ALTHOUGH you may think more is better when it comes to applicants: more can be a lot of clutter if you’re not careful.
It’s a good idea to filter through your candidates and seek out workers who are skilled and capable of returning what you require.
Here are some ideas to help any company narrow down which applicants they move forward with.
Ensure they know what they’re applying for
Some applicants will apply for hundreds of jobs in a day without paying attention to what they’re using or why this work is a good idea for them. Unfortunately, this means your company will be flooded with many applicants that are simply a bad fit. You can tell these apart from others by what type of training they have, how they respond to basic questions, and if they’ve spent more than a couple of minutes filling out your application.
Although not every industry can find passionate employees, it’s good to find someone who wants to do the work they’re hired for.
Seek out applications with relevant training
Pay attention to work history and education! Although this may be obvious, many companies will settle for any bachelor’s degree without caring about the subject or how long ago the applicant got the degree.
Do your research, and pay attention to whether their training was important to the company you run, or if training them will be like teaching anyone else who’s never worked for a similar business to yours. Of course, it’s okay to have to prepare from scratch: but you should beware of hiring and expecting a pro when they’re from the wrong field.
Ensure they’re coming from a good source
Please don’t fall for applicants who are simply applying because you’re listed on a site they’re on. If your talent acquisition software shows they spent less than a minute reviewing your job listing and filled it out without checking any information, they might not even know what they’re applying for. Instead, try to list your openings on sites where you can ensure the people using them will take their time on your application.
Pay attention to work gaps and multiple short-lived jobs
It may seem like millennials and Gen Z workers go through dozens of jobs a week, and to some degree, that can be true. However, many employees around these ages have worked many more jobs than previous generations had by the time they were the same age. Although many can’t help this work history, it’s a good idea to know when it’s a red flag and when to let it slide.
Pay attention to whether an employee has any huge gaps in employment or if they’ve mostly done the same work but worked for dozens of businesses. Someone who has worked multiple jobs but never settled might not settle down for your company, and it’s a good idea to recognize that. On the other hand, someone with a large gap in employment, with no explanation as to why, could be hiding behavior that has made them unhirable. Do your research on this before continuing forward.
