The hiring process’s most challenging and beneficial part is shortlisting candidates. If you shortlist candidates correctly, you will find a star. Getting it wrong, however, will not only waste time and effort but also increase the chances of hiring a problematic employee. This article will explain what it is and why it is so crucial.
An overview of the candidate shortlisting process
Candidate shortlisting involves reducing the large number of applicants to a smaller number. Shortlist criteria are used by recruiters to evaluate applicant pools. In essence, this is a list of skills, knowledge, competencies, or experiences that a candidate needs to possess to be successful.
The following are some of the main benefits of candidate shortlisting:
- Your recruitment process will be sped up.
- Choosing the right candidates helps you reduce the risk of hiring the wrong person.
- Having an effective interview saves you a lot of time.
- As a result, candidates have a better experience.
- Your hiring team will be aligned and standards will be established.
How can a great shortlisting process be made? A list of relevant and desirable criteria
Make sure your criteria are strict and that you follow them.
It is crucial to have a robust set of shortlisting criteria when screening. Among them are skills, abilities, and experience. In addition, you don’t want to end up with a high volume of irrelevant applications by not writing a detailed, tailored job description that clearly explains the key requirements. No matter how many candidates you have in your pool or how many candidates you want to advance, once you’ve established your criteria, you must adhere to them.
Choose the screening method that suits you best.
Shortlisting and screening can be accomplished in many ways. A recruiter used to sift through CVs and check off their essential requirements by hand until they reached the bottom of the pile. That would take a lot of time. Recruiters nowadays use ATS systems, skills tests, or pre-recorded video interviews to streamline the recruiting process.
Decide the size of your shortlist.
Your next step should be to decide how many candidates you are willing to move forward with. Ideally, you should shortlist 2-5 candidates depending on the role and the number of applicants.
Choose a scoring system for candidates.
For consistency, you must score candidates based on the shortlist criteria. Candidate scorecards, also known as point-based systems, are commonly used. Each candidate receives one point if they meet all the criteria. Half a point is awarded if only half is met. Top scorers are shortlisted based on total points.
Keep in mind the importance of creating a positive candidate experience.
Remember that the candidate is at the center of all of this, so take time to consider their needs and wants. Getting to the next stage should be a smooth process for shortlisted candidates, and rejected candidates should be treated gently when they are rejected. Create a shortlisting process that’s fast, engaging, and full of feedback, based on how you’d like to be treated.
