First-line filter: screening candidates for selection

Technological advances have provided recruiters with a choice of sophisticated e-tools; we examine the potential benefits they can bring to the screening process. Includes case studies on Woolworths, Siemens and the NHS.


Learning points

  • It is important that employers have in place effective processes to sift candidates prior to selection that are as robust, effective and fair as their main selection process.

  • There are a variety of screening techniques, ranging from the traditional, manual sifting of applications by shortlisters to sophisticated psychometric tests.

  • Recruiters are increasingly harnessing technology to aid the shortlisting process - for example, by sifting CVs online and searching for essential qualification criteria.

    The screening of candidates - conducting the first sift of job applicants - has been identified as potentially the weakest link in the recruitment chain.

    Where no clear criteria have been set against which to benchmark applications or CVs, and there is no systematic process in place, clearly this initial shortlisting will fail to yield either consistent or valid results. But does the employment of hi-tech screening tools, such as the internet, necessarily produce the best possible candidate pool?

    We examine the various screening options on offer and talk to several employers that have incorporated more sophisticated techniques into their pre-selection strategies.

    The first step

    An employer could develop the most rigorous selection process, but if the same attention has not been made to the initial screening stage, the investment would probably be worthless. The methods and criteria that are adopted at this first, crucial step will determine whether or not the best possible field of candidates is presented for selection.

    Dave Millner, consultancy director at assessment specialists Psychometric Services Ltd (PSL), sees the recruitment and selection process as a funnel. As he explains: "The objective of screening is to filter down to a pool of people who are worthy of being seen at the next stage. Selection is a resource-intensive activity and employers need to be confident that the investment they are making when they interview or run an assessment centre, for example, can be justified."

    There are several different screening methods available to recruiters, and the appropriate choice will depend on a number of factors including the type of role and organisation, available resources and number of vacancies.

    Traditionally, the main approach is to reduce the applications received to a shortlist of candidates to invite for interview. The effectiveness of this apparently straightforward method cannot be taken for granted, however. Stephen Taylor, in his core resourcing text for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development1, points to the potential tension between the relative merits of methodical and more informal approaches.

    Systematic shortlisting based on the criteria for the job is fairer and reduces the risk of bias but, for example, this could mean that the best candidate might be rejected because they fall just short of the vacancy's experience requirements.

    Ian Florance, an HR consultant and secretary of the Business Test Publishers Association, points out the limitations of manually sifting applications. "The traditional approach by hand can produce a number of problems. In the case of application forms, for example, equal opportunities and diversity may be threatened if there are questions that implicitly may be discriminatory. It is often the case that forms are not updated for years at a time. There is also evidence to indicate that, where less information is provided by the candidate on job background, recruiters are more likely to discriminate against women."

    Manually screening CVs also carries with it significant risks, as Florance comments: "If a large number of CVs are received, it is a very time-consuming process. Recent research highlights the risk of candidates distorting their experience or interests to suit the role - so does the CV reflect reality or is it a marketing ploy?"

    A 2004 survey of 1,000 employers by employment-agency chain Office Angels found that, during the August and September period, the number of CVs received by organisations increases from an average of three per day to more than 102. According to the research, the deluge of an average of 600 forms in this two-month period means that, on average, an employer will spend less than five minutes reading each one. Of some concern is the finding that more than two-thirds of those polled admitted to being unsure whether they had made the right decision about a candidate "because CVs are full of common and often clichéd statements, open to extensive interpretation".

    The use of the internet in recruitment advertising has broadened employers' appeal in the jobs market - but this increased penetration could be regarded as a double-edged sword. A multiplication in the number of both speculative and specific job applications does not necessarily translate into a corresponding increase in the quality of applicants.

    Commenting in a previous IRS article on the very same phenomenon that affects graduate recruitment3, Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, likened the bigger pool of potential recruits to "looking for the same needle in a bigger haystack". According to him, how recruiters screen candidates is therefore of vital importance and employers need to move from a "high-volume, low-success approach to one with low volume, high success".

    Multi methods

    It is clear that, in most cases, there is scope for employers to consider a less resource-intensive and more systematic alternative to manually sifting CVs or application forms. This is particularly relevant where the organisation is looking to recruit large numbers of people or expects to receive considerable numbers of applications even where there are relatively few job openings.

    There are several options worth considering, aside from the possibilities made available as a result of the internet. A significant number of employers have turned to the telephone to help screen candidates out of the selection process, as our recent IRS article on telephone interviewing explains4. Typically, the interview can take either a short, scripted approach, with questions based on essential job criteria, or a more competency-based format designed to judge suitability for the role.

    A telephone interview represents the second screening stage for retailer Woolworths, illustrating that employers do not have to rely on a single sifting approach (see case study 1). Whereas the company's initial, online sifting tool is more designed to screen "out" candidates from the recruitment process, the telephone interview that follows is more geared to screening the remaining candidates "in". Interviewers use the results from the previous screening exercise to identify areas for discussion.

    Another alternative to sifting through CVs to narrow the field to a manageable shortlist is to use a third party. It is a service commonly undertaken by employment and recruitment agencies as part of their role in sourcing candidates.

    Mersey TV, for example, uses agencies to help recruit to a range of temporary roles5. The great advantage to the company's recruitment team is the time it saves them sifting through a large volume of CVs. It is very careful to ensure that the agency knows exactly what is required both in terms of job suitability and cultural fit, so that only the most suitable people are put forward for consideration.

    Providing agencies with this briefing is essential when relying on a third-party provider to perform the sifting process, as an agency will always be one degree further removed from the employing organisation and its resourcing strategy.

    Web potential

    The greatest change in the range of screening tools on offer has been brought about by the growth of the internet in recruitment. Our recent survey of FTSE 100 companies6, for example, found that employers are increasingly asking candidates to register and develop an online profile on their website. This enables companies to start screening out inappropriate candidates.

    The research found that the sifting processes themselves vary in their complexity and sophistication. For instance, 13% of the organisations surveyed include questions as part of their online application process, typically relating to basic qualifications criteria for the job.

    Using "killer questions" to screen out candidates, or using web applications to search for key words in CVs represent the most basic internet-enabled screening solutions. The obvious advantage here is the speed and efficiency that technology can add to the process.

    According to Ian Florance, moving the CV screening process online may improve consistency and speed, but such an approach is still problematic. "The computer does not get tired and it is more objective, but searching CVs for key words such as 'creativity' is really no different to the human approach and still calls into question the basis on which the sifting, or selection, is being made."

    But the web opens up a whole new filtering potential beyond CV sifting and enables recruiters to employ far more sophisticated instruments as part of their selection armoury.

    The ability to objectively screen all candidates was a key criterion for Woolworths' e-recruitment model. Iain Lewis, the company's UK resourcing manager, maintains that having this capability built in to a web-based process is essential and he strongly advises any employer who is considering the online route for recruitment to use such a tool.

    As he comments: "Many systems provide for the option of simply making an online application. However, an organisation using these types of system could potentially receive thousands of applications from candidates whose skills, knowledge and experience do not match the employer's specific needs. This completely negates the benefits of screening online, such as objectivity and consistency. The screened approach does require additional investment, but employers should consider the screened option to take full advantage of the web. The online application tools tend to be a closer match to recruitment consultancy needs."

    Psychometric screening

    In Florance's view, the internet has enabled employers to adopt a far more sophisticated approach to their initial screening of candidates by making possible the introduction of online occupational tests. "Psychometric testing is perfectly acceptable as a sifting mechanism, as tests are at their most effective when a large pool of candidates needs to be reduced to a much smaller one. As with any tool or selection stage, however, there needs to be clear criteria for screening candidates based on a sound analysis of the role."

    According to Trevor Band, UK project management champion for Siemens Business Services (see case study 2), the use of online psychometric screening tools - such as those developed by PSL for the company's project management positions - is particularly relevant for volume recruitment. As he explains: "If the company wants to recruit a number of new project managers, our online knowledge management questionnaire and personality test are very effective. They enable us to whittle down a large field of applicants to a smaller candidate pool. We can use the test results and the CV to build up a profile of the individual prior to selection."

    Dave Millner says: "Whether psychometric assessment is undertaken online or offline is irrelevant: it is the robustness of the method used that is key. But the beauty of 'low-touch' access systems on the web is that an employer can turn the assessment process on its head. Instead of applicants telling the recruiter what they think a prospective employer wants to know, the recruiter can test those aspects that they specifically want to find out about in terms of the right knowledge and characteristics for the job. The process must be driven by the factors that are proven to drive successful performance in that particular role."

    Ian Florance believes that either ability or personality tests can be used to screen candidates. But there are issues that need to be borne in mind for both types of instrument, including their use in an online setting. As he explains: "Ability tests can be more problematic to administer at a distance because there is typically a wrong or right answer and the lack of a controlled setting means that an applicant could use a calculator for a numerical ability test, for example. And the lack of research around the use of personality tests for screening does remain a concern."

    The NHS's new online screening process for its future leaders (see case study 3) aims to reduce the problems that accompany straightforward ability tests and concerns about personality questionnaires. Its "SiftAbility" process is based on scenarios that candidates must study, and then respond to dilemmas, tasks and urgent issues linked to them. Applicants' answers provide insights into their qualities and competencies, and it is less easy for them to second-guess the correct answer.

    Future trends

    One rather interesting addition to the screening portfolio is speed-recruitment - short and speedy "taster" interviews that enable the employer and prospective employee to see if they want to take an application to the next, more formal stage. Granted, the practice has yet to take off more widely in the UK but it could initially appeal to the graduate recruitment market.

    Biodata testing is another interesting approach that is attracting some interest because of the possibilities opened up by the web7. Again, this is probably less prevalent in the UK but is used extensively for screening purposes by some large US companies such as Procter & Gamble. This highly sophisticated approach turns the traditional CV and application form sifting on its head.

    "The technique was developed over 80 years ago by Dorothy Goldsmith for insurance sales people," explains Florance. "The goal is to identify the common characteristics and background that produce superior performance in a particular role. The data gathered - and questions that need to be asked of candidates - are very searching and include not only the individual's history and personal attributes. They may include seemingly irrelevant biographical detail about their family life, physical characteristics and experience, for example. But this approach has proven to be very reliable in screening candidates, although it is not always possible to explain why the presence of certain characteristics results in certain behaviours."

    This is not a quick and easy screening tool to develop, the initial development requiring in-depth research among good and bad performers within the recruiting organisation.

    As this is a bespoke screening tool and a large cohort of existing employees is needed in order to conduct the research, it's an approach that is only suitable for larger organisations. Florance also flags up a number of potential pitfalls associated with the technique that need to be addressed if a recruiter is thinking of developing such an approach. These include equal opportunities issues, the possibility of candidates faking a test, privacy considerations and candidate relationship issues.

    It is also likely that questions about candidates' biographical backgrounds are becoming increasingly less acceptable to individuals, being seen as intrusive, irrelevant and suspect. Their lack of "face validity" (being considered as legitimate) may mean that some good-quality candidates may withdraw their applications if asked such questions.

    Effective practice

    Whatever the method or group of methods used to screen candidates, the same basic rules of good practice and consistency apply. The technique should be appropriate and cost-effective for the organisation, and it should be developed with close reference to the role in question. There are also clear diversity implications, whether the method adopted is predominantly online or by "human touch".

    Florance warns that no test - or any screening or selection tool - should be used in isolation. The length of the test is also important. "Sifting sounds as if it should be a quick process, and there is a certain expectation that a short online test can produce a quality shortlist," he says. "But there is a correlation - up to a point - between the length of a test and its reliability, and there are some real concerns about the reliability of brief personality 'quizzes', for example. It is vital that the test is a good one, and that it is used in conjunction with other information as part of the screening process."

    This article was written by Rachel Suff, a freelance employment researcher and writer, rmsuff@dsl.pipex.com.

    1 Employee resourcing, Stephen Taylor, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2005.
    2 "Dealing with the CV minefield", Personnel Today, 31 August 2004, www.personneltoday.com.
    3 Under starter's orders: attracting the best candidates.
    4 Got your number: using telephone interviewing.
    5 Agencies, employers and the regulations: four case studies.
    6 Log on, log in: corporate online recruitment in the FTSE 100.
    7 Biodata: this is your life .


    Case study 1: Online interactive screening forms an integral part of Woolworths' online recruitment process

    Woolworths was one of the first large retailers to develop a web-based recruitment strategy. The rationale for introducing one became clear to Iain Lewis, UK resourcing manager, back in 2000 when more than 1,500 CVs were received as part of a single recruitment drive.

    "Manually sifting that mountain of paper applications took three months and made me realise that our selection process would benefit from a more effective, consistent and objective approach to screening," he recalls.

    Employing more than 28,000 staff across its 800 stores and head office, Woolworths has had to develop a resourcing strategy that is equipped to cope with volume recruitment. Its online recruitment channel has so far been developed to cater for store and assistant manager vacancies, large-scale resourcing exercises in themselves. Up to 5,000 applications are received for these roles annually, nearly half of which are unsolicited, online applications that are prompted solely by a desire to work for this household brand.

    FIRST-STAGE SCREENING

    There are three sections to Woolworths' initial, online screening tool, which represents an integral part of the company's interactive application process.

    "Biographical" screening

    Lewis describes the first section as "biographical", whereby applicants are asked a series of questions designed to screen them against a set of essential qualification criteria for the role. These include areas such as specific work experience, education, the right to work in the UK and unspent criminal convictions.

    A number of so-called "killer questions" are included. If an unacceptable response is received, the applicant is informed at the end of that first section that their application is unlikely to be successful, but that they are nevertheless welcome to complete the application process.

    Feedback is also given after applicants have completed each of the three sections of the online screening tool, making the process fully interactive. Many candidates comment that this feedback given throughout their online application is a very positive element of the process.

    "Although automated, the feedback process can be flexible and does not necessarily disqualify a candidate from a job with Woolworths," Lewis explains. "For example, if someone is applying for a store manager's job but does not have enough experience, the system will ask them if they had considered applying for an assistant manager's role."

    Competency screening

    The second section of the screening process is where the online system "comes into its own". It is at this point that candidates are matched against the competency-based criteria for the role.

    Woolworths chose online recruitment specialist ChangeWorkNow as its partner in its web-based venture, and the consultancy undertook an in-depth research exercise in order to design the more sophisticated, second part of the screening process.

    ChangeWorkNow used a questionnaire to interview three different store manager groups - a group demonstrating good performance, one with average performance, and one with poor performance ratings. The results were calibrated and a competency framework was developed that identifies the key behaviours and attributes for the role.

    The questions are behavioural and experiential in their focus, and are based on asking candidates about their actual past experience, and typically start with: "In the past, I have ... " Each statement is accompanied by a series of tick boxes that allows the individual to indicate their level of experience associated with each competency.

    Over to you

    The third and final section of Woolworths' e-screening process represents an opportunity for candidates themselves to inform their potential employer of what they expect or desire from a career with the company. This provides the organisation with a further screening perspective and also enables individuals to screen themselves out of the process if they have unrealistic expectations of the job.

    As Lewis explains: "For instance, we occasionally have applications from people with a sales background for store manager positions who may assume that sales is a large part of the role. The Woolworths store manager role is much more about leading a team and managing a large retail outlet, and may not satisfy this particular need. Travel can also be a key requirement for many jobseekers and, although we have over 800 stores across the UK, working in a variety of locations is not a regular activity for our store and assistant managers."

    This third section enables the company to identify any potential mismatches of expectations and follow them up in the telephone screening exercise which follows.

    On completion of the application and screening process, candidates receive an automated response thanking them for their application and advising them that the company will be in touch. This is sent three working hours after submission of their application.

    "The three working hours is important," says Lewis. "Around 20% of online applications are received in the middle of the night so if we sent an automated response three hours later, candidates would not think that their application had been properly considered. For example, someone submitting an application to Woolworths at 6pm on a Sunday would receive their acknowledgement at 12 noon on the following Monday."

    SECOND-STAGE SCREENING

    Woolworths is a "people business" and there is still a very strong human element to the screening and selection process at the company. A small resourcing team follows up promising applications - applications will have already been rated from "A" (great candidate) to "C" (not suitable). Whereas the online screening tool is more designed to screen "out" candidates from the recruitment process, the second-stage telephone interview is more geared to screening them "in".

    Lewis explains that resourcing advisers are able to use the objective information gathered from the initial, online screen as a base to probe potential recruits on their suitability for the role. As he points out: "The data act as the foundation for the rest of the selection process."

    The approach taken in the telephone-screening interview will differ depending on how the candidate performed in the first stage. "If the candidate is ranked as a 'straight A', the interview aims to 'hook' that person and invite them to the next and final selection event, which is an assessment centre," says Lewis. "If the candidate was 'B' ranked, the interview is likely to be more exploratory."

    A return on investment

    Woolworths has realised considerable and quantifiable improvements to its resourcing function. It is now "slicker, quicker and smarter". Its screening approach means that there is greater consistency in the quality of candidates - the conversion rate at the company's assessment centre is now up to 40%, and Lewis is targeting for a 50%-plus rate for 2006.

    The key advice that he has for other organisations thinking of developing an online screening tool is that, first, "you get what you pay for", and a sizeable initial investment of at least £30,000 is needed to produce long-term efficiencies.

    Second, take the time to invest and build up the necessary infrastructure - for example, he is now developing a similar e-recruitment strategy for head office and he expects the project to take up to 18 months before it delivers its full benefit.


    Case study 2: Online assessment at Siemens

    Effective project management is pivotal to Siemens Business Services' core operations, given that the company employs more than 200 project managers in the UK alone. Prospective candidates for the role are required to complete a two-stage online screening process: a knowledge-management questionnaire, followed by a personality questionnaire. Both the knowledge-management questionnaire and the Occupational Personality Inventory (OPI) were developed by assessment specialists Psychometric Services Ltd (PSL).

    "Our primary motivation is not to filter people out, but to collate as much information as possible on the candidate's suitability in order to help inform the selection process," explains Trevor Band, UK project management champion for Siemens. "We want to glean the best quality information as quickly as possible, and all three screening approaches help us to build up a picture of the candidate."

    Knowledge management questionnaire

    The first screening stage is a 30-question online capability questionnaire, designed to test applicants' knowledge of project management. "There is an accepted body of knowledge for project management, including the terminology, tools, techniques and established best practice," he says. "We can assess this very effectively by administering the test."

    Following an initial sift of CVs, promising candidates are given an internet address and invited to complete the test online. Each test is bespoke and is based on the role profile for the vacant post, from associate project manager to project director. Candidates are timed on each one in order to ensure that they are not referring to any support materials or books. "The multiple-choice questions are designed so that the assessor is very quickly able to discern whether the candidate understands the fundamental principles of project management," says Dave Millner, consultancy director of PSL.

    Candidates' test results are emailed to the recruiting manager at Siemens. The threshold mark is considered to be the average scores of the candidate pool. "It is not necessarily a pass or fail as this is not intended to be a rigid screening-out process - although if someone scores very poorly their application may not be taken any further," Band explains. "What is important is that the test results inform selection by enabling interviewers to probe any issues that arise."

    Screen 2

    Candidates are given a second web address for the second screening stage - PSL's OPI personality questionnaire, which is also administered online. The questionnaire takes around 30 minutes to complete, despite containing 250 questions. "The test should be completed quite quickly as it is looking for candidates' natural reactions," says Band. "It aims to develop a profile on those innate areas that, from extensive research, have been found to be appropriate for the role."

    "This psychometric tool assesses those personality factors that support a high-performing project manager," says Millner.

    "The research shows that these core qualities include influencing, assertiveness, self-confidence and conscientiousness. It is not just the technical skills that contribute to performance, but the personality traits that are used to apply the skills."

    A number of HR people at Siemens have now been trained by PSL so that they can analyse the test results in-house. The personality profile of the candidate is mapped on to the "model profile" that has been built for that particular project management role.

    Band emphasises that a "low fit" for some dimensions does not represent grounds for eliminating an individual from the selection process. As he says: "The last thing we want to do is filter out good candidates - it is not the intention of these screening tools to dictate the selection process but to inform it. The CV is still the primary document that is used to shortlist candidates, but the results of the two online tests make a very helpful contribution."


    Case study 3: The NHS screens for leaders with 'SiftAbility'

    The NHS has recently introduced an online assessment tool in order to screen candidates for its "Gateway to Leadership" scheme, which aims to recruit and develop talented managers for senior roles within the NHS. As Claire Maguire, programme lead for the NHS scheme, advises: "SiftAbility is very useful for volume recruitment - Gateway to Leadership attracts a large quantity of applicants, which means that sifting through the applications was a resource-intensive activity. The approach has already produced very effective results for us, and has also eased a heavy administrative burden."

    The Gateway to Leadership scheme aims to recruit future NHS leaders from outside the NHS. The new online "SiftAbility" process supports this aim by screening candidates against pre-defined criteria that are crucial to delivering outstanding leadership and management skills at this level.

    Developed by Capita Resourcing in association with an eminent psychometric team, SiftAbility comprises bespoke and highly relevant scenario-based exercises linked to the NHS's business ethos and the target profile and competencies of an NHS leader.

    As Paul Yarker, senior product development consultant for Capita Resourcing, explains: "SiftAbility requires applicants to immerse themselves in the scenarios and respond to a number of dilemmas, tasks and urgent situations. It assesses each applicant's qualities and competencies through their reactions. A particular feature of the design is that it makes it difficult for candidates to spot the correct answer rather than the one they are inclined to give. It therefore doesn't have the transparency problem found in many other instruments."

    "The exercises, and qualities that they aim to identify, were established following in-depth analysis of the competencies needed to be effective NHS managers," adds Maguire. "The tool allows us to take a much more dispassionate and objective view at the early screening stage and produces a far more consistent approach."

    There are three exercises. Each one presents the applicant with a business scenario that is relevant to the NHS. The candidate is required to undertake several tasks and is assessed on their response to specific dilemmas. "The test is unusual for a psychometric tool because it is based on a 'situational judgment' approach: it allows for the interaction between ability (cognitive) and personality, which is very different to the traditional stance of testing these separately," says Yarker. Candidates are measured against three "super" competencies, each exercise being designed around one of the three.

    Log on

    Applicants can apply and complete the online management test simultaneously. The approach enables the NHS both to screen out and select in candidates, with SiftAbility facilitating the latter process.

    Candidates are invited to complete the exercises, and individual responses to the scenarios are scored and mapped against the competency framework, with each candidate receiving an overall score.

    Completion of each exercise can take around 20 to 30 minutes. According to Maguire, the tool's online delivery affords candidates the flexibility to complete the exercises when it suits them.

    SiftAbility screens out up to 30% of initial applications to Gateway to Leadership, thus reducing the large applicant pool to a manageable size, but it can screen out larger numbers if required. The remaining field of candidates is then shortlisted for the next selection stage - a one-day assessment centre. Maguire says that introducing SiftAbility has not only streamlined the screening and selection process, it has reduced the risk of subjectivity creeping into the process.