A Guide to Shortlisting the Best Candidates

This article will examine some of the most effective shortlisting criteria you may use in your hiring procedure.

The set of criteria organisations use to select hiring candidates is known as the shortlisting criteria. These elements may include knowledge, expertise, credentials, and more.

When shortlisting applicants, hiring managers should consider a candidate's credentials, abilities, and experience. These elements will aid them in identifying the ideal applicant for the position.

What is shortlisting?

Shortlisting is determining individuals who match the requirements specified in a job posting. These are the prospects you wish to advance in the hiring process, most likely through interviewing or moving on to the next level of the hiring process.

Consider it a "short list" of the individuals you want to contact.

What is the goal of shortlisting?

Shortlisting aims to reduce the number of candidates for a position. A panel of experts in the relevant field usually carries out the procedure. After reviewing every application, they will weed out individuals who aren't qualified for the position.

It is less intimidating and easier to choose which candidates to speak with when there are more manageable numbers of them.

Your shortlist might also assist you in determining how successful you are in targeting your target audience. Even with your greatest recruitment efforts, you might not post in the correct places (or your standards may be too high for this specific position) if you aren't getting suitable candidates. Shortlisting makes the hiring process simpler and quicker.

What are the key advantages of shortlisting?

The following are the key advantages of utilising a shortlist: 

• Ensuring impartiality in the hiring process.

• Making judgments based on merit rather than on personal relationships.

• Candidates may utilise shortlists as a method for assessment to determine their suitability for the position.

Shortlisting: Best practices

1. Make the job posting concise and straightforward

The first phase in the procedure is to choose the best prospects from a shortlist for an interview. To do so, ensure that the job ad is precise and concise. Additionally, you should know the qualities, qualifications, and experience you desire in a candidate.

2. Make a list of desirable and necessary criteria for a candidate

Using the job description as a guide, create a list of requirements for candidates. This covers abilities, credentials, experience, traits, and attributes.

Make another list of qualities your ideal candidate should have after that. The list should contain details that would set your candidate apart, like specialised skills specific to your industry.

3. Determine the number of candidates you would like to interview

It would be best to think about how much time you have to find new talent. Determine how many individuals you wish to interview based on the time constraints for the job opening. This will determine how many candidates will be shortlisted.

You'll have a specific objective to work towards once these crucial decisions have been made.

4. Reduce the number of candidates by using your essential shortlisting criteria

Eliminating candidates who don't meet the crucial job requirements is the simplest method to sort through your applicant pools. You'll quickly go through your candidate pool list using the elimination method.

Sort candidates by giving those who meet desirable criteria the highest priority. It is the same procedure as before, but using desirable criteria rather than just the essential ones.

5. Conduct a preliminary interview

Phone interviews are frequently used as the first point of contact during the hiring process. They assist you in quickly selecting the top candidates for positions with low interview volume, but they might not be suitable in other circumstances. However, the majority of recruiters now prefer video interviews over phone ones.

Video interviews provide you with the opportunity to get to know them by allowing them to send you a video response. Doing this will enable you to fill positions without reviewing every application.

6. Refer to the candidates' resumes

Then, using the candidates' resumes or other application documents, you should be able to determine who is eligible.

7. Inform the candidates

You must get in touch with the best candidates as soon as possible via phone, email, or direct message to let them know they are being assessed for an interview. It would help if you also informed the rejected candidates. Explaining the reason for being rejected will improve their experience as a candidate and your company's reputation.

8. Interview the selected candidates

The last stage in this procedure is to schedule interviews with the chosen candidates.

Shortlisting's common difficulties and solutions

Finding the ideal applicant for a role takes work. Although the hiring process often requires a lot of time and effort, you can streamline it with good planning.

An employer should, for instance, search for three to four individuals who have the same qualities instead of merely looking at one person's resume, comparing their resumes, and then interviewing the best candidates.

Additionally, you must contact anyone who has already worked with the candidate or is familiar with them. This will enable you to learn more about their personality.

You are effectively organising your hiring process when you shortlist your candidates. Shortlisting enables you to launch your hiring process. Additionally, you must visualise your ideal applicants, narrow the pool of candidates according to their suitability, and manage the candidate pools efficiently.

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