Application Screening Best Practices

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Application screening is becoming increasingly complicated.

Applications per open role have doubled since the spring of 2022 in the United States. Nearly half of job seekers (49%) use resumes longer than one page, with 9% using resumes longer than two pages. And 47% of hiring managers have seen AI-generated resumes or cover letters in applications.

It’s no surprise that a high applicant volume and low candidate quality are among the top challenges facing hiring teams today. Let’s explore how you can build a screening process that saves you time while helping you identify the most qualified applicants and provide a positive candidate experience.

Align on required and desired qualifications before accepting applications

You can’t effectively shortlist applicants without a clear understanding of what you’re looking for in a candidate.

Outline required and desired qualifications before you post your job description and accept applications:

Required qualifications are the skills, experience, or certifications a candidate absolutely needs to succeed in the role
Desired qualifications are attributes that would be helpful but aren’t dealbreakers

Create a scoring rubric that assigns point values to different qualifications. For example, you might give candidates three points for exceeding a required qualification, two points for meeting it, and one point for each desired qualification.

Document your hiring criteria in writing and share it with everyone involved in the recruitment process. You’ll get more consistent results when your whole team is using the same standards to identify your most qualified job candidates.

Use application screening questions to identify the most qualified candidates

Standard resumes and job applications don’t always tell a candidate’s whole story. For example, candidates may have transferable skills or personal experiences that align with your ideal candidate profile. On the other hand, a candidate who looks perfect on paper could end up not to be at all qualified for your role.

Application screening questions enable candidates to provide additional context to their application so you can more easily spot the most qualified. Use candidate responses to quickly decide which candidates are the most qualified to move forward.

For example:

Ask basic screening questions like ‘Are you authorized to work in the United States?” and “Do you have a driver’s license?”
Dig deeper into your candidate’s work experience by asking things like, “Tell us about a recent project you led. What was the goal and what were the outcomes?”

Screening questions work best when the rest of your application is short, asking only for necessary information and allowing candidates to parse a resume or LinkedIn profile to fill it out. Most candidates say it takes 15 minutes or less to complete a job application and 22% say it’s important to be able to complete it on their mobile device.

Send an application confirmation email

Over a third of candidates (35%) claim an employer failed to acknowledge their application. This represents a missed opportunity to engage candidates and explain next steps so they maintain an interest in your opportunity.

An automated application confirmation email can give you the time you need to thoroughly review applications while providing a positive candidate experience.

An engaging confirmation email should include some key elements:

Acknowledge receipt of the application and specify which position they applied for. Candidates often apply to multiple roles and need to know you received the right application.
Outline your hiring process and timeline. Be realistic rather than overly optimistic. It’s better to exceed expectations than to miss deadlines you’ve committed to.
Add value beyond just confirming receipt. Include links to your company culture page, employee testimonials, or recent blog posts. This gives candidates something to engage with while they wait and helps them learn more about your organization.

35%

of US job seekers claim an employer failed to acknowledge their application

Use your ATS screening tools effectively

Modern applicant tracking systems offer powerful screening features, but hiring teams may not use them to their full potential. Understanding what your ATS can and can’t do well will help you screen more efficiently.

For example, JobScore’s applicant tracking system enables hiring teams to:

Set criteria like location, job titles, degrees, and keywords for each job
Weight each criteria and generate a score for each candidate
Sort candidates by score to move the most qualified candidates to the top of the pile
See candidate information, like contact information, employment. and education, in easily scannable profiles

The best screening combines automated filters with human judgment. Let your ATS handle the objective criteria — years of experience, specific certifications, required skills — while you focus on the nuanced evaluation that requires context and critical thinking.

62%

of recruiters always or frequently use AI or automated tools to screen resumes

Create a consistent ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘maybe’ system

Every application should end up in one of three buckets: yes, no, or maybe. Clear definitions for each category prevent your screening process from turning into an endless exercise in overthinking.

A ‘yes’ candidate meets all required qualifications and some additional desired qualifications. Their experience clearly aligns with the role, they’ve demonstrated results in similar positions, and nothing in their application raises significant concerns. These candidates move directly to the interview stage.
A ‘no’ candidate lacks one or more required qualifications, shows experience that’s misaligned with the role, or displays clear red flags in their application materials. These candidates receive a polite rejection email and don’t move forward.
A ‘maybe’ candidate appears to meet the required qualifications but may require further investigation before you move them forward. Perhaps their experience is lighter than ideal but shows promise. Or they have the right skills in a different industry and you’re not sure if their background will transfer. These candidates deserve a second look after you’ve reviewed your entire pool.

Reconsider irrelevant application ‘red flags’

It’s important to be able to spot unqualified candidates early so you don’t waste valuable time pursuing them. However, some historically used ‘red flags’ have little to do with job performance.

Some ‘red flags’ worth reconsidering include:

Typos and grammatical errors. A resume riddled with mistakes may suggest carelessness, but a single typo shouldn’t automatically disqualify an otherwise qualified candidate. Ask yourself whether perfect proofreading is actually critical to the role before you reject someone for a minor error.
Job hopping. Most people don’t stay at the same company for their entire career anymore. They may change jobs due to low pay, discrimination, company restructuring, or family relocation. Take the time to learn the reason behind frequent job changes before making a judgement based on them.
Resume gaps. People have career breaks for countless legitimate reasons: caring for family members, health issues, pursuing education, recovering from burnout, or simply taking time to figure out their next move. A gap in employment history doesn’t tell you whether someone can do the job — their skills and experience do.
Generic or minimally tailored materials. A generic application doesn’t mean candidates aren’t interested in your company — it likely means they’re navigating a brutal job market where they send dozens of applications without a single reply. Focus on whether they have the skills and experience you need, not whether they crafted the perfectly personalized application.

The screening process works best when you focus on what actually predicts job performance: relevant skills, demonstrated results, and the ability to do the work. Everything else is noise.

Application screening checklist

Plan an intake meeting to define required and desired qualifications
Set application screening questions to help you shortlist candidates
Draft and automate an application confirmation email to candidates
Enable candidate screening tools in your applicant tracking system
Make decisions quickly so candidates aren’t left hanging
Ensure decisions are based on qualifications that are relevant to the job

Final thoughts on application screening

The best screening process isn’t necessarily the fastest one — it’s the one that helps you make confident, consistent hiring decisions while respecting both your time and your candidates’ experience. Gather feedback and track key performance indictors to fine-tune your screening process over time. For example, evaluate whether your application screening questions helping you accurately predict success in the role and adjust as needed. These best practices can guide you toward an effective application screening process, but it’s up to you to find what works best for your organization and roles.