Screening Employee resumes is a challenging responsibility for recruiters. Resume screening is time-consuming. Average recruiters spend almost one day screening a single resume.
A proper resume screening process builds a strategy of quickly reviewing resumes and selecting the relevant one from the pile of documents. Using the resume screening process, recruiters not only save their vital time but also get a more relevant resume that leads to faster onboarding of new candidates.
In this article, we will discuss the definition the resume screening and its types. Moreover, we are going to provide some tips on resume screening successfully and finding the best candidates.
What is Resume Screening?
Resume screening is known as the screening process for CVs (curriculum vitae) submitted by the candidate. It is the first step and one of the most vital steps of the entire hiring process.
In this process, the HR managers review and analyze the submitted resumes and assess the qualifications and suitability of candidates for a particular job role.
The purpose of resume screening is to shortlist the most qualified candidates who meet the requirements outlined in the job description.
Nowadays, we are taking the help of software to complete our tasks more swiftly. So, in this case, there are two types of screening processes that companies use, Manual screening and the other one is software screening.
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Manual screening vs. Automated Resume Screening
Manual screening and screening software are two different approaches to resume screening in the hiring process. Here’s a comparison of both methods:
➔ Human Judgment
Manual screening ensures a human recruiter or hiring manager reviews resumes and assesses candidate qualifications based on their expertise and judgment. They can interpret nuances, assess soft skills, and make subjective judgments about a candidate’s fit for the role.
Automated Resume Screening, powered by applicant tracking systems (ATS) or resume parsing technology, automates the initial screening process. It saves the time and effort of recruiters. And, It can quickly process large volumes of resumes and rank candidates based on predefined criteria.
➔ Flexibility and Adaptability
Manual Resume Screening allows for flexibility in evaluating resumes and adapting the criteria as needed. Recruiters can arrange assessments based on the specific needs of the position or company, considering factors beyond what is explicitly mentioned in the job description.
Automated Resume Screening, often powered by applicant tracking systems (ATS) or resume parsing technology, automates the initial screening process, saving time and effort for recruiters. It can quickly process large volumes of resumes and rank candidates based on predefined criteria.
➔ Contextual Understanding
Human screeners can better understand the context candidate’s resume, experience, and accomplishments. They use the factors such as industry-specific terminology, career progression, and the reputation of previous employers.
Automated Resume Screening is an AI-based tool. It may not fully understand the context or nuances of a candidate’s experience. It relies heavily on keyword matching and predefined criteria, which may overlook relevant qualifications or achievements that are not explicitly mentioned in the resume.
➔ Bias Scenario
The manual screening runs the conscious or unconscious preferences of the recruiter. Bias can be influenced by factors such as age, gender, race, or educational background. Efforts must be made to ensure fair and objective evaluation by providing clear guidelines and training to screeners.
Using automated Resume Screening organizations ensure a non-biased system, properly configured and customized to reflect the specific requirements of the role and the company. This involves setting up relevant criteria, weighing different factors, and periodically reviewing and updating the parameters to improve accuracy.
In many cases, In resume screening HR uses a combination of manual screening and screening software for their to leverage the benefits of both approaches.
Initial screening software can help filter resumes based on basic criteria, while human screeners can then evaluate the shortlisted resumes in more detail, considering factors beyond what the software can capture.
Importance of drafted Resume Screening format
With a significant improvement in job trends day by day, people are applying for any post. So it becomes challenging for HR to select the relevant candidates after a proper resume screening.
Resume screening helps employers cut out irrelevant job applications, It allows recruiters better examine the background of candidates and determine better employee engagement and company productivity.
Resume Screening draft helps the HRs to detect the market scenario for the desired position. In this section, we are discussing the importance of resume screening for recruiters.
➔ Quality of Hire
Resume screening is a good process for streamlining the entire hiring process. The resume screening and having a resume screening draft help the recruiter to select the quality hire within the estimated time.
Quality hire is the first step of the hiring process. A smooth and quick resume screening process helps get a quality candidate. It helps a candidate to get interview calls quickly. Screening resumes help the HRs and management in the selection of the best and most relevant employee for the desired position.
➔ Save your time
A structured resume screening saves the recruiters time. They can focus on onboarding and other administrative work. This format enables recruiters or hiring managers to quickly review and assess resumes.
Moreover, It provides a clear framework for evaluating candidate qualifications, enabling them to efficiently identify relevant information and make informed decisions without spending excessive time on each resume.
➔ Efficiency and Accuracy
A proper screening format ensures specific recruitment for the job. It automates the key qualification, skills, and experience of the candidates. It makes accuracy in posting job applications.
Besides, It ensures that the submitted resumes have been evaluated based on their relevance to the job at hand. This helps identify candidates who possess the necessary qualifications and are most likely to succeed in the role.
Moreover, With a standardized screening format, recruiters can easily compare resumes side by side, assessing how well each candidate matches the desired qualifications.
This simplifies the process of shortlisting candidates and enables more effective decision-making during the screening phase.
➔ Candidate Experience
A clear and well-defined screening format provides benefits to candidates by ensuring their resumes are evaluated in a fair and consistent manner. This promotes a positive candidate experience, as applicants feel that their qualifications are being assessed objectively and in accordance with the job requirements.
➔ Consistent Hiring
Using a standardized screening format helps maintain consistency in evaluating resumes across multiple candidates. It ensures that all applicants are assessed based on the same criteria and that no candidate is unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged due to inconsistent evaluation methods.
How to screen resumes – A detailed guide for Recruiter
Screening resumes effectively involve a systematic approach and proper steps to reviewing and evaluating applicant qualifications. Here are some steps to help you screen resumes efficiently.
Step1: Research your Job description on the internet
Research and analyze whether the candidates are available with your desired profile. Do the candidate’s experience and knowledge match your requirement?
Develop a checklist or scoring system based on the job requirements. This helps you evaluate resumes consistently and objectively. The checklist can include key qualifications, skills, and experience that are crucial for the position.
Step2: Develop Criteria
The second step is thoroughly understanding the job requirements and the qualifications necessary for success in the role. This includes specific skills, experience, education, certifications, and any other relevant criteria.
Select the candidate as per the selected criteria. After the selection is done properly, you can save the other resume for future criteria.
Step3: Look for elimination
Often at the time of selecting the relevant candidate for the job profile, you can get a candidate who does not match the desired profile you are currently hiring for. You can eliminate those profiles permanently or temporarily.
Often management gets candidates who are proficient but not suitable for that particular position, you can save them for later by adding them to the talent pool. Later when the particular post will open, you can fetch the profile and send them mail with suited job roles, descriptions, packages, etc whether they are interested in the position or not.
Final Step: Categorize the Candidate
The last or final step is to categorize the group. Suppose you like to hire a candidate who is specializing in marketing. Let’s ensure the nominated candidate is specialized in general marketing or digital marketing and schedule the job interview on the basis of the specialization.
You can categorise the applicant into yes, no maybe categories and take the interview category-wise. You can prioritize the candidates, and analyze their skills, work history, and achievements who are in the yes category.
Benefits of AI to screen resumes
AI brings numerous benefits. It becomes an effective tool for a streamlined resume screening process.
Let’s have a glance at how AI helps HR in the resume screening process.
➔ Efficiency and Time-saving
AI can process a large volume of resumes by quick scanning methods and analyzing the resume, extracting relevant information, and filtering out the candidates who are not suitable for the desired requirement. It saves significant time and allows recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of the hiring process.
➔ Improved Accuracy and Objectivity
AI algorithms can accurately analyze and assess resumes based on specific criteria. They can identify relevant skills, qualifications, and experience, eliminating the risk of human error or oversight.
AI screening provides an objective evaluation of candidates, reducing the chances of subjective judgments.
➔ Data-driven Insights
AI systems can collect and analyze data from various resumes, providing valuable insights into candidate trends, skill gaps, and market demands. Recruiters can use this data to refine their hiring strategies, optimize job descriptions, and make informed decisions based on historical patterns.
➔ Scalability and Adaptability
AI-powered screening can easily scale up or down to accommodate fluctuating recruitment needs. Whether handling a few resumes or thousands, AI systems can handle the volume efficiently. Additionally, AI algorithms can be continually refined and adapted based on feedback and changing hiring requirements, making the process more effective over time.
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End Note
In conclusion, resume screening is a critical step in the hiring process, and leveraging AI technology can provide numerous benefits. AI streamlines the screening process, saving time and effort for recruiters. It ensures standardization and consistency, reducing bias and promoting equal opportunity.
AI algorithms improve accuracy and objectivity, assessing resumes based on predefined criteria. It also enhances diversity and inclusion by disregarding demographic information. Candidates benefit from instant feedback and a better overall experience.
Furthermore, AI generates valuable data-driven insights for recruiters to optimize their strategies. However, human oversight remains essential to make holistic evaluations and considering intangible qualities. By combining the strengths of AI and human judgment, organizations can improve the efficiency, fairness, and effectiveness of resume screening in their hiring processes.
