If you are a business doing your own recruitment in-house, it pays to know which filters you can apply to weed out unsuitable candidates. Let’s face it: even if you are using applicant Ttracking software (ATS), screening applications is often one of the stages that takes up the most time for recruiters. Prior to the screening process, it’s recommended that you get really clear on the role that you are recruiting for. So how do you do that exactly? It’s best to ensure that you have a job description written and you know the key criteria that you are recruiting for. Otherwise? You will just be spinning your wheels without getting anywhere. We have posted about writing job descriptions previously so use that as a guide if you are starting the process of writing one.

Then next up? Determine what your overall recruitment strategy is and which channels you will be using to reach out to potential candidates. There are a range of job boards as well as social channels and referrals that you can use in your recruitment strategy.

In fact, we’ve found that referrals are often the most effective way of recruiting top notch talent to your business.

For every role that you are recruiting, for, it’s best to shortlist up to 8 candidates. Once you have your shortlist, we recommend phone screening 6-8 candidates for a single role. This is a quick sense check that the resume details provided are correct and the candidate is still available and interested in the role and happy with the remuneration package on offer.

There are a variety of ways to screen applicants. Here are some of our suggestions:

• If you are using applicant tracking software (ATS), include the key functions of the role as filters
• Use LinkedIn to get a good read on your applicants. This is just another filter you can apply to determine who your strongest candidates are. Factors to consider are:
  • Has the candidate completed their LinkedIn profile?
  • Do they have relevant experience?
  • Are there examples of their work that you can look at?
  • Are there endorsements or recommendations from co-workers, employers or other connections?
  • Have they posted articles or any other activity?
  • Does their LinkedIn profile match their resume or are there contradictions?

Likewise, if you are not satisfied with the quality of the candidates who have applied for the role, you can use LinkedIn to search the passive candidate market and potentially find a better fit.

If you would like some advice or assistance with your recruitment needs, speak to the team at Flexi Personnel.