There is no doubt that the technology developed over the years has not only changed our entire existence but also the way we have always worked. However, does this apply to the latest hiring trends as well? It surely does! Technology does not only make it easier to check out everything you need to know about a candidate but will also make sure that you need not work hard to find out that one particular candidate is out of the hundreds.
Not only does the traditional process view consist of a lot of flaws that make it hard to select the best candidate but also provides quite an unfair means to choose the candidates. But does that mean people are at fault here? Well, definitely not.
The technology has only made sure that along with selecting the candidates manually, it helps you to go in for a much more in-depth evaluation. Before getting to know more about how the evolution of candidate screening has taken over in the past years, here is all you need to know regarding candidate screening and why it is important for getting the best employees.
What is Candidate Screening?
Employees who are hired by a particular company are not just people who will work for the company but they are also considered to be the faces or the brand ambassadors of the company. This also means that every action that an employee takes will eventually reflect the brand’s image. This based on how the employee performs can either affect positively or negatively. It is hence said that choosing your employees with utmost caution is of high importance. Employers are hence responsible for the hiring process and need to be sure that the person they are hiring is clear of any bad reputation.
Apart from running a background check, the employers have the highest responsibility of candidate screening as this allows the employers to understand what qualities the candidate consists of and how that will help the organization. Candidate Screening can also be rightfully called a legal responsibility of an employer as they will be the one who will be responsible for every action an employee takes.
Candidate screening of an applicant will consist of the following actions:
- Verifying the educational qualifications of the candidate along with the previously employed companies.
- It is also important to review any criminal activities that the candidate has taken part in.
- The employers must also take special care in checking the civil records.
- Address verification and drug screening are also of high importance. Asking for address proof or medical records is one way to assure this.
What were the traditional methods of Candidate Screening?
Most of the traditional ways of candidate screening consisted of a lot of hard work where the employer would have to participate in physical activities. It was not all that simple and there was too much to do when screening a particular candidate. Some of the activities that an employer needed to do to screen a candidate can be provided as follows:
- Collecting all factual data regarding the candidate via various sources
- Going through official documents that were submitted by the candidate
- Handing in some of the pre-employment tests that need to be analyzed
All of these and other activities when done with several candidates can tire out the employer. Here are some of the traditional methods that were followed to screen candidates successfully:
#1 Testing of skills using pre-employment tests
Finding the right candidate for the specific work in the company might be one of the hardest tasks, but one of the ways to make it easier is by conducting various tests that will allow the hiring manager to understand what skill set the candidate consists of. The pre-employment test is also one of these aids that help the employer to understand the candidate.
Pros:
- It will help understand the skills of a candidate
- There will be no bias observed in this type of tests
Cons:
- Might not provide an in-depth assessment
- Communication skills cannot be tested
#2 Screening of resumes
By far the oldest method of assessing a candidate is by screening the resumes and checking out the experience, qualifications, and other previous job details that the candidate has mentioned. While this single piece of paper will provide almost everything that an employer needs to know, it will be hard for a single person to go through at least hundreds of resumes.
Pros:
- Thorough method of checking out the candidate’s details
- Carious other information apart from skills such as hobbies and interest can also be observed
Cons:
- A very time-consuming process when there are a lot of applicants
- You might face some problems finding factual information and its proof
#3 Cover Letters
When we talk about the hiring process, there will always be a cover letter being included in the application of a candidate. The cover letters were used to check out several qualities such as follows:
- Written communication
- Creativity
- Understanding the purpose of the role
Pros:
- Helps understand what the candidate thinks about the role or regarding the company
- The thoughts of a candidate written in a cover letter help employers understand their views
Cons:
- A highly time-consuming process as there might be around three to four pages per cover letter
- The employer can only check the written communication here
- Few numbers applicants due to the time consumed to write a cover letter
Important Factors Involved
Certain important factors are involved that make the screening of candidates quite hard. Some of these factors can be mentioned as follows:
- Location of a candidate and the availability of communication in that area
- Literacy skills that a candidate consists of
- The number of applicants that an employer gets for a position
- The time that has been allotted for the hiring process
- The right way to use certain assessments
The Future of Candidate Screening
With the dawn of AI helping with almost all of the human tasks, it has also highly affected the way a candidate is being selected. With the help of AI it is now possible to automate the selection process by using various means such as follows:
1. Smart Algorithms that listen to candidates’ voices to understand their personality
The voice of a candidate will provide much information regarding their personality. For example, a not so enthusiastic candidate might sound full and low on confidence, whereas when a jolly candidate is considered there will be a sound of confidence in the way the candidate speaks. This allows the recruiters to check their personalities and their level of confidence. This will however also mean that the recruiters will have to dedicate a longer phone screening time. This has now been replaced by an automated system where the algorithms hear the voice of a candidate when they answer specific pre-solved questions and the rest of the analysis is done by the computer.
2. Automated checking of references
Checking references during the hiring process is another time-consuming process. Taking a list of references and calling each of them might seem like a difficult task and hence systems have been created through which the candidate will receive an email in which the references will be added and these references will, later on, receive a set of questionnaires. The answers that are received through a set of questionnaires will then be used to analyze the candidate.
How does TurboHire screen candidates?
Unlike most of the extensive processes that employers follow while hiring candidates for jobs, TurboHire aims at making screening and hiring easier. TurboHire also helps people to use these simple resources available and make the hiring process simpler. Some of the ways through which TurboHire aims at simplifying the process of hiring can be provided as follows:
1. Resume Parsing
Resume Parsing via TurboHire is one of the easiest ways to screen candidates. It is a simple software where detailed information can be converted into small bits of information which is much more accessible. This parsing software not only allows employers to complete their tasks in a limited time period but will also allow them to get a better candidate experience. Knowing about the importance of resume parsing in the candidate screening stage of hiring will not only help employers get a better hiring experience but will also provide a better and improved future to the process of hiring.
2. Candidate Smart Cards
Candidate Smart Cards by TurboHire is another feature that allows recruiters to go through almost every information that is required regarding a candidate. These cards also allow a much smoother experience as compared to going through 3 to 4 pages of resumes. Candidate Smart cards show statistical data comparison rather than providing many details regarding the skill sets which helps the recruiters to compare the data and select the best candidate.
3. Candidate Calibration
At times, the recruiters themselves might not know what exactly are the company’s needs and hence cannot decipher what the best candidate will be like. To overcome this problem, candidate calibration is the right tool. Candidate calibration can be rightfully said to be a measurement technology that will help the recruiters to shortlist the candidates with the help of the Applicant Tracking System. The Candidate calibration feature has four components such as:
- Skills
- Education
- Experience
- Scoring Weightage
This makes the selection process using the components much simpler.
4. Chatbot Assessment
Chatbot Assessment via TurboHire is a type of AI software that helps with the communication with the users of the particular service. However, it is seen that chatbots can also help in the hiring process by providing a much in-depth assessment with the help of previously recorded questions. This also allows the candidates to get better exposure. By using the chatbots assessment, the recruiters need not worry about the geographical location of the candidate. These chatbots as they are available 24 hours a day will allow much better and smoother communication between the candidate and the recruiters.
5. Candidate Ranking
Candidate ranking allows the recruiters to access the best of candidates first based on their scores. This system provides a definite testing criterion which when followed by the candidate will allow the software to understand which candidate possesses the best of qualities for the position that has opened up. While making the process of hiring faster, it also improves the accuracy of hiring the best candidates.
6. Gamification
Gamification is wrongly interpreted as just a bunch of games played by the candidates without any results being provided. However, the Gamification feature provided by TurboHire is unlike any other game. It is fun, it has points and it will also let you know whether you are hired or not. These games are not just some random single type of game, instead, they consist of a variety of games such as riddles, puzzles, quizzes, and other such fun games. This is one way to have fun while also making the hiring procedure much easier.
Final Words
With a lot of screening tools now being available readily, it is only right to say that it has become hard to choose one from among these! However, TurboHire does guarantee you an assured way to screen candidates with utmost ease. It is also important that the recruiters pay special attention to which practices fit each of the organizations before searching and selecting a tool for the same. When we talk about using candidate screening tools it is essential to know how to use both human capabilities along AI knowledge to get the best of candidates for the company. This will eventually provide a successful employer brand while also attracting fine talent among a pool of talents!
