5 Tips for Screening Resumes

Most companies receive around 100 resumes for each job openings. If you’re in that boat – and looking to hire – how can you effectively screen each one without eating up your whole day?

As one of South Florida’s leading staffing services firms, Future Force knows it is possible to thoroughly screen every resume without spending a half hour on each one. In fact, in under a minute, you can get a good sense of whether or not a particular job candidate is a good fit for your position.

But where do you start? To help you with your resume screening efforts, here are several tips to keep in mind:

#1: Set the scene.

Don’t screen resumes in the noisy lunch room at work, or keep your door open – when you potentially could get interrupted during the process. Instead, set the right scene. Stay in your office, whether at work or home, and keep your door shut. Put on some quiet music or work in silence, whichever is optimal for you. Just make sure you create a quiet space in which you can focus 100% on each resume.

#2: Assess the look of each resume.

Are margins standard? Is there enough white space – or is information crammed onto the resume? Can you quickly scan work and education history, or do you have to go digging for it? By evaluating formatting and style, you can get a better sense of the level of communication skills and professionalism each candidate has.

#3: Search for keywords.

Before you review the resumes, have a list of keywords or key phrases in mind to look for, such as warehouse manager or experienced receptionist. When you’re scanning each resume, look for these or other similar keywords or phrases.

#4: Look at employment dates.

You want to make sure you’re hiring someone with the right amount of experience and also someone that’s not a job hopper. So watch out for extremely short tenures at multiple employers or big gaps in work history that aren’t explained easily. If the candidate has a strong resume other than a particular gap in work experience, then set up a phone screen with them and ask specifically about it.

#5: Keep red flags in mind.

For instance, if a resume has a lot of spelling errors, or if the wording is vague or doesn’t make sense, it’s an indication of the quality of the candidate. Likewise, if employment dates overlap or don’t jive, it could be a sign the candidate is lying. It’s therefore something to ask about during the phone screen and interview process.

Are you too busy to recruit and review resumes…but desperately need to hire? Look no further. The experts at Future Force can help. As one of South Florida’s leading staffing services firms, we can handle the sourcing, interviewing, testing, and evaluating – all so you can make great hiring decisions. Contact Future Force today to learn more.