Hey there! This is the team at Re-View bringing you the lowdown on job applicant screening. Simply put, it’s the process of reviewing and evaluating job applicants to determine their suitability for a position. This can involve reviewing resumes, conducting interviews, checking out video responses on a tool like Re-view, administering skills tests, or using other methods to assess a candidate’s qualifications and fit for the role.
Why is job applicant screening important?
Well, for starters, it helps companies find the best candidates for the job, and candidates find jobs they’ll be a good fit doing.
For companies, carefully evaluating applicants can ensure they’re hiring the most qualified and suitable people for their open positions. This can save them time and money in the long run, as they’ll be less likely to have to deal with turnover or poor performance.
For individuals, this process is often a blessing in disguise. Although not always the case, that companies take such care in selecting candidates gives the candidates that are chosen the best opportunity to do well in the roles they’re chosen for. Trust me when I say there’s nothing worse than being chosen for a role you don’t enjoy or aren’t a good fit for!
What are some examples of job applicant screening methods?
Some common methods of job applicant screening include:
- Resume review: A resume review is what it sounds like – a review of the resume! It’s when a company or hiring manager looks over a job candidate’s resume to assess their qualifications and experience. This is typically done before an interview, as a way to shortlist candidates and decide who to invite for an in-person or virtual interview
- Why are resume reviews important? It’s important for businesses to do resume reviews because they can save time and resources by only inviting the most qualified candidates for an interview. This helps the company find the best fit for the role more efficiently and effectively.
- Interviews: This can be a face-to-face interview, a phone interview, or even a video interview. Interviews allow you to ask specific questions and get to know the candidate better. But importantly, it’s also an opportunity for candidates to learn more about the company and the job they are applying for. It’s a two way street!
- Why are interviews are important? The interview is an opportunity to assess the candidate’s skills, experience, and fit for the company culture. It allows the employer to get a sense of the candidate’s personality and communication skills, as well as how they might perform in the role. These are things that are pretty hard to assess from a resume alone!
- Skills tests: Skills tests are a way to assess a candidate’s abilities and determine whether they have the skills and knowledge required for a particular role. This might involve tests of technical skills, such as coding or data analysis, or more general skills, such as problem-solving or communication.
- Why are skills tests are important? Well, they can help you determine whether a candidate has the necessary skills to succeed in the role. They can also help you identify areas where the candidate might need additional training or development. And for the candidate, skills tests can be a great way to demonstrate their capabilities and stand out from other applicants.
- Reference checks: Reference checks are a way to gather more information about a candidate’s work history and performance. This typically involves contacting a candidate’s past employers or other references (like coworkers or clients) and asking them questions about the candidate’s job performance, skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Why are reference checks are important? Well, they can give you a better understanding of what it’s like to work with the candidate and how they might fit in with your team. They can also help you verify the information that’s on the candidate’s resume and get a sense of their overall fit for the role.
- Asynchronous video responses like those on Re-View: This involves candidates recording a video of themselves answering predetermined questions and then submitting it for review by the hiring team.
- Why are async video responses important? Asynchronous video responses can be a great way to get to know candidates and assess their communication skills, and they have the added benefit of being convenient for both the candidate and the hiring team. Video also negates any biases around spelling errors or comfort with the written language.
What does the future of job applicant screening look like?
With the increasing use of technology, it’s likely that we’ll see more AI-powered tools, video responses and machine learning being used to automate certain aspects of the screening process. This could include things like resume review, skills testing, and even some aspects of the interview process.
However, it’s important to note that while technology can be a valuable tool, human collaboration is still at the heart of our working relationships. As such, it’s important to find a balance between using technology to streamline the process and maintaining the personal connections that are so important to building strong teams.