Resume Screening | How To Manage a Large Number of Incoming CVs

Feb 15, 2022 4:51:10 AM | Resume Screening | How To Manage a Large Number of Incoming CVs

Have you ever wished there was a better way to manage the staggering number of resumes you get for your job postings? Well, you’re not alone.

Considering the fact that it takes almost a full day on average to screen resumes for just one hire, the amount of time it takes to a more considerable amount of resumes will be overwhelming. Let’s look at some numbers to illustrate the pain point most in hiring teams experience; if a job opening receives approximately 250 resumes, about 75 - 88% will likely be unqualified. Considering that this is a whole day spent on unqualified resumes, many are left with the question: how can we make it simpler? Surely there is a more efficient way? 

 

The answer to this question is yes- there is most certainly a more efficient way to screen resumes, which is exactly what this article will discuss. But before we get into that, remember that number of up to 85% of resumes ending up unqualified? Surely the first step is to reduce this percentage. And how is this done? By using a tool to attract the most eligible and qualified candidates. That’s where VideoCV can help. Through their video functionalities, businesses can upload a company intro to both explain the open job and effectively communicate the company environment and expectations. This will eliminate the candidates who immediately see they are not eligible for the job, something that is nearly impossible to communicate simply through text or a written job posting. 

 

Now that that is out the way, and you have hopefully made use of services such as VideoCV, you will be sitting with a batch of resumes that are far more likely to be qualified. The next question is this: How do I manage a large number of incoming CVs? 

Every hiring manager will nod their head in agreement when they hear the sentiment that finding the most eligible candidates in a sea of resumes is the most challenging aspect of filling an open position. Let’s see how to make that process more straightforward. 

Quick Recap: What is Resume Screening?

You've already spent hours carefully reviewing resumes and scheduling interviews with the best-qualified candidates. Now it's time to screen them: to decide which ones will advance in the hiring process and which should be eliminated.

It's not easy to get excited about resumé screening. It can be a time-consuming and somewhat tedious process, but it's the number one step you can take to enforce your company's standards and prevent hiring mistakes.

Conducting resume screenings is an essential part of the hiring process. It helps to ensure that only qualified applicants are selected for interviews and, ultimately, given employment offers. As a result, every resume screening is time-consuming and cumbersome when done manually. Even an experienced manual reviewer can take an hour or more to conduct each screening. What if we could eliminate this burden? 

How to Screen Resumes as Effectively as Possible

Working with the hiring managers, HR creates the job descriptions that reflect the position’s purpose and goals and map to the job qualifications. The job specifications are divided into minimum and preferred qualifications, which help to determine who gets invited to an interview.

 

The job seeker’s experience and education is the first factor that will be evaluated. The second factor is an on-the-job qualification that is specific to the role. The third factor may be a skill or personality fit for the role if it is not determined by education or experience.

Qualifications that are usually evaluated:

  • Experience
  • Education
  • Knowledge & skills
  • Personality fit
  • Competencies
Minimum requirements screening
Resumes that meet the most basic qualifications, such as legal ability to work in the country, advance onto the second stage of your resume review. At this point, human reviewers give these resumes a more thorough look, evaluating a candidate's education, work history, skills and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications Eliminating
Seeing as most of us don't have the luxury of a resume-sifting robot, the second step in the resume-screening process is usually an employer reviewing all candidates’ resumes to find those who match the preferred qualifications for the job.
These types of qualifications are not mandatory as with the previous round. Instead, they will strengthen a candidate's chance against one that only has the necessary qualifications. Things such as work experience or a specific type of education or field of study are usually included here. They are considered qualitative and this step can help to drastically reduce the number of resumes to shortlist for an interview.
It is, of course, essential that job candidates possess the basic requirements to do the job. However, it is also essential to look for other attributes that might make someone a stronger candidate for the job, particularly when there are many qualified candidates.

 

Shortlisting based on preferred and minimum qualifications
The number of candidates you shortlist for the interview phase depends on your business needs. Shortlists are narrowed down based on the job description’s required qualifications. For low-volume recruitment, you may choose to shortlist the top few candidates who not only meet the minimum qualifications but also have all of your preferred qualifications. For high-volume recruitment, you may choose to shortlist all candidates that meet the minimum qualifications.

Use your recruitment conversion rates to determine just how many candidates should be shortlisted for an interview. 

For your benefit, here are some average recruitment rates to assist you:

  • 12% for application to interview
  • 17% for interview to offer
  • 89% for interview to acceptance

But, what does this all mean?

It means that if your hiring team has 100 candidates to screen, then 12 of those should make it to the interview stage. Of those 12, only two will end up with an offer to consider. And of those two, one will become your company’s newest recruit. 

But remember- these are averages. 

Bottom Line

If you use a video screening tool such as VideoCV, you can eliminate plenty of guesswork. Candidates can upload videos in response to the job posting, and you will be able to see a broader picture of the candidate that simply cannot be communicated via text or ‘paper’. This will result in a higher quality of candidate resumes received in response to your job posting, and the resumes likely received will be fewer. Remember, quality over quantity- especially when it comes to resumes. Not only does it mean less work for your hiring team, it means a faster hiring process which saves on valuable resources. And lastly, it means your new candidate is more likely to be a successful hire. 

Recruiting is a lot of work. And hiring the incorrect person can have costly consequences for even the best-run companies. We understand this, which is why we’ve created a platform focused on making your life easier.

If you want to level up your recruitment strategies - book a demo and lets have a chat! 

 
Fred-Erik Piirmaa

Written By: Fred-Erik Piirmaa