Shortlisting & screening job candidates

With a long list of candidates to sift through, it can be tempting to simply Yes/No or Maybe them – but that’s a lot of reading and a danger of skimming over the good ones when the fatigue kicks in. Your time is precious, and you don’t want to waste any of it on unsuitable candidates that you can avoid from the beginning. Looking at why and how to shortlist candidates and creating a candidate shortlisting checklist will help you refine your search and keep the momentum going. From there, define the interview process with the interview questions to ask candidates and take a look at some of the ones to leave well alone too!

How to Shortlist Job Candidates: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide

Read our top tips on how to move smoothly through a process to shortlist and progress the candidates you really want.

Five lines you never want to see in a CV

Struggling to find a CV that stands out? To remind you of what not to look for, here are five clichéd lines you never want to see in a CV:

Four ways to cut your time-to-hire in half

Struggling to fill your roles fast? To help you stay focused on finding the best new talent fast, here are four ways to cut your time-to-hire in half:

Four ways to prioritise recruitment (when hiring isn’t your only job)

Looking for your next hire? To help you make the most of your time, here are four ways you could better prioritise your recruitment right now.

Five ways to tell if a candidate is just not that into you

So, a promising candidate has popped up on your list of applicants, and you’re interested. Here are five ways to figure out if a candidate is just not that into you, your organisation, and your vacancy:

Poll: How important is a candidates cover letter?

Whilst some recruiters see a cover letter as a key way to gain insight into a jobseeker’s experience and interests beyond their CV, others question how much value a cover letter really adds. But what do you think?

Poll: Candidate CVs – Does size really matter?

Whether you’re reading or writing a CV, there’s one question that comes up perhaps more than any other – does size matter? Or is it what you do with it that counts? Have your say now:

FAQs

How do I shortlist candidates?

You can make a candidate shortlist by screening candidates using CV search filtering options and then interview questions in a first stage telephone interview. Shortlisting your candidates will help to cut your time to hire in half and is an essential part of the interview process.

What are some CV screening tips?

CV screening tips include using CV search filtering initially, then methods such as psychometric testing, interview questions with scoring, and sample projects that can form part of your screening process. Look beyond the job title alone when screening candidates to get a better result and be conscious of any bias.

How many candidates are usually shortlisted for an interview?

The number of candidates shortlisted for an interview can depend on the job role and industry. Typically, look at screening candidates over the phone (seven to ten) before choosing three to five for face-to-face interviews. Be sure to have a rigid interview process in place and ask your candidates the same interview questions for comparable answers.

What are common recruitment screening questions?

Common recruitment screening questions to shortlist candidates can include – Why did you apply for this job? What do you know about our company/business? What do you hope to gain from this job? Your interview questions should be the same for each candidate so you can get comparable information to help you create your shortlist and cut your time to hire in half.