You’ve placed your help wanted ad on Craig’s List or Monster.com and are inundated with resumes. The days of judging resumes by the quality of stationary, design of the document itself or envelope it arrived in are long gone. So what’s the best way to screen resumes in today’s digital age? Here are some simple steps you can take to maximize your time and ensure you select the best candidates to interview.
Step 1: Set aside a block of time to review resumes.
Resist the temptation to review them one at a time as they come in. You are more likely to waste time contacting mediocre early applicants when more qualified applicants are just around the corner. Decide how long you will give people to apply, then collect your resumes and set aside time to review them all at once.
Step 2: Decide on a rating scale.
It can be as simple as 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C or Yes, No, Maybe. I like to use the Yes, No, Maybe scale. The scale should have at least three levels. Whatever scale you choose, is up to you.
Step 3: Give the resumes a quick review.
This should take no more than 30 seconds. You are judging the applicant’s resume on the following:
- Did they follow your application instructions? (e.g., email a cover letter and resume)?
- Do their work experience and education match the position requirements?
- Are the resume and cover letter free from grammatical, spelling or other obvious errors?
- Does their stated objective match the position you are hiring for or is it totally irrelevant or too general?
Divide the resumes into piles according to your rating scale. For example, a “Yes” rating would be someone who’s resume and cover letter are well written and without error. The applicant’s objective and work experience directly relate to the position requirement. A “No” rating would be for a candidate whose resume and cover letter are full of obvious errors. Maybe they didn’t bother to include a cover letter at all. Their objective and work experience are not even remotely related to the position requirements. The “Maybe” resumes fall somewhere in between. You’re just not sure which pile to put them in.
Step 4: Take a closer look at your top-rated resumes.
Review the applicant’s work history focusing on most recent employers as well as their stated responsibilities and accomplishments. Look for the following red flags that aren’t explained in the cover letter or resume:
- Gaps in employment
- Short-term employment at many different jobs.
- Decreasing responsibility from job to job. This may be evidence of a career that has plateaued or declined.
- Many changes in career direction.
Next, review the remaining resumes against your position requirements and each other. How do the applicants compare? At this point, there should be some good matches and others that are only a partial match.
Step 5: Decide Who You Want to Phone Interview.
How many applicants made it through your screening process? Did you end up with 20 good matches? If you have time to phone screen all 20, then go for it. If not, you may want to narrow your stack of resumes down even further to a more manageable number. On the other hand, did you end up with only 1 or 2 good matches? If so, you may want to include you partial matches in the phone interview process. Or, you may want to repost your advertisement or use different advertising sources to see if you can attract a wider pool of applicants who fit your position requirements.
