Screening job candidates, before inviting them to take part in a formal interview, is an essential part of the hiring process. It avoids wasting both the candidate and hiring manager’s time. After all, you can’t meet every single person who applies for a job — especially since an average of 250 resumes are received for each corporate job opening.
Is your screening process taking too much time out of your day? Are you having trouble choosing between qualified candidates? Consider incorporating some of the following practices into your candidate screening process, to optimize the overall process and make your job a little easier:
Say Goodbye To The Phone Screen And Say Hello To The One-Way Video Interview
The one-way video interview is an attractive screening option, in which job candidates record their answers to a series of pre-determined questions. In some cases, candidates can even review their responses and re-record them until they’re satisfied with the final product. This ensures that you’re seeing the candidate at their peak performance.
In addition to painting a more accurate picture of the candidate, than the outdated phone screen, one-way video interviews are convenient for all parties involved. For starters, they eliminate scheduling conflicts. It gives candidates flexibility when recording their answers, and it gives you the freedom to view interview recordings at your leisure.
Let’s not forget the amount of time one-way video interviews can save. A recent study by Aberdeen Group found that hiring managers can view 10 one-way video interviews in the time it takes to perform a single phone screen.
Get Social With Candidates
It’s still a good idea to “Google” job candidates, but combing through job candidates’ social media profiles has become an even better tool for hiring managers because it gives them a rare glimpse into candidates’ personal and professional lives. You might not always like what you find on social media, however, and may feel tempted to nix candidates right off the bat. But your goal should be to keep an eye out for repetitive behavior, not isolated incidents.
Additionally, screening candidates via their social media profiles has been known to cause legal issues in the past. To avoid discrimination issues, your safest bet is to hold off on visiting candidates’ online social profiles until after you’ve conducted an interview.
Take advantage of social professional networks, like LinkedIn, when screening job candidates. Social professional networks are currently the fastest growing source of quality hires globally, increasing 73 percent over the past 4 years.
These profiles act as an updated resume, and focus on a candidate’s professional accomplishments and interests. Most importantly, sites like LinkedIn can help you reach passive prospects to further expand your candidate pool.
Put Job Candidates To The Test
There is no better way to assure you of your decision on a candidate than by putting them to the test, before extending an official job offer. A candidate may seem like a perfect fit for the job on the surface, but do they have the necessary skill set to be successful in the new role? You won’t truly know unless you invest in some form of assessment testing.
While pre-employment testing can help you find top-notch talent, it can also help you weed out unqualified candidates. Consider having candidates complete an assignment that relates to the job — a past customer project, for example — to see their skills in action. Doing so will help you better identify the candidates most likely to perform well on the job, while saving time, money and decreasing employee turnover.
End The Screening Process On A Good Note
Only 15 percent of candidates say companies are responsive throughout the hiring process, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder. Don’t end your screening process on a bad note: keep candidates informed and follow up.
Following up with candidates not only improves your brand image, but it also gives you a chance to ask additional questions — and the candidate a chance to clarify — based on what you’ve seen on paper, social media and in the preliminary interview.
How have you optimized your screening process? Please share your tips in the comment section below.
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