The pressing need to fill key positions can make the hiring process feel to make or break for HR departments and hiring managers. The situation can become more stressful if superiors keep asking why the position has gone unfilled, with the implicit undercurrent that it should already be done. This can lead to rushed hiring decisions that lead to hiring horror stories. No matter how crucial the position, selective screening is still an essential element of the hiring process. Let’s look at some of the reasons for that
1. Skills Confirmation
Candidates with the right educational background and work history can often play up their skillset. For example, someone with a marketing background could say they have a solid understanding of SEO. It sounds plausible. Yet, say that person spent the last five years doing nothing but copywriting. Whatever SEO knowledge they have is probably dated at best. They certainly won’t be up to do date on the technical side of on-page SEO. Selective screening gives you the opportunity to test key skills before you commit to hiring.
2. Save Time
Selective screening is also a time-saver. Most selective screening processes use automated processes to weed out obviously unsuitable candidates. Think candidates who don’t even list core skills on their resumes. This cuts down on the amount of time HR departments and hiring managers spend sifting through candidates. It also means that they can spend more time doing a thorough interview process with candidates who get through that initial screening round. For example, they can conduct short phone interviews with all the candidates instead of jumping straight into in-person interviews with only the candidates who excel at writing resumes.
3. Culture Fit
Screening is one of the most important ways you can get candidates who will prove a good culture fit. What is culture fit, though? It’s easy to assume that a bland sameness of background would yield culture fit, but it’s not true. Look at families that break along different political lines. Good culture fit means that a person can adopt the prevailing values of the organization. People who do that become valuable members of your business who contribute in meaningful ways. Getting that culture fit means screening for those values.
4. Selective Screening Yields Better Results
A selective screening process isn’t a one-benefit approach. It provides your business with several advantages over other hiring strategies. You get an opportunity to weed out under-qualified candidates without spending your employees’ time needlessly. Your employees get the chance to spend their time focused on the best candidates and engage in any necessary skills evaluation. You also get the advantage of getting candidates more likely to have a good culture fit.
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