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4 Tips to Improve Candidate Screening

Steve Lowisz
AI and automation have completely changed the game when it comes to candidate screening.

Candidate screening is not only an important process for quality of hire – it's also a key first impression when it comes to candidate experience. 

In other words, candidate screening isn’t just ticking a box – it's also your opportunity to wow a candidate. But how can you balance efficiency while providing a personal, positive experience? 

Here are four ways to achieve both goals.

Don't Skip the Intake Meeting

As a candidate screener, sourcer, or recruiter, you need to schedule an intake call with the hiring manager.

Get as much detail as possible from the hiring manager on who they view to be an “ideal candidate.”

What does success look like in the role? What skills are deal-breakers, and which are “nice to have?”

Learn about the last person who excelled in the role.

If you don’t know your hiring managers’ needs and wants like the back of your hand, you’ll have a lot harder time succeeding in your search.

Prepare for Every Screening Call

Before every call, it’s worth it to review the hiring criteria as well as the candidate’s background.

This helps you ask insightful questions and saves valuable time by making sure you don’t have to cover the same information on the resume.

Additionally, you may want to consider sending candidates a prep sheet indicating what you’ll be talking about.

This helps candidates feel more confident and prepared going into the call, which helps you see the best version of themselves.

Structure Your Calls

When screening and comparing candidates, it really helps to compare apples to apples.

Just like you should always use a structured interview process, your screening calls should follow a consistent structure too.

In addition to giving every candidate a level playing field, it also helps candidates feel more at ease, since a lack of structure can be disorienting.

Don't Forget the Candidate Experience

While your #1 priority is screening candidates, this is also often a candidate’s first impression of your organization.

This is your chance to one-up companies relying on AI and bots to talk to candidates first!

Be personal, take the time to get to know candidates a little bit, and show you really care about them. Even a few minutes can make a big difference here.