The objective of this process is to select the best-qualified applicants for interview.
If the hiring manager does not chair the Search Committee, s/he should communicate clearly to the Search Committee what s/he deems to be the most important qualifications for the position. The hiring manager should be consulted at any point in the process if further clarification is needed.
Decide what qualifications you can evaluate from information provided in application materials - don’t try to evaluate qualifications that can’t be assessed from the application alone.
Determine whether there are certain qualifications or sets of qualifications that are more important than others.
Narrow the pool to the best-qualified applicants for interview.
If there are a large number of well-qualified applicants, it may not be to your advantage to screen out candidates based on small qualification differences. You should always focus on the most important qualifications. If there are not significant differences on the application that allow you to screen your pool further, consider gathering additional information that will assist you in selecting the best qualified applicants to interview using one of the following tools:
Brief phone interviews
Pre-interview reference checks
Supplemental questions
Work sample
Try to resolve differences of opinion among search committee members regarding a candidate’s qualifications through discussion, rather than resorting to artificial means (e.g., averaging committee’s numerical ratings of a candidate), which may not result in selection of the best-qualified applicant.
The individual designated as the contact for applicant inquiries should retain all applications and screening documentation until the process is completed.
After screening applications it is recommended that all applicants no longer under consideration receive some type of communication from the hiring manager regarding their status in the recruitment.
