How to Shortlist Candidates for Interview and Avoid Costly Mistakes

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<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
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<li>Irrelevant applicants are inevitable: Don’t get frustrated; just delete their application.</li>
<li>Shortlist every day: Ideally, every morning so you can quickly act on the applications before competing employers and recruitment agencies do.</li>
<li>Look for an applicant’s potential: Ask yourself, “Why should I shortlist this applicant?”</li>
<li>Create three separate piles: Qualified, possibly qualified, and unqualified applicants.</li>
<li>Take action immediately with the qualified applicants: Proceed straight to Telephone Interviews.</li>
<li>Learn from a bad response: You might be asking too much or advertising incorrectly.</li>
<li>Use simple methods to track applicants: The simpler the better because they’ll get used. You only need an ATS if you have a persistent hiring requirement and need to coordinate with colleagues.</li>
<li>GDPR compliance: Deleting old applicants is a straightforward way to stay compliant.</li>
</ul>
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If you received applications via an employee referral, or from recruitment agencies, you could skip this article. However, if you got applicants from other sources, let’s start by effectively shortlisting applicants.

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Let Me Manage Your Expectations

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People are not perfect, so recruitment is not perfect

You will see all sorts of weird and wonderful nonsense from applicants and may end up thinking you’re crazy and that the job advert wasn’t clear enough.

Mostly you’ll see irrelevant overseas applicants.

Some other unsuitable applicants seemingly apply to every vacancy on a job site. It’s as if the jobseeker has failed to check that the job site’s search results were relevant! For example, I recently advertised for a lighting designer, and some candidates searched for a “Designer” job; now I have CVs from industrial, furniture, and graphic designers.

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Tip:</span> It’s an unfortunate fact of recruitment that you’ll get blatantly irrelevant applicants. When you see one, take a moment to consider, “Have we been clear enough in our job advert?” If not, revise the advert ASAP to clarify what you want and don’t want. For example, I often hear employers complain about receiving too many overseas applicants. When they followed my advice to update their advert with “No overseas applicants”, the problem was largely resolved.<p></p>The fact is that entirely irrelevant applicants happen to everyone. Expect them to happen to you. Rather than getting frustrated or upset, say to yourself, “I was expecting this”, quickly delete the application and move on to the next.</span>

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Warning:</span> I’ve met some hiring managers who feel compelled to tell applicants how “stupid” they are for applying. Don’t waste your time. The applicant may not be self-aware enough to take on board criticism, and this is called the Dunning-Kruger Effect (1999).<p></p>It’s based on the case of McArthur Wheeler, a bank robber who was convinced that covering his face in lemon juice made him invisible to surveillance cameras! Even after being arrested, he stood firm in his belief that it was impossible to have been identified because he was covered in lemon juice.<p></p>Dunning wrote that people with substantial, measurable deficits in their knowledge or expertise cannot recognise those defects. In short, they are incompetent and have little insight into their incompetence.<p></p>Berating an applicant will not improve the situation, so focus on something more positive.<p></p>Finally, there is no point in getting upset with the job sites. While they can and should do something to reduce overseas applicants, they can’t stop incompetent applicants because they can’t change human nature.</span>

Artificial Intelligence (AI) may apply on behalf of an applicant!

Allied to irrelevant applications are those not even made by jobseekers.

Imagine this: a jobseeker uploads their CV to AI. The AI understands the jobseeker’s skills and experience and then looks for relevant jobs on job sites by itself. The AI then applies on behalf of the jobseeker, writing a tailored CV to that specific job and even answering screening questions. The applicant only has to wait for an interview. This is happening right now!

AI applications are a nightmare because employers can no longer take anything at face value. It can also become more expensive for employers using cost-per-action advertising because they are paying for AI applications, not those from proper jobseekers.

Equally, job sites want employers to get quality applications, and now they have issues detecting authenticity.

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Note: </span> You may think these applicants are “lazy” or “cheating” using AI. But please appreciate that applying for jobs is laborious, and most jobseekers never even get a reply from an employer (who they coincidentally may also call “lazy”). Consequently, I expect many jobseekers to use AI applications and there isn’t much a hiring manager can do about it.</span>

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CVs come in a variety of formats

The phrase, “Never judge a book by its cover” is so important.

Applicants with the best CVs often move jobs all the time, so they get plenty of practice updating them! 

In contrast, a person loyal to an employer may not have a clue about CV writing because it’s been such a long time since they last looked for work. Additionally, they may find it harder to describe the wide range of duties they carried out, and struggle to separate their work into sections to show how they’ve developed.

Furthermore, some jobseekers don’t even write their CV.

A few job sites have “CV builders” that provide a template for jobseekers to complete. Although the quality of the CV is often appalling, it is usually adequate for many basic jobs.

Alternatively, some jobseekers will use professional CV writing services. It is relatively easy to recognise these because they are designed to stand out. (Appreciate that they reflect the designer’s ability rather than the candidate’s true potential.)

Instead of CVs, a few applicants even mistakenly upload tax documents, letters from their doctor, and divorce proceedings!

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Too many or not enough applicants

Finally, another expectation I’d like to manage is that you’ll probably never be happy with the number of applications you receive. Recruitment is often very polarised. You either get too many applicants or not enough.

The biggest problem is if you only receive one “perfect” applicant, you’ll likely want more to benchmark against. Sadly, it is unlikely there will be more, and if you hang around waiting you could lose them.

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<span class="purple-callout"><p>A quick note – I'm available to offer advice or practical help. Feel free to book a call.</p><p>Or check out my best-selling talent acquisition book for further guidance.</p><p>For only £199, my flat-fee recruiter service can advertise a job on the UK's top job boards.</p></span>

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Don’t Use Application Forms

Upon receiving applications, a minority of employers ask applicants to regurgitate their CVs. By this, I mean asking applicants to repeat all the information already provided on their CV via an employer career page or an application form. This is the equivalent of recruitment suicide!

When I help companies with their recruitment process, I can quickly speed things up and help fill jobs simply by removing application forms.

Some hiring managers wrongly believe it helps differentiate between motivated and desperate applicants. But the Great Performers don’t have to put up with this nonsense. It’s mainly desperate applicants who have time and “motivation” to complete them. And why would you want to make it harder for Great Performers to apply?

It’s easy to understand why applicants hate application forms:

• They have already put in a lot of effort: Their CV took time and effort to write, and often provides all the information required to shortlist.
• Even more time and effort is required: Putting information in a different format takes time, often between 20 - 60 minutes. This laborious process is even more complicated when they don’t have appropriate software, particularly PDF editors. If you don’t believe me, please have a go yourself.
• Why is it required? Applicants don’t understand why you want the same information in a different format. Frankly, I’ve never heard a good enough reason, either.
• They often never hear back: This just rubs salt in the wound. Despite going to so much effort, applicants never hear anything back! Next time they face a similar situation, they likely won’t bother.
• The final straw: If they’re slightly unsure about your business, job, or suitability, there is no real benefit to making more effort. If anything, your outdated and bureaucratic methods tell them everything they need to know.

When I ask hiring managers why they still use application forms, many will say:

• They don’t know! Old habits die hard; this is just how recruitment has always been done.
• It’s the only way to get an application into their applicant tracking system: If this is true, they need a modern ATS, or they might be better off with none.
• They think it reduces discrimination: Because the applicant’s name or education dates aren’t shown on an application form, they argue it will minimise perception discrimination. Whilst they have altruistic intentions, this is also irrelevant because the candidates will be interviewed by someone who is naturally biased (we all are).
• They need application forms for equal opportunity monitoring: While it is a noble pursuit to learn if a certain demographic is underrepresented, unless you’re doing a lot of recruitment, what can you realistically do about it? And is it worthwhile undermining your entire recruitment process?

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Note:</span> If you’re adamant that you still want applicants to complete an application form, please try completing the form yourself! If you still haven’t lost the will to live, please contact me and we can discuss whether it is helping your recruitment process by losing so many applicants.<p></p>You’re damaging your employer brand and getting very few applicants. I just want you to fill your jobs successfully!</span>

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Shortlist Applicants Every Day

Shortlisting is best undertaken by a single member of the Recruitment Team so they can quickly assess whether your Great Performance Profile is realistic.

If you advertise via job sites, you should receive your first job application within a few hours. Don’t wait to see who else comes along. A SECRET is to shortlist applicants daily, preferably in the morning, so you have time to act.

Some hiring managers want to wait for other responses before doing anything. This is unwise; that potentially perfect applicant who sent you their details on day one might accept a job offer elsewhere. The “war for talent” can often be won by a “race for talent”.

Additionally, once your job advert has been published, it will fall down the search results. This results in fewer applications over time, so there’s even less point waiting.

Keep shortlisting even when you start interviewing because you never know what will happen. Candidates might not attend interviews, they may be unsuitable, or they might reject your job offer. There’s so much that can and does go wrong in recruitment; you need to be in control of your shortlist.

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Tip:</span> Schedule time in your diary to review applicants, preferably every weekday morning. What gets scheduled gets done.</span>

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Shortlisting Process

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Step 1:  Familiarise yourself with the Great Performance Profile

The first step is to reread the Great Performance Profile and the job advert. This will remind you of the Key Competencies determined necessary for a job.

Then the fun can start – it’s time to see who applied for your position!

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Step 2:  Briefly read through each application

Try to remove obviously irrelevant applicants, such as international applications (if you can’t offer a work visa), and those with unrelated work experience. (Be careful, some applicants put their earliest work experience first, making them appear as a trainee!)

Now review the remaining applicants, selecting applicants in rather than out. Ask yourself, “Why should I shortlist this applicant?” because this helps you find the potential value of each applicant. Remember to benchmark them against the Great Performance Profile, not against the last CV you read.

When looking through CVs, here are some things you should watch out for:

• Does the CV contain glaring spelling and grammatical errors? If the job requires excellent written communication skills, be wary. An applicant could have used a spell check or asked someone to proofread it, but you’ll need to judge how important this is and what it says about their personal pride, care, and attention to detail. Naturally, if the applicant makes you aware of a disability such as dyslexia, make allowances. (Interestingly, one employer I work with likes spelling errors. In their 40 years of experience, they find the best electrical engineers can’t always spell. As they said, “It’s something about the way they’re wired” (no pun intended).)
• Is the applicant’s work history continuous? Or does it contain unexplained gaps which warrant further investigation?
• Does the applicant’s work history build up to the position for which they are now applying? Be suspicious if they suddenly jump from a seemingly lower level to a dramatically higher level or have a complete career change.
• How long did the applicant hold each of their previous positions? Have they had many jobs within a short space of time? You might have a “job hopper”, or maybe they only had temporary assignments (which must be checked if not indicated). (In the past I would have expected employees to stay with their current employer for 5+ years, and now it is much less, around 2 years.)
• Do they live locally? If they meet many of your other requirements, be careful about dismissing applicants who live far away because they might be considering relocation. A real issue is applicants who fail to include their address, but I only recommend asking for it if they are a borderline qualified applicant.
• Are they currently unemployed? Don’t reject applicants just because they’re unemployed. Lots of people have faced circumstances beyond their control and worked out great. Just be careful of long-term unemployed who are purely motivated by earning an income (as discussed in an article on understanding candidate motivation).

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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Note:</span> If you’ve asked for industry experience, many applicants’ CVs don’t explain what industry they were in. Often, you must research an employer’s name to determine what industry they are in.</span>

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As you look through CVs, you’ll realise that assessing the depth and calibre of experience can be difficult. There is minimal context and too many grey areas. Despite this, there aren’t any better assessment methods for this stage in the recruitment process, so it is a necessary trade-off.

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Step 3: Sort applicants into three separate piles

Sort applicants according to whether they are:

1. Qualified: Have all the necessary skills and competencies.
2. Possibly qualified: Have most of the skills and competencies.
3. Unqualified: Short of skills and competencies. Don’t be afraid of rejecting applicants and deciding based on the information you have.

One of the most challenging parts of sorting applicants is keeping your shortlist short. The more applicants you shortlist, the more Telephone Interviews you’ll need to carry out.

Suppose you don’t have many CVs from qualified applicants. In that case, this is a clear sign that your Great Performance Profile is unrealistic, or you have failed to generate enough applicants (I explain what to do if this happens in a moment).

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Step 4: Take action immediately

Speed is critical in recruitment because competing employers and recruitment agencies can access the same applicants. Take the following actions for the different categories of candidates:

1. Qualified: Start Telephone Interviews.
2. Possibly qualified: Hold on to these and revisit later if your qualified applicants are screened out.
3. Unqualified: Remember, you should be striving to deliver a good candidate experience throughout the recruitment process, so diarise some time to send a bulk “We’re sorry you haven’t been successful” email. You might want to adapt the following email that has received praise from jobseekers for its tone and sentiment:

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<p>Subject: Your job application</p>
<p>Dear {applicant’s name},</p>
<p>Many thanks for applying to the {job title} vacancy in {location}. We were pleased to receive your application and have now had the chance to consider it, together with the rest of the responses.</p>
<p>Sadly, on this occasion we felt other applicants appeared to be a better fit in terms of desired experience.</p>
<p>I recognise the time and effort involved in applying and that there is no easy way to pass on negative news, but I hope you appreciate being updated.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your interest, and we wish you all the very best with your job hunt.</p>
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<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Note:</span> Some employers don’t like telling applicants they were unsuccessful because they worry applicants will ask for further explanation. They rarely do. Using the email template above, I either get no reply or a positive reply thanking me for my time. If an applicant keeps asking for detailed feedback, please read my advice on professionally declining candidates.</span>

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If No Applicants Are Qualified

Here are some common reasons why no applicants may be qualified and what to do about it:

• Not enough applications: This problem is often solved by advertising on more job sites and using other Applicant Attraction Channels.
• Poor-quality adverts deliver a poor response: If you haven’t clearly explained why your ideal candidate should join you rather than a competitor, be prepared to receive a poor response.
• The perfect candidate doesn’t exist: The Great Performance Profile must be modified to better reflect reality. I recommend you review “Conduct a sanity check!”
• You’re not paying enough: There’s an adage from Henry Ford, “If you need a machine and don’t buy it, you’ll ultimately find that you pay for it anyway”. It’s the same in recruitment; if you need somebody but aren’t willing to pay for them, you pay the price in terms of the lost value that they could have added to the business. You don’t have many options but to offer a competitive salary.
• Hiding a salary: Not advertising a salary leads to 80% fewer applicants.
• You’re advertising too much with a company logo: When jobseekers see your job adverts too regularly, they might perceive your organisation has a high staff turnover. That's one of many reasons why advertising a job without a company logo is usually a good idea.
• You’re redirecting jobseekers from job sites to your employer career page: You’ll lose 92% of applications by redirecting them to a career page, so don’t do this and save yourself the headache.

A lot of these issues can be resolved by following advice on how to write a job advert.

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If You Don’t Have Any Applicants

You should be concerned if you don’t receive any applicants within the first 48 hours. I recommend you log in to the employer section on a few job sites to see if they provide any stats.

If your job advert has no/few views, it is not being found in the search results. There are four common reasons for this:

1. The advert headline does not use keywords jobseekers search for.
2. Salary is not included.
3. Salary is not competitive.
4. Location is either in a small conurbation or a large region.

If your job advert is getting views but not many applications, you’ve either published a job description rather than a job advert, you’ve asked for too much or your job is not compelling enough.

You must act quickly and alter the advert, otherwise the response will likely stay the same.

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Additional Resources

• Recruiting Book; The Secrets of Great Recruitment: How to Recruit Great Employees.
• Downloadable PDF guide; Simple Steps to Shortlist Applicants Efficiently & Fairly.
• Article; Shortlisting Applicants: A Simple Guide to Shortlisting the Best Applicants.
• Article; How to Review Modern CVs: Hiring Managers Beware.
• Article; Manage Jobseeker Enquiries Professionally.
• Article; What to Do When Current Employees See Your Job Advert.
• Article; Psychometric Test Myths Debunked: The Ultimate Guide for Employers!
• Dunning-Kruger (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognising one’s own incompetence leads to inflated self-assessments. (Journal of Personality and Social psychology, 77(6), 1121-1134.