are you working through piles of applications?

The good news is that with the right tools, you can move through a lot of applications both quickly and accurately. Here’s what you need!

As 2020 drew to a close, we were finally moving through the end of the pandemic. More and more communities are reopening and returning to something closer to normal.
What does that mean for you? It means there is about to be a flood of applications coming in for every open position in your company.
It’s already difficult to sort through applications with online recruiting. Some applicants don’t worry about whether they’re qualified; they simply send their resume to any opening in the area. This creates more work for you as you try to separate the good from the bad.
With an unemployment rate of 7.9% in September 2020, you can expect the problem of mass applications to be even more pronounced as we get deeper into 2021.

Set Up Strategies to Eliminate Non-Serious Applicants

One of the biggest ways to cut through the clutter is to set up broad rules to separate non-serious applications from the others.
Every organization will do this differently, but some ideas include:

• Write a clear job description and ask for references upfront
• Using AI to eliminate applications that don’t use specific keywords
• Skip any application that doesn’t include a cover letter
• Skim resumes looking for specific qualifications
• Post job openings on targeted employment websites instead of general ones

When you take this approach, you’ll be able to winnow a huge pile of applications down to a manageable number.

Use a Pre-Interview Questionnaire

Even once you narrow things down, you’ll still have a lot of resumes that meet your qualifications. What do you do next?
You don’t have the time or personnel to schedule that many interviews. Instead, take advantage of pre-interview questionnaires. Consider this a less formal, written interview. You can ask a variety of questions about a candidate’s goals, attitudes about work, and skills.

You can send a questionnaire electronically, which saves you significant time while also giving applicants a chance to impress you. As they reply, you’ll have a much better idea of who you want to interview.
From motivation to career goals to how they’d react in a specific situation, you can learn about candidates quickly without wasting your time or theirs on unnecessary interviews.

Use References to Get a Clearer Picture

While you’re waiting for replies to the questionnaire, you can also move forward with checking references. Unfortunately, a large number of applicants embellish their resume, and a strong reference check process can help you avoid dishonest ones.
Playing phone tag doesn’t serve anyone. Don’t waste time on the phone, and instead use online reference checks. You can send forms to the listed people in just a minute, and as replies come in you can build a comprehensive picture.

When you put the reference checks together with the pre-interview questionnaire, you’ll have a clear understanding of who is qualified enough to warrant an interview and who isn’t. You’ll save countless hours of your department’s time.

Make Better Hires Using These Tools

With high unemployment comes to an increase in applications for every opportunity. Unfortunately, not every candidate focuses on positions they are qualified for but instead sends their resume to almost every job in their area.
When you use filtering, you can eliminate a lot of applications upfront. From there, you need the right tools to narrow things down further so that you can choose the right candidate.

A pre-interview questionnaire can give you information about the candidate they may not have included in their resume or cover letter. Whether you use a pre-made form or create your own questions, having something that digs a little deeper makes a significant difference.

Finally, don’t overlook the power of reference checks. It’s more than just “how long did you work there,” although sometimes you’ll find discrepancies even in that. You can ask about specific projects mentioned in the resume or ask about particular skills. A reference can give you a lot of information.

Are you ready to get started making better hires, even when you have hundreds of applications? Let us help. First 3 credits are on us. No credit card required.

Contact us today to learn more about online tools to make hiring more efficient. 

Gary Kirksey – CEO