6 tips for efficiently screening CVs
Nikki Murran offers her top tips and expertise to help you to secure the right candidate your vacant role
Print30 October 2024
We receive anywhere from 10 to 150 applications per job advertisement.
This year, in August alone, we received over 4,000 CVs for Grocery roles.
Dealing with this volume has made us experts at identifying the best candidates from these applications.
Below are some tips for retailers advertising their own jobs and looking for effective ways to review CVs and screen candidates to ultimately find the best fit for their roles.
1. Start with the “no” pile
It’s almost inevitable that you will receive applications from individuals who aren’t qualified for the role.
Many of our roles attract over 1000 CVs, but only a small percentage of these candidates match the requirements, and even fewer make it to the interview stage.
A great way to filter out unqualified candidates is to create a CV checklist of the minimum requirements, such as skills, experience, and eligibility to work.
Any CV that doesn’t meet these criteria can go straight into the “no” pile.
Those that show potential but don’t meet all the requirements can be placed in the “maybe” pile, while CVs that fully meet your criteria should go into the “yes” pile.
This process will make the next stage of selection much easier.
Note: For employer branding, it’s important to respond to all applicants who don’t fit your criteria.
Send them a polite email thanking them for their interest and informing them that their application has been unsuccessful.
2. Reviewing resumes of applicants
Next, compile a wish list of skills or attributes you’d like to see and rank them in order of importance. Use this list to compare against the skills on the CVs and rank them accordingly.
While reviewing, make notes of any specific questions you have about the candidates.
This will ensure you’re prepared for the next stage of the process.
Keep in mind that many of the traits you value in an employee may not be visible on a CV.
Personally, I believe in speaking to as many candidates as possible.
Depending on the number of CVs left in the “yes” and “maybe” piles, you might decide to skip this step and simply call all the candidates for an initial phone screen.
3. Potential red flags to watch for in CVs
There are certain warning signs that may outweigh a candidate’s skills and experience.
While these may not always be deal-breakers, they are issues you might want to explore further during the interview:
- Unexplained employment gaps: Some employment gaps may be perfectly logical, but others may raise concerns. In some cases, long career gaps have had more problematic reasons.
- Job hopping: Frequent job changes can indicate ambition, but it may also suggest a lack of commitment. After investing time and effort in the hiring process, it can be frustrating if the employee moves on shortly after starting.
- Stagnant careers: A career without progression in responsibilities or advancement may indicate a lack of drive for professional growth.
4. Checking applicants’ digital footprint
All our recruiters use LinkedIn to learn more about candidates—so you should, too!
Visiting an applicant’s LinkedIn profile can provide valuable insights into who they are, the posts they engage with, and the people or organizations they follow.
It’s also reassuring to see if their CV matches their LinkedIn profile—surprisingly, discrepancies are common.
I’ve seen candidates claim to be store managers on their CVs, but their LinkedIn profile says department or trainee manager. Sometimes, candidates omit roles from their CV that are listed on LinkedIn.
Additionally, endorsements and recommendations from other professionals can act like mini-references or third-party reviews, which are always a bonus!
5. Pre-screening candidates over the phone
Once you’ve narrowed down your pool, it’s helpful to pre-screen candidates with a short phone call before inviting them to an interview.
This will give you a better sense of their communication skills, humour, listening abilities, and professionalism—qualities that are hard to assess from a CV alone.
A typical pre-screening call should last between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the role.
During this call, ask questions to identify candidates who are a good match for your team, and be sure to give them a clear picture of the job so they can confirm their interest.
Some questions you might ask include:
- Is this location accessible for you in the long term?
- Are the shift patterns/contracted hours compatible with your current schedule?
- Does the job description align with your skills and interests?
- Is the salary for this position within your acceptable range?
- Why are you searching for a new position?
- What motivated you to apply for this vacancy?
- What are your top three responsibilities in your current or most recent job?
- What do you enjoy most about your current role?
Be aware of the current hiring market
While this is the last point on my list, it is by no means the least important.
Always stay aware of trends in the current hiring market when filling a vacancy.
It can be frustrating to sift through countless CVs without finding a suitable candidate.
Even if your organization is attractive and the opportunity is excellent, there’s always a chance that the perfect candidate simply isn’t on the market at the moment.
With this in mind, don’t just aim to hire the “dream candidate.” Consider hiring for potential.
If a candidate is the right cultural fit, their technical skills can often be improved with on-the-job training.
(Or, of course, you could always call your favourite recruiter—wink, wink—and let us find the dream candidate for you!)
Read more: 30 years of retail recruitment
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