How Do Recruiters Shortlist Candidates Just by Analyzing CVs? Seeking Advice from Experienced Professionals

Seniors, can you help me?

How to shortlist candidates for an interview (by examining the CVs of the applying candidates) after recruitment when you have a pool of candidates who applied for the given post/vacancy.

The question is, how do any recruitment agency/company shortlist eligible and potential candidates just by analyzing their CVs before any face-to-face talk (or talk over the phone)? No doubt, the simple answer is that it should be based on the criteria related to the post. However, there are certain things that recruiters consider while analyzing the CVs and accordingly differentiate the few good from unwanted candidates. Recruiters do not call all the candidates applying for the post.

Please help. I request seniors to read the question minutely and then answer :)

Refer to "Recruiter KRAs".

How well has the job description been crafted? Is it in an ideal state or are there must-haves missing? In a few job openings, analyze how many people pass the first screening versus the total number of applications. Don't forget that even the best job descriptions can fail. Why? Candidates have their resumes designed by experts just to pass the initial screening. We do have software that uses keyword scans which can be helpful. Try asking a few qualifying questions before scheduling a meeting.

Thank you for responding. Maybe I'm not able to express the feelings properly, but your solution does not seem helpful for all because not all recruiters use software. Please, I want an explanation in detail.

Hi Snowhite,

First of all, you need to check the demands for the job. Assuming you have 2 open positions and you have 100+ resumes with you, there is no need to call all 100 people. Do the shortlisting of profiles by considering the following criteria:

- Experience of the candidate
- Current company of the candidate; you can give preference to tier-wise accordingly.
- Domain of the candidates matching your requirements (Telecom, BFSI, Healthcare, etc.)
- Stability of the candidate
- Team handling (if you are looking for a managerial/lead role)
- Technical job specifications (like solution architect, solution designer, Tech Lead, etc.)

I hope I have cleared your doubts?

Please let me know if you need further clarification or assistance.

Thanks everyone for guiding, but I could not understand a few words mentioned above by 'Jalpesh' like COS. Also, how can I understand the "stability of the candidate" - will that depend on the number of months/years he stays in a particular organization?

Please, I need a little clarification on it.

Dear Snowhite,

COS refers to company. Yes, Snowhite, you are on the right path for word stability. For example, if a candidate has 5 years of experience, out of which he has changed 4-5 companies, it doesn't make any sense to hire him until and unless he has a concrete reason and he is exceptionally good. I hope I am clear regarding your doubts.

Thank you.