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September, 2010

Avoid Wading through Piles of Resumes from Unqualified Applicants

In this Issue:

    Sorting Through Resumes
    Job Postings and Key Word Searches
    Pre-employment Screening and Testing
    Additional Resources

Sorting Through Resumes


Sorting ResumeRealtors often refer to an abundance of available houses as “a buyer’s market.” In an era with a large pool of potential job candidates, one might similarly say it is a recruiter’s market. While this might seem like an ideal situation for HR departments, it does create challenges. How does one wade through piles of resumes in an efficient mannerto locate the best candidates?
A CareerBuilder.com External link opens in a new windowadministrator stated that “with the scarcity of jobs these days, you may very well receive thousands of applications.” John Younger, CEO and president of a network-based recruitment process firmin California, reported, “The average number of applicants across the board, including applicants for executive positions, is more than 200 per job. In the first hour that we looked to fill an executive assistant position, we received 500 applications and shut down the search” (quoted in Workforce Management External link opens in a new window).

This glut of resumes equals time and money spent culling applicants. It is imperative to find methods to screen applicants quickly and effectively.

Job Postings and Key Word Searches


Jobs PushpinThe best way to eliminate receiving piles of resumes from unqualified candidates is with a well-written, skill-specific job posting. Seek input from those who have direct knowledge of the skill requirements of the job. What skills are mandatory and not easily taught? What skills are needed but easily learned on the job? What personality traits might best fit in the department?

Job Description Writer, from the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop External link opens in a new window,is anexcellent tool for writing a job description that will garner the best qualified applicants.Once the description is completed using the easy to use templates, options for saving or posting the job description areavailable.

Software that does keyword searches:

Many companies sell software that will screen electronically-submitted resumes using keyword searches.Illinois Skills Match External link opens in a new window (ISM)provides this application and is free to Illinois businesses. ISM hasmany added capabilities. Illinois Skills Match is “available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,[and] allows you to identify the specific skills and job requirements and then automatically matches your job to the most qualified workers in the system. You then have direct access to a list of those job seekers who qualify for your job.”Once qualified applicants have been tagged, employers may elect to then handle the recruiting, screening and hiring process or receive assistance with the process External link opens in a new window".


Pre-employment Screening and Testing


Screening“Today, about 50 percent of all companies ask candidates to answer questions that aim to measure their success at particular jobs for which they apply,” according to the Washington Post External link opens in a new window. Requiring testing helps weed out candidates with minimal interest in the job as well as eliminate candidates that do not appear to be a good fit for the company.While such testing does take time and money, it will probably be less costly and frustrating than hiring candidates who are ill-prepared or not a good fit for your company. If you use such tests, make sure they are accessible to all applicants. Failure to do so will prevent some well-qualified candidates from applying and may invite discrimination lawsuits.
Many companies that require online applications also include an online personality test as part of the application process. Other companies include such assessments as part of an interview process. For these assessments to be useful, employers need to have a clear understanding of what personality traits may be most beneficial in their workplaces. The aptitude to work in isolation may be necessary for one job but toxic in another workplace. Most companies require skills testing. This may take place informally within an interview or more formally at a workplace testing center. Illinois workNet Centers Link opens in a new windowcan assist business clients with such testing.

If it applies to your company, posting that drug tests are mandatory will help self-eliminate potential candidates who know they would not pass drugscreening. This saves time of interviewing candidates, offering jobs subject to drug-testing, and then having to continue the search process with other candidates should a candidate tests positive.
Developing a comprehensive screening plan will ultimately save time and result in identifying quality candidates.

Additional Resources


Job Posting

  • Illinois workNet quickly connects employers to job posting sites and provides options for no-cost job postings available to them. Employers within key sector Industries can also post jobs  Link opens in a new windowfor FREE with CareerBuilder as a value-added service.

Testing services



Train


Businesses and their employees often search for local education and training programs. The train page provides employers with multiple methods for conducting those searches.

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