How to conduct a successful resume review in just 7 easy steps

A resume review is where you evaluate a candidate’s resume as a recruitment professional to assess whether the job seeker fulfills the requirements necessary to handle the scope of the job. During a resume review, you will be evaluating their skills, work experience, education, and other qualifications.

Recruiters use resume reviews as a method of narrowing down the pool of candidates they encounter for a job opening. By the end of the resume review stage, you would find the candidates who are the most ideal for the job.

Being the first stage of the hiring process, the resume review provides employers with a great chance to identify the strengths of various candidates in the talent pool. If you are dealing with a larger pool of applicants, conducting a thorough review will be a tedious task. Here’s how you can make things easier:

1. Establish Clear Evaluation Criteria

You must first determine the evaluation criteria for your resume review before grabbing a stack of resumes to go through. These criteria can be things such as key skills, education levels, or specific experiences that are vital for the new role. Once you have set the criteria, you can maintain the consistency of evaluation across all resumes.

2. Scan for Key Information

Now, it is time for you to start analyzing the resumes you have received. First, you must check each resume for the key criteria you identified. Be sure to spot certifications, licenses, and notable achievements. Another thing you can look for is the career progression of the candidate.

3. Pay Attention to Formatting and Structure

Clear organization and consistent formatting across a resume make it easier to quickly evaluate the document. Notice the applicants who have used a clean and modern resume format. Evaluate whether their resume formatting is consistent throughout the document with matching headings and bullets. Determine whether the candidate pays adequate attention to detail by checking for spelling and grammar errors on the document.

4. Focus on Quantifiable Achievements

Identify the candidates who highlight quantifiable achievements in their resumes. These are the professionals who have contributed significantly to their previous companies. Evaluate whether the candidate has backed up their achievements with numbers, percentages, and tangible results.

5. Assess Relevant Skills and Experience

Now, you must evaluate where the candidate’s skills and experiences lie in relation to the requirements of the job. Have they provided any specific examples to prove their expertise in a given area? Have they mentioned transferable skills that are valuable for the new role? Has the candidate used industry-specific language to frame experiences on their resume?

6. Look for Cultural Fit

Another important thing you must do while evaluating resumes is to assess whether the applicants are culturally fit for the organization. Do they demonstrate teamwork, adaptability, and shared values through their activities? Are there any candidates whose hobbies and interests align with the company’s mission? Volunteer work is also a favorable resume element that shows whether the candidate shares your organization’s spirit.

7. Make a Shortlist

Once you have gone through all these steps, it is time for you to create a shortlist of candidates who scored the highest across your evaluation criteria. Do they meet all the requirements of the job? Also, ensure that you include candidates who do not meet each and every requirement, but show great promise and potential. These candidates can do so much to enrich your business.