New to HR? How Do You Efficiently Screen Resumes Without Feeling Overwhelmed?

Dear friends,

Please tell me the better way of screening the resume. I am new to the HR field, and sometimes it is too difficult to see so many resumes. So, suggest to me a way to save my time and hit the target while screening.

Hoping for a positive reply :)

Dear friends,

Please tell me the better way of screening resumes. I am new to the HR field, and sometimes it is difficult to review numerous resumes. Kindly suggest ways to help me save time and efficiently screen candidates.

Looking forward to a positive reply 🙂

Hello, It's a very easy method. Firstly, according to the job specifications, you should screen the CV. This is only a pre-evaluation of the candidate.

The best way to review resumes is to organize the process. You can create a table where the data of individual candidates can be entered. Once the data is entered, it can be compared with the standard requirements of the management, and candidates can be shortlisted and interviewed. This will enable the work to be completed quickly.

Deepak Thukral
Chandigarh

In my opinion, the following should be done:

1. Make a criteria of your needs.
2. Review it critically and finalize the percentage of flexibility in it.
3. Review every CV according to your criteria.
4. If matched with maximum flexibility, put it at Place A.
5. If not matched, reject it and put it for future use at Place B.

Regards,
Zafar

Dear Member,

I have gone through the suggestions by our HR team, and I too agree with all of them. However, one thing should be clear in your mindset for screening CVs:

- Each CV should have a job description.
- The job description should include skills required, as well as communication skills and languages.
- Create a matrix based on the job description.
- Review and input necessary information into the matrix from the CVs.
- I believe initially it may seem difficult to follow, but later on, it becomes easy and yields efficient results.

I hope this method will meet your requirements.

Best regards,
Ramesh Yandamuri

Hi there,

First of all, have the job specifications as your reference. Highlight key words in the specifications and make a list of them. Key technical words could include programming languages, specific tools, equipment, processes, qualifications, or soft skills like good communication skills, etc.

For every resume that comes to you, search for the key words, and if there is a good match in qualifications, experience, and technical abilities, shortlist it; otherwise, reject it.

If you are receiving resumes electronically, it is much easier to do this as MS Word provides good search functionality. You can also use the highlighter feature in MS Word to highlight the key words found.

Some companies utilize specialized applications for these job processes.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Srivathsa

Screening methods are not very difficult if you have clarity regarding the job post and the requirements of the departmental heads. Just check with the concerned department to understand exactly what is required from them. This will make it easier for you to find the best CV. If you need any help, please reply to me.

Regards

Key Words, Job Specs, Criteria Match :D :D :D

For Example

Bioinformatics Developer

Job Description

Bioinformatics Developer

Duties:

- Develop Bioinformatics applications (web-based or standalone).
- Write scripts to streamline the research process.
- Keep abreast of the frontier of Bioinformatics research and system implementation.

Documented expertise in the following areas is required:

1. Genomics and proteomics
2. Sequence analysis, alignment, and database searches
3. NCBI genomics tools and databases
4. Object-oriented programming, Java, and/or C/C++
5. Relational database development and SQL query
6. Web development using JSP, Servlet, JavaScript, and CSS
7. Web service implementation using Java Axis or Perl
8. Perl scripting (BioPerl a plus)
9. XML (XSLT and XPath a plus)

Experience with the following is a plus:

1. Previous experience with high-performance compute clusters
2. Test-driven development using packages such as JUnit
3. Ajax framework
4. Porting code from Metrowerks PowerPlant framework to Mac OSX Cocoa framework using Xcode IDE
5. Biological pathway analysis and modeling

Education and skills:

1. M.S. or higher in bioinformatics, computer science, or life sciences
2. At least 2 years of working experience in bioinformatics software development
3. Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
4. Initiative in experimenting with new technologies
5. Demonstrated ability to apply project management techniques to track, update, and generate reports on ongoing projects and support actions

Keywords are

Bio & Java since if you put Bio, it will take all fields associated with Bio (Bioinformatics, Biometrics, Biology, etc).

By using keywords against JD, you can very well screen the same....

Regards

M. Peer Mohamed Sardhar

Hi Deepak,

I am also from Chandigarh and working with an IT firm. Can you help me to know what should be the list of questions we should ask at the time of the first call to a candidate?

[Login to view] Chandigarh

Hi,

Screening the resumes is a major task in recruitment. If you screen the resumes properly, your hit rates of offer increases. Here are some tips to help you with the screening process:

1) Study the requirements fully and understand them.
2) If it is a technical position, check whether the candidate has worked in those skill sets in their projects.
3) If you are not confident, call up the candidate and talk to them briefly about the requirements.
4) Ask about the candidate's experience on each specified skill and have them rate themselves on those skills.
5) Ensure that the education criteria are met.
6) Check the candidate's communication skills as well.

I hope these tips will assist you in screening the resumes. Good luck!

Regards,
Sherry

Dear Mr. Bharti Singh,

Interviewing a candidate is an art which one can learn with the passage of time. Once the candidates have been shortlisted and are invited for the first interview, first of all, when a candidate enters the interview chamber, it should be ensured that he is comfortable. He should be offered a seat, pleasantries should be exchanged with him, and he should be given some time to settle – say, a pause for one minute or so.

You will appreciate that a candidate has to be shortlisted for the second interview on the basis of an interview that lasts a few minutes, and this makes the task more difficult. Instead of putting him on the spot with questions, he should be asked to tell something about himself. Give him a patient hearing. Try to know where he is working at present, what jobs he is performing, why he wants to join the organization, what his present pay package is, etc. Then, you can test him by asking questions about the work he is performing. You can also ask him some more questions that are not difficult to answer. For instance, if a candidate is from a commerce background, you can ask him if he has some idea about accounting principles or ask about the gestation period.

This way, you can evaluate him.

Deepak Thukral

Chandigarh