specific job opening
- Highlight the candidate’s relevant qualifications
- Explain why they are interested in the company/role
- Are free of typos and errors
I recommend developing a rubric to evaluate resumes and cover letters consistently. Score candidates based on criteria like relevant experience, apparent skills/motivation, and presentation.
Step 2: Use Screening Questions
Well-designed screening questions can help you learn more about applicants beyond the resume.
Here are some examples of effective screening questions:
- “What appeals to you about this role and our company?” – Gauges interest and fit
- “What do you know about our industry?” – Tests basic industry knowledge
- “Describe a time you successfully led a team project from start to finish” – Assesses relevant experience
- “This role requires strong communication skills. Can you describe a situation that demonstrates your communication abilities?” – Tests hard and soft skills
You can send screening questions in an initial application form or use them during phone screens. Look for detailed, thoughtful responses that give you insight into abilities and fit.
Step 3: Conduct Phone Interviews
Once you’ve evaluated resumes and screening responses, it’s time to conduct phone interviews with promising applicants. Use phone screens to:
- Verify and expand on information from the resume
- Assess communication skills
- Get a sense of personality and professionalism
- Ask about salary requirements and availability
Some tips for effective phone screens:
- Limit screens to 30 minutes so you can evaluate many applicants efficiently
- Use a consistent script of questions for each candidate
- Take detailed notes on responses
- Listen for red flags like exaggerations, excuses, and inconsistencies
Phone screens let you easily eliminate candidates with poor communication skills, lack of interest, or misalignment with expectations before investing significant time.
Step 4: Administer Skills Assessments
For some roles, it’s important to test candidates’ hard skills in action. Skills assessments can range from simple Word tests to complex coding projects.
Some options for skills assessments include:
- Typing tests – Validate data entry or transcription skills
- Writing tests – Assess editing, grammar, and communications abilities
- Online coding tests – Gauge programming competency for developers
- Sample work challenges – Have designers create draft projects or analysts work with data sets
The key is choosing projects that reflect core responsibilities of the job. Provide clear instructions and realistic timelines. Then grade the work objectively based on criteria like completeness, accuracy, and process.
Step 5: Schedule In-Person Interviews
Once you’ve evaluated skills and experience on paper, it’s time to meet top applicants face-to-face.
In-person interviews allow you to:
- Assess personality, professionalism, and company culture fit
- Probe with follow-up questions
- Observe communication and interpersonal skills
- Introduce candidates to potential coworkers
Tips for in-person interviews:
- Define clear objectives (skills to assess, profile to evaluate)
- Limit interviews to 45-60 minutes so they stay focused
- Develop a consistent set of questions to ask each applicant
- Include role-related exercises like presentations, if relevant
Take detailed notes and compare impressions across candidates.
Step 6: Check References
Speaking to an applicant’s managers, coworkers, reports, and colleagues can provide unique perspective into strengths, weaknesses, and work styles.
When checking references:
- Tell the candidate you plan to check references and ask for 2-3 contacts
- Verify employment details and responsibilities
- Ask about reliability, strengths, areas for improvement, and communication abilities
- Listen for consistent or contrasting themes
Make sure to follow legal guidelines when speaking to references, like disclosing that it’s for employment purposes.
Step 7: Conduct Background Checks
Most companies run background checks on final candidates to turn up any issues not caught earlier. Typical background checks include:
- Identity verification – Validates name, address, SSN, etc.
- Criminal history – Flags related convictions
- Credit check – Uncovers financial issues for some roles
- Driving record – Important if driving is required
- Employment/education verification – Confirms resume details
Let candidates know you plan to conduct a background check and have them complete required releases and consent forms first. Then work with a reputable screening services provider to run checks efficiently.
Key Tips for an Effective Applicant Screening Process
Screening candidates thoroughly takes time but is crucial for finding the best hires. Here are some top tips:
Remove bias from decisions – Use structured interviews, defined criteria, and multiple reviewers to prevent unconscious bias.
Communicate expectations upfront – Be open about the screening steps and timeline so candidates know what to expect.
Evaluate candidates consistently – Use the same rubrics and questions for each person you screen.
Keep an open mind – Don’t let small resume gaps or other minor issues automatically disqualify good candidates.
Act quickly – Move top applicants through the process promptly so you don’t lose them to other opportunities.
Sell the opportunity – Make sure candidates are enthusiastically sold on the role and your company throughout screening.
With a strategic screening process, you’ll hire the very best candidates efficiently and effectively. Define clear criteria, conduct skills assessments, interview thoughtfully, and use tools like background checks to make smart hiring choices.
Screening Tools and Resources
Here are some of my favorite tools and resources for streamlining and enhancing the applicant screening process:
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Workable – Applicant tracking system for managing job postings, resume review, assessments, interviews, and offers
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Spark Hire – Video interview platform that lets you screen candidates remotely via online recorded interviews
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Shaker – Automates reference and background checks for efficient, compliant candidate screening
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Berke – Customizable skills tests like typing speed assessments and coding projects
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Streak – CRM for tracking candidate pipeline and adding screening notes
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ClearCompany – All-in-one talent management platform with built-in skills testing
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GoodHire – Background check services with instant results online
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Checkster – Reference checking technology to collect feedback from references
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Outmatch – Automates assessments for skills, culture fit and behavioral traits
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HireRight – Leading background and drug screening services provider
Investing in the right tools makes it easier to screen applicants thoroughly and move top talent forward.
Screening applicants systematically is the key to finding the perfect hire. By regularly reviewing and refining your process, you can achieve great results. With commitment to fair, unbiased practices, you’ll build an outstanding team.
Video interviews: Shortening the distance
What happens if the candidates need to commute a long distance for the interview? Or if you need to quickly assess job applicants due to rapid scaling and it’s difficult to arrange on-site interviews? Then, you can easily invite them for a video interview. Video interviews have become widely popular these days as they are cost-effective and convenient both for candidates and interviewers.
Live video interviews: You log into a video call with the candidate in real-time and follow the same screening process as in the on-site interview. Make sure to give clear instructions to the candidates regarding the video call and what to expect to avoid confusion.
The same red flags that you’d look for in a face-to-face interview apply here, too. An extra red flag would be if the candidate was indifferent or seemed to do other things at the same time.
Recorded (or asynchronous) video interview: In this type of interview, the interviewer provides candidates a series of questions and asks them to record their answers. The interview doesn’t take place in real time and you can assess candidates’ answers along with your teammates at your convenience. Make sure that the questions you ask are clear enough and do not require explanation (although, it’d be good to give candidates details of a contact person they can reach out for questions, should they have any).
Also consider that candidates know the questions beforehand, so they shouldn’t seem unprepared or give unclear answers.
On-site interviews: Bringing it (them) home
Next stop: the on-site interview. Interviews can be stressful for both candidates and interviewers. Both parties are being evaluated and want to make a good impression. For this reason, a good interviewer will choose the right interview questions and get prepared to answer all types of questions about the company and the role.
During the interview, create a positive environment for the candidate and engage in authentic conversation with them as much as you can. Taking notes during an interview is essential, but it’s also important to focus on the conversation to understand the candidate’s personality and mindset.
Types of questions to ask:
- Situational and behavioral questions to understand how the person reacts in certain contexts.
- Skill-based questions that reveal the candidates’ job-relevant abilities. For example, if you are hiring for an editor, you should assess their attention to detail.
- Values-based questions to examine if they are good cultural and team fit.
What else you should evaluate:
- Effective communication: Are the candidate’s answers on point? Do they appear to be attentive listeners? A good communicator also provides examples to help you understand their point of view.
- Attitude: The candidate is down-to-earth and positive during the interview. They talk about their achievements with pride and not arrogance.
- Consistency: Again, consistency with previous answers and resumes matters. If a candidate’s resume states that they have experience in Java and it turns out they don’t, it’s a red flag.
How to screen job applicants
How do you screen job applicants?
Here are a few tips for how to screen your job applicants, no matter which screening method (s) you employ: Understand what a successful candidate looks like in advance. Write down the required (and desired) education, experience, credentials, skills, and other parameters, and screen applicants against that criteria.
How do you screen a candidate for a job?
Be clear and transparent, send follow-up emails and give feedback when possible. Regardless if a candidate will be hired or not, they might fit future openings or be able to refer other candidates. Once you’ve done all these, let’s get down to business with screening applicants. And the best candidate has shined through! 1. Screening resumes
Should you consider a screening process for a job application?
Though it’s tempting to consider each application and interview everyone who applies, an efficient screening process will help you focus on good-fit candidates only. The goal is to easily weed out bad-fit candidates and identify candidates who are more likely to succeed in the role.
What is applicant screening?
Applicant screening is the initial step in the hiring process, where recruiters evaluate job applicants based on their skills, experience, and expertise. The goal is to identify the best candidates from a pool of resumes and applications, while fostering diversity and ensuring fair hiring practices.
