In a New York Times Op-Ed column, a candidate stated that he had written an algorithm allowing him to apply to every job posted on Craigslist in a given city (read column here.) It’s no wonder employers are deluged with resumes when they post a job.
So, how do you work with that kind of volume, particularly when most of it isn’t relevant to your needs? The answer may be an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). With an ATS, applications are submitted electronically through a webpage that can be branded to your company image but takes in and stores the documents in a specialized database. You are then able to specify criteria on which the ATS will search. You receive a pared-down set of applicants who should possess the required experience and skills.
However, if you don’t carefully define your criteria you can screen out your best candidates. And, of course, there are those intangibles such as cultural fit that you also want to find. So, while it sounds easy, there is an art to screening resumes whether you start with an ATS or with a person. Koff & Associates can help with developing your criteria or by screening candidates for you.