Candidate screening serves as the initial phase of the interview process and begins when a candidate submits an application that is approved by a hiring manager, recruiter, or HR personnel to proceed to the next step. The screening and selection process is the standard way to identify qualified candidates based on predetermined criteria. The main goal of the screening and selection process is to find and select the best candidate for the job opening, while also considering other important factors such as cultural fit, work ethic, personal attitude, and so on.

There are many methods for screening candidates. Most are simple in nature and require a little homework and some good questions to execute effectively, but there are some that can get complex and require a deep dive into behaviors, and character traits. The first step in the screening process is to ask questions that help you identify the candidate's attributes, skills, knowledge, and experience.

A typical screening process includes steps such as:

- Reviewing resumes and applications

- Conducting an initial phone screening

- Administering pre-employment tests or assessments

- Checking references

During the phone screen, a candidate will be asked a series of qualifying questions to verify their knowledge, skills, or background relevant to the role they're being hired to perform. As you can imagine, candidate screening questions are the basis of any successful screening and selection process. The questions you ask in this stage should be open-ended and semi-structured so they lead to objective responses and effective measurement of the candidate's qualifications for the role.

Once the screening process is complete, it's time to move on to the selection process. During this step, you conduct a more comprehensive review of the candidate and assess their abilities in comparison to others who were screened. Usually, this takes place after a series of interviews that begin with a hiring manager interview, a team or panel interview, and a skills assessment or personality test.

The selection process focuses on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and overall potential to do the job. Making sure that you have an objective and well-structured selection process in place is key to any successful recruitment effort. This helps ensure that every applicant is evaluated consistently and fairly across all criteria outlined for the role.

Another benefit of creating a structure and an objective screening and selection process is the ability to automate aspects of the process that don't require a human touch. One tool that can help you automate these processes is interview intelligence software.

This software utilizes AI to help you quickly and efficiently screen candidates while allowing you to remain focused on the more in-depth parts of the selection process. By utilizing solutions like Pillar, you can ensure that your team is able to save time and resources while finding qualified candidates quickly and effectively.

Selection Process Steps

One of the most common questions we see online is, "What is the screening process in recruitment?" The screening process is the preliminary step that must be performed for a person to be green-lit for the interview process. For some companies this is a resume check, for others it's a phone screen, and for others, it's the successful completion of a pre-employment test.

In many companies there will be 5- 6 selection process steps before a person is "green-lit" and an offer is made.

1. Candidate screening process: this will include resume submission, initial phone screen, and any pre-employment tests to prove the candidate’s qualifications and experience relevant to the job.

2. Interview process: (Which is actually several steps). It includes one-on-one interviews with the hiring manager, team or panel interviews, and online assessment tests to measure their skills and attitude.

3. Hiring decision: Once all of these steps have been taken, the hiring team will review all the collected data for each candidate and decide who will be the best fit for the job opening.

4. Background Checks: When necessary, a thorough background check should be conducted on the chosen candidate at this stage to ensure that they are suitable for the position and to ensure that the candidate presents no potential risks to your company.

5. Offer Letter: an offer letter is sent to the chosen candidate, outlining all of the details pertaining to their employment.

There can be other selection process steps for specific roles, for example, software engineering roles may include coding challenges or technical assessment tests. Sales roles may include mock sales conversations with or tests on using CRM software.

No matter what selection process your company employs, it's important to have a clear set of criteria and processes in place to ensure that you select the most qualified candidate. By following these steps and utilizing interview intelligence software like Pillar, you can ensure that you conduct an objective screening and selection process that allows for rapid candidate identification while reducing time-consuming manual work.

Selection Process In Recruitment

Screening and evaluating candidates will never be an easy process. We're digging into their lives, asking them to open up about past failures, and listening for the things they won't say. However, challenging as it may be, successful recruitment means taking the time to carefully assess your candidates. After all, selecting the right people is essential for any business wanting to succeed and stay ahead of the competition.

Why is candidate screening important:

Candidate screening is important because it helps you determine if a person has the qualifications and characteristics necessary for a particular team and role - and creating an effective and thorough selection process in recruitment should end with the acquisition of top talent.

Top talent is getting harder and harder to find as the competition for the best candidates only increases. This is especially true in today's digital age, where applicants can access jobs more easily than ever before. That's why having a robust screening and selection process in place is essential for any business looking to bring on the right kind of people.

But having the attitude that "good people are hard to find," won't get the job done either. We have to stay positive, flexible, and on a mission even when the job isn't easy. Fortunately, there are recruitment solutions available to help. Interview intelligence software by Pillar can be used to automate many aspects of the process through the power of AI while still keeping the human touch in steps that matter. By using AI, things like introductions and scheduling can be done automatically. Pillar will also record, transcribe, and index the interview so it's searchable and interviewers can send relevant clips to anyone on the team who would benefit from seeing them.

Simultaneously, Pillar's built-in interviewer coaching tools will help you create a more fair, diverse, and objective hiring process. Overall, utilizing AI-driven recruitment solutions can help you make the screening and selection process easier and more efficient while still helping you find top talent.

Screening Process In HR

The screening process in recruitment may seem like more of a formality than anything else, but it's not. When we skip aspects of the job screening process we end up with candidates that may not be a good fit for the position. I know it's hard not to rush the process with workforce shortages and demand hires, but as HR professionals, we need to take our time and review each potential candidate carefully.

The first step in the screening is the application screening process, which is done by reviewing applications or resumes submitted for the job. The purpose of this step is to quickly identify candidates who do not meet the criteria set out in the job posting. In many cases, this step is done automatically using AI and other tools to assess candidates. If the candidate meets the requirements, this will be the final step in the screening process for HR.

The next step in the process is the interview process. This is where you will decide which candidates are the most suitable for the job and invite them to an interview. The interview process is often two or three steps in length as there are several people who will need to speak with potential candidates.

Usually, the first interview will be with a hiring manager, if that goes well, a candidate will be invited back for a team or panel interview, and sometimes, another manager from another business unit will also interview the candidate to give an outside perspective. Once the interviews are completed, the candidate will be scored objectively and the top candidates will be invited in for final interviews - which is when the selection process begins.

Finally, the selection process is completed with an online assessment test to measure their personality traits, skills, and potential team fit. This step is often done through a third-party provider and can include aptitude tests, simulations, and personality tests. These tests help you gain further insight into the candidate's skillset and compatibility for the role.

If you've been struggling to find and hire great candidates, chat with someone from our team for tips. We'd love to show you how our customers have lowered employee turnover by up to 50%, increased diversity hiring by up to 52%, and decreased hiring costs.

Book your demo today to see how you could see similar results.