4 Tips for CV Screening and Find The Best Candidate

Have you ever received a large number of job applications and Curriculum Vitae (CVs) during recruitment? This situation can make the selection process more difficult and time-consuming. On the other hand, you want to recruit the best candidates according to the criteria you are looking for. The solution is to perform CV screening to make the selection process more effective and efficient.

So, what is CV screening in the recruitment process? How can you perform effective screening to avoid mistakes in hiring employees? You can find all the answers in this article. Let’s dive into the explanation to streamline the recruitment process in your company.

What is CV Screening?

CV screening is the process of professionally verifying the information and data of candidates from the Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume they submit. This process is an important stage in recruitment. During CV screening, you will examine work experience, education, and the skills or expertise possessed by the candidates.

Why is CV screening so important? You surely want to recruit employees who meet the criteria set. Candidates are also expected to have a professional attitude and behavior while working. Therefore, you need to do further research to understand the candidate’s personality. In some cases, screening is also done by checking criminal records based on the Certificate of Police Records (SKCK).

Attention to detail is the top rule in CV screening. You must avoid mistakes when screening CVs that could harm the company. If you do not check information carefully and hire employees who do not meet the necessary qualifications, this could impact the overall performance of the company.

CV screening is usually done at the initial stage of the recruitment process, but it can also be done after candidates pass the initial selection stage. The ultimate goal of CV screening is to find the best candidate for the available position and ensure that the candidate will fit well with the company’s culture.

How to Perform Effective CV Screening?

Effective CV screening is necessary to find the right candidate for the next selection stage. You also won’t miss potential candidates with an effective screening process. How to do it? Here are some tips to help make the CV screening process more time-efficient:

Define Candidate Qualifications for Screening

Of course, you need a benchmark for screening CVs so that the results meet your expectations. Determine the qualifications needed to fill the vacant position. Include these qualifications in clear terms and conditions. Identify the qualifications you are looking for from applicants at the beginning by setting out criteria such as education and work experience.

For example, if you are recruiting for a graphic designer position, you might set qualifications like work experience and certification in graphic design training. Include document requirements such as a portfolio to make it easier to select candidates who meet the qualifications and those who do not.

Evaluate Candidate CVs Based on Requirements

When receiving dozens or even hundreds of applications for one position, you need to seriously evaluate their CVs. Ensure that the candidate’s CV meets the company’s requirements, especially for specific divisions or departments. In addition to the CV, you can check the subject and content of the email, background color of the photo, completeness of documents, and so on.

Use the Skimming Method

The skimming method means you need to quickly read through all the CVs of the candidates. This step is necessary to separate suitable CVs from unsuitable ones so that the list of candidates becomes more focused. Prioritize the work experience section when skimming. You can assess the relevance between the candidate’s last two positions and the criteria currently sought by the company.

Read Selected CVs in More Detail

At this stage, you can start reading the selected CVs in more detail. In this step, you should highlight the CV’s appearance, grammar used in the CV, skills, and work experience. Sometimes, many candidates overlook spelling mistakes or poor grammar in their CVs. Such oversight is considered unprofessional. Conversely, candidates who are meticulous in preparing their CVs show that they pay attention to quality and detail.

After performing the four steps of CV screening above, you can then conduct interviews with the selected candidates. You can also administer tests to assess the skills or abilities of the candidates.

CV screening is the process of verifying candidates conducted by recruiters. In fact, recruiters may spend up to 23 hours sifting through incoming CVs to find the right employee for the company.

As an outsourcing company with extensive experience, we are ready to assist you in finding candidates and conducting interviews until you find a remote worker ready to work with you. Contact us for more information and start collaborating with RecruitFirst in finding the best candidates for your company!