How Do You Screen Job Applications?

The job application screening process compares CVs/resumes to job openings to find individuals who are a good fit for the job. It is widely regarded as the most time-consuming aspect of a recruiter's job.

Hiring managers and recruiters can approach their screening method in various ways. Depending on the nature of the post and the number of applications to assess, different screening processes will be used.

Screening requirements

Organisations will focus on analysing these essential areas within the candidate's job application to discover the best match for the job profile:

• Experience: Does the candidate have the necessary experience for the job? Previous positions, job titles, duration of experience, and major role responsibilities will all be scrutinised by recruiters.

• Skillset: Checking the candidate's skillset entails determining which abilities and qualities correspond to those listed in the job description.

• Education: Employers look for relevant educational certifications, subjects, courses, and the candidate's university.

• Accomplishments: What goals did the candidate achieve in previous positions?

Examples of job application screening

1. Manual screening

For recruitment and low-volume applicant intake, establishing a screening structure is critical. In manual screening, one has to create a set of screening requirements that candidates must meet to move to the next interview stage. 

It is wise to create the screening criteria before going through job applications as it helps protect against bias. To move to the next step, standardise screening and only consider role-related criteria as critical components.

2. Automated screening

For recruitment and hiring teams dealing with a significant volume of applicant interest, things are a bit different. A manual review makes ensuring a consistent procedure much more challenging.

As a result, many firms use automation to screen job applications. Automated screening systems provide a thorough application evaluation, taking into account each application quickly and fairly.

It works by looking for crucial data points in a resume and comparing them to an open job position. This can contain abilities and experience from the job description relevant to the position.

Screening automation selects and matches job applications in seconds, which is why businesses use it. As a result, automation solutions help to reduce the time and effort required for manual application inspection, resulting in a lot faster and more consistent initial screening.

3. Screening candidates for specific job criteria

For experienced job applicants, keyword analysis is used as a screening tool. It focuses on determining job factors such as skillset and work history. Recruiters can then analyse applicant fit by comparing the CV or resume to the job vacancy.

However, this is not the case for roles with varying entry requirements.

4. Competency screening

Different screening methods are used to assess competency. Scenarios and examples are used in competency-based job applications, which means the screening process must recognise and analyse various behaviours and values. 

Screening automation evaluates language and context-based data in job application responses automatically. This may be seen in many entry-level recruitment campaigns, as well as fresh graduate recruitment when there is a high level of applicant interest.

There are different methods of job application screening for every recruitment need. Screening tools to analyse samples and scenarios are required for competency-based job applications. Experienced roles, on the other hand, require a greater focus on specific abilities and a demonstrated work history.

Source: Ciivsoft