Pre-screening Rules Every Hiring Manager Should Live By

How many of you are faced with the overwhelming task of going through a stack of resumes that may number in the hundreds for the one position you are desperate to fill? How will you possibly weed through all of those resumes and select the few you would really like to talk to? How will you be able to do that and not miss out on a potential “superstar”? Well let’s see if we might be able to give you some useful tips on doing just that.

Pre-screening Rules Every Hiring Manager Should Live By
  1. Presentation of material. During your quick review, the following questions should be answered.
    • Has the applicant included a cover letter?
    • Did the applicant take time to address you appropriately in the cover letter? Red flag – “To Whom it May Concern”
    • Do you know which position the applicant is interested in?
    • Has the applicant identified key strengths or points about him/herself that relate to the requirements of the position?
    Final thought: If the applicant has not taken the time to research both the hiring manager information and identified specifically which skills he/she would bring to the table for this position, how serious do you really think they are about both the position and working for your company?

  2. 3-strike rule – In today’s age of spell check, 3 strikes no longer applies. It should be 1 strike and you’re out. There is no room for spelling and typo errors on either cover letters or resumes in today’s job market.
  3. Evaluation of experience. You’ve narrowed the stack of resumes considerably just with the first two steps. It’s time to look a little deeper. The next step should focus on ensuring that the applicants meet the minimum requirements of the position, at least on paper. Ask yourself:
    • Is there steady employment indicated? If not, have all gaps been addressed?
    • Does the applicant have comparable experience to the position at hand? And if so, do they meet the minimum years in field requirement?
    • Is there more attention given to previous employment as opposed to current or most recent employment? Could be a red flag!
    • Is there considerable job hopping (rule of thumb 1 year per position and company) and do the positions held show progression in one field? An example: customer service position to accounting position to administrative position and back to customer service. Or are they moving from customer service position to customer service position regularly?
    • Is there an overemphasis on education or non-job related activities?