From CareerBuilder

"It's not us. It's them."

That - or at least some variation of it - was one of the most common responses to my previous posts about why recruiters and hiring managers don't call job seekers back. 

It seems many of you are bombarded with so many applications - and so many unqualified applications, at that - that it's virtually impossible to get back to everyone...

As one commenter puts it, simply, "The problem is that so many
candidates send their resumes for jobs they are clearly not qualified
for." A valid complaint, yes.  But what if there were a way to
alleviate this problem yourselves?

Certainly, you'll never be able to fully control job seeker behavior
(might be a scary world if you could)...but that doesn't mean there's
nothing you can do to minimize the number of unqualified applications
you receive. Try the following:   

1. Look to Promote from Within First.  Promoting from within (when it makes sense for your business) not only cuts down on costs associated with new hire training,
   but it sends a positive message to your employees that you appreciate
   them and are invested in their development, which can ultimately increase both engagement and retention.


2. Re-Evaluate Your Job Postings: Start at the source
   - If your job posting sounds generic, job seekers who are applying to
   anything remotely to their field of interest are just going to scan it
   over before blindly applying.  Make sure that you clarify the responsibilities of the position
   and creating an accurate skill-based profile of the ideal candidate to
   get more targeted results. Also, format the posting into a concise, easy-to-read layout by breaking up information into categories so job seekers are more likely to read important information (like "Requirements").


3. Respond to Applicants: An auto-response letter to acknowledge receipt of application could go a long way in cutting out duplicate resumes from job seekers who ‘want to make sure' you've received their resumes and apply more than once.


4. Utilize Screening Questions: Attaching filtering questions to your job postings will screen out unqualified candidates from the beginning.
   Screening systems can be one of the first things to fall off the list
   when budget cuts are made; yet, they ultimately save recruiters and
   hiring managers time and save the company costs associated with lost production and turnover (and remember that screeners are free if you're a CareerBuilder client...That doesn't suck, right?). 


5. Create and Implement an Employee Referral Program: Who knows the kind of employee your company wants better than your own employees? Get the most use out of it by making it as easy as possible for an employee
   to recommend a candidate or forward a job posting to a friend, offering
   an incentive when an employee's referral is hired - and by making sure your employees are aware of both the program and the opportunities available with clear, constant communication.

Comments

Lesa Caskey Says:
October 20th, 2009 at 11:33 am

I
agree wholeheartedly with all but the pre-screening questions. It
depends on the kinds of positions being posted of course, but for
professional level positions leave the pre-screening off. In my
experience, the more qualified candidates will not take the time nor
make the effort to complete cumbersome applications online. For
entry-level or administrative roles it can be a useful tool, but it is
certainly not a blanket solution for all types of positions.

The best step to take is spending time together as a team in reviewing
resumes to make sure everyone is on the lookout for the same type of
information. Take an hour a week for a month and discuss top picks out
of a sampling of resumes. You and your team will no doubt surprise each
other with your conclusions, learn a lot in the process and identify
areas of strength and weakness. You will inevitably build a stronger,
more unified team that is able to blaze through resumes much faster
with greater accuracy for finding qualified applicants.

Happy recruiting!