Empowering Growth...
Do you find reviewing all the job applications you receive time-consuming? Here are our top tips to help make the process of finding great applicants more efficient.
It is important to remember candidates can now very easily apply to multiple jobs within minutes using job boards. Therefore, the number of applications that you get per role, may not reflect those who are suitable. These 5 top tips efficiently eliminate unsuitable candidates, in order for you to focus on suitable applicants.
Format
A CV is the very first impression of the applicant behind it. Good candidates will ensure their CV is well formatted, making it easier for you to review. This includes using headings, bullet points and brief summaries. If the CV is lacking good format, this could reflect that the applicant has poor attention to detail and has not spent enough time to thoroughly tailor their CV according to the role.
Professional summary
An opening summary that all good candidates should include on their CV. Professional summaries usually detail why the applicant is looking for a new role and their long-term prospects. Ideally, this should also answer most questions you may have about why they decided to apply for this particular role and their suitability. Good candidates tailor their CV according to each role they apply for. This is to promote their specific qualities that make them ideal for the role you have advertised.
Location
Checking the location which the candidate is based is definitely a must before considering the application in more depth. If you can see there would be a significant commute, then it is best to question why the candidate has applied for the role and whether this would affect them being a long-term hire. Good candidates will elaborate on geographic suitability. For example, if they are looking to relocate, or are happy with a longer commute time due to the opportunity of career progression, or salary increase.
Previous roles
The previous two roles are the most important. After all, these will show if the candidate has recent experience within this line of work and whether their skills will be in accordance with the newest trends/technology to successfully fulfil the role. That being said, if the applicant is looking to move back into an area of work or looking for a career change this may not be necessary as part of your initial review. However, a good candidate would outline a hopeful career change within their professional summary.
Education/Qualifications
It is important to remember candidates can now very easily apply to multiple jobs within minutes using job boards. Therefore, the number of applications that you get per role, may not reflect those who are suitable. These 5 top tips efficiently eliminate unsuitable candidates, in order for you to focus on suitable applicants.
Format
A CV is the very first impression of the applicant behind it. Good candidates will ensure their CV is well formatted, making it easier for you to review. This includes using headings, bullet points and brief summaries. If the CV is lacking good format, this could reflect that the applicant has poor attention to detail and has not spent enough time to thoroughly tailor their CV according to the role.
Professional summary
An opening summary that all good candidates should include on their CV. Professional summaries usually detail why the applicant is looking for a new role and their long-term prospects. Ideally, this should also answer most questions you may have about why they decided to apply for this particular role and their suitability. Good candidates tailor their CV according to each role they apply for. This is to promote their specific qualities that make them ideal for the role you have advertised.
Location
Checking the location which the candidate is based is definitely a must before considering the application in more depth. If you can see there would be a significant commute, then it is best to question why the candidate has applied for the role and whether this would affect them being a long-term hire. Good candidates will elaborate on geographic suitability. For example, if they are looking to relocate, or are happy with a longer commute time due to the opportunity of career progression, or salary increase.
Previous roles
The previous two roles are the most important. After all, these will show if the candidate has recent experience within this line of work and whether their skills will be in accordance with the newest trends/technology to successfully fulfil the role. That being said, if the applicant is looking to move back into an area of work or looking for a career change this may not be necessary as part of your initial review. However, a good candidate would outline a hopeful career change within their professional summary.
Education/Qualifications
Does the candidate meet the minimum requirements for the role, such as a degree or professional qualification? Highlighting/underlining relevant skills and qualifications is a great way to compare the CV’s when it comes to deciding who you will be invited to interview stage. This will also reduce the time you will spend having to review the CV’s in more detail later on.
Use the above top tips to successfully review CV’s in no time at all, allowing you to easily pick out suitable candidates who you can then look to review in more detail. This not only makes the process less time-consuming but will also help you find talented individuals who have made serious applications.
Find out more about how Busy Bee Recruitment can assist with your recruitment needs, here.
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