Screening Application Materials

The hiring process begins when you receive and evaluate information from job applicants. Your job ad told potential applicants how to apply and what information you wanted to receive. For many types of jobs, you can expect applicants to submit resumes and cover letters. However, for some jobs, applicants won't ordinarily submit resumes and you'll be working exclusively with the material you requested in your ad.

It's good practice to acknowledge the receipt of all applications, unless you receive a flood of applications. A response creates good will, avoids calls and letters, opens the door if you need more help in the future, and doesn't cost much. Create and use an applicant rejection letter if you do a lot of hiring.

If applicants submit cover letters, resumes, and other requested information, such as work samples, you should have the information you need to decide who to interview. On the other hand, if you're filling a position where people traditionally don't have resumes, such as retail sales, then you should consider using an application form.

Evaluating the information you receive begins by verifying that you have all the information you need to fairly evaluate all applicants. Compare each applicant's qualifications to the minimum requirements you established when you defined the position to be filled. Weed out those who are clearly underqualified. Remember, however, that you can't reject an applicant for discriminatory reasons.

After rejecting unsuitable applicants, rank the remaining possibilities based on the same criteria you used when you set employee qualifications. For example, experience may be more important than education, or fluency in a second language may be an overriding factor. Once this process is complete, determine how many applicants you can reasonably interview. Limit the number of people selected for an interview to minimize the time it will take. For most jobs, start with three to six candidates, perhaps a few more if you're filling multiple similar positions.