Sifting Through the Job Application Clutter

After posting a job advertisement online your email inbox can very quickly become filled with resumes. Many of these resumes may be unsuitable for the position you have advertised. Sorting through the unqualified applicants and getting to the top candidates does not need to monopolize all of your time. Below are some ideas to help you get to the talent as quickly and effectively as possible.

• If a resume has spelling and basic grammatical mistakes it is indicates that the candidate shows little attention to detail or is lazy. This is likely not what you are looking for in your next employee.
  

• Applicants who have a work history that includes many changes over a short period of time should be avoided at all costs. If a candidate averages more than 1 company change per year it suggests that they will leave you as soon as they are offered more money or that they cannot successfully achieve their duties.
  

• Don’t be put off by an applicant that has changed career path. Most if not all professionals will change career at least 3 times in the course of there working life. What you should look for are people who display a history of constantly improving their skills and experiences.
  

• Look for achievements. An applicant who simply lists their past responsibilities and does not highlight key achievements suggests that they just ‘do’ their jobs. You want to see what a person was hired to do and then how successfully they achieved their responsibilities. Past achievements give a very good indication of future achievements.
  

• Don’t be fooled by technical terms. If you are screening resumes for a technical position that uses language that you are unfamiliar with then you should ask for assistance from somebody with the technical experience or learn the unfamiliar terms. Many candidates are aware that they can fool the HR Department with ‘technical jargon’. Don’t be fooled.
  

• Finally, when screening resumes have a list of the required skills and experiences in front of you, and list these experiences in order of importance. For example having a Bachelor Degree may be first on the list. So look for evidence of this degree first. If the applicant does not hold the degree then immediately move on. Don’t waste time reading an application that does not fulfill your most basic requirements.

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