If you made it through part one of this series, your application form is up and running! What’s next? Panning for gold with a screening form!
The screening process helps recruiters and other HR professionals to quickly review the incoming stream of candidates and identify those who could be a good fit. While it might be too soon to tell if one is the perfect fit for the job, a good screening form can help you:
- Quickly identify candidates with key qualifications
- Allow at-a-glance comparison between candidates
- Reduce time spent on later stages of the interview process
Again: Simplified data collection makes life easier, and nowhere is this more evident than in the hiring process.
The Screening Form
Whether you send qualified applicants a link or fill out the form yourself during a phone screening, an online screening form means your data is secure and responses can be shared with any key team members as needed.
Here’s a quick Q&A to highlight a few smart screening form options:
What’s the difference between an application form and a screening form?
First of all, fewer and fewer organizations are using a formal application form. Depending on the tools and platforms your team uses, you might just be seeing an interested candidate’s profile, a resume, or some other highlighted elements.
Some organizations use either an application form or a screening form. Those that do use application forms sometimes create just one single standard form for every single position. These often involve education, experience, and other qualifying resume-type elements.
Screening forms are a great supplement or a replacement for an initial phone call, and they work best when they’re simple to complete and specific to the role.
Do I need different a form for each position?
It’s a good idea to make sure your screening form reflects the needs of the specific position. Consider the hiring manager you’ll be referring this candidate to: What does he or she need to know to decide whether this person is worth talking to?
Can I get different reports to share with different hiring managers or team members?
Of course! If you decide to use a single screening form, you can set a filter to make sure each recipient only sees relevant candidates. Plus, you can create generate Individual or Response Table reports that include only need-to-know info for managers or others conducting interviews.
How can I set expectations regarding follow-up?
First, have a plan. Second, share it with candidates. Third, stick to it. Simple, right?
The hiring process can be a mysterious and confusing process for candidates — and sometimes for the HR team, too! — and when you give candidates a clear understanding of what to expect next, you (a) reduce their anxiety and (b) improve their impression of your professionalism. Of course, the expectations you set need to be grounded in reality. Don’t promise a response within an hour if you can’t deliver. Is this a rolling hiring process? Is there a key date on which all candidates will be evaluated? Make it clear.
Automating follow-up simplifies your life even further. Whether it’s you or the candidate filling out the screening form, a post-submission thank you message with clear expectations can be shown both on the Thank You page and in an automatic email delivered to the candidate’s inbox. Plus, choose to send yourself an instant alert when each form is submitted so you can stay on top of the flow and follow through with the expectations you’ve set.
Next up: Candidate Quiz!
Want more? Request a demo!
