CV screening is delicate recruiting phase. Here you can find the best techniques to make it automatic.
CV Screening: what is it about?
The recruiting process is made of various stages, including the analysis of the received curricula or the ones identified right after the opening of a new job position and the subsequent skimming activity. This is the so-called "CV screening": we can imagine it as a filter activity that aims to select the best ones among all the applications received following the first recruiting phase (typically after the publication of a job advertisement or an active search for passive candidates through social profiles or other media channels).
This first phase of screening aims to identify the best candidates, discarding applications that do not meet the minimum requirements to be able to continue the selection process to the next stages.
This phase, to be carefully and precisely managed, allows HR to make the entire recruiting process faster and more effective, simplifying the evaluation of candidates by identifying the profiles that best meet the management's wishes.
CV screening: the best techniques to automate it
Based on the definition we have just seen together, CV screening is a time-consuming activity that requires important resources and energy from HR: how to automate this recruiting phase with digital techniques and tools? Let's see together the most effective ways.
Managing a new search (and its publication) brings with it many variables, including the volume of applications received by the recruiter and their intrinsic quality: a good drafting of the job description and job advertisement, as well as a valid Employer Branding strategy, can help to optimize the process, but if on one hand by attracting the attention of a good number of candidates the quantity of CVs received is multiplied, on the other hand it is difficult to eliminate the risk of receiving among these also unsuccessful applications, not properly in line with the researched profile.
It is therefore easy to understand the strategic importance of CV screening to ensure that no interesting profiles are left out and at the same time eliminate unsuitable applications. However, the timing of this process often lengthens leading to inefficiencies that generate an increase in recruiting costs.
There is software on the market that support HR by quickly and effectively categorizing the applications received on the basis of the data extracted from the CVs, such as geographical origin, previous experience, roles covered, education, knowledge of languages and skills possessed. The software is able to analyse the possession of the minimum requirements, discarding the CVs that are not in line with what is required, favouring and streamlining the work of the recruiter who will be able to analyse in detail a smaller number of CVs more in line with the searched profile.
Some software are also able to recognize specific keywords within the text of the CV, using semantic search algorithms that, searching prime and related keywords (to be sure not to exclude valid applications and carry out the most possible accurate analysis), can help the recruiter to select the profiles that best meet the required characteristics. The recruiter has an active and crucial role in defining which skills and requirements are to be classified as "necessary" and which, for example, are optional. Furthermore, the recruiter can attribute a different “value” to the skills, thus managing to accurately calibrate the management's requests.
The use of these software then allows in many cases to use features to categorize the received CVs, guaranteeing the HR to be able to create its own database with a pool of talented candidates for any further selections, highlighting the strengths and the most popular features, for faster future research.
In this way it is possible to speed up both the pre-screening phase (by analysing the CVs in a company database built over time, even manually) and the actual screening phase, which takes place after the publication of the job advertisement from the CVs received in response to your advertisement.
Automating CV screening: what are the advantages?
Technology which supports the recruiter's work, in particular with the automation of the CV screening process, certainly brings several advantages, including:
- a considerable time saving in the entire recruiting process, improving and streamlining it already from the pre-screening thanks to the elimination of the manual "opening-reading-evaluation-closing" phases of tens or hundreds of CVs stored in the databases;
- a clear improvement in HR performance (often monitored through indicators that can be directly managed through the dashboard of the same software), facilitating the recruiter's work and increasing its accuracy and quality;
- a significant reduction in recruiting costs;
- greater satisfaction of company management, which can find effective and timely answers to the business needs.
Glickon Seek solutions, suitable for supporting companies in all phases of recruiting, are simple and effective, with features that can be adapted to HR needs and designed to offer candidates a unique experience.
