Guide to Screening Job Applicants

Conduct a prescreen phone interview

A job applicant may have an outstanding resume. But to get a deeper sense of his or work experience and see whether the applicant can think quickly, is articulate and shares your organization's values, conduct a phone interview before setting up formal in-person interviews.

I recommend: Write down your questions and stick to this script. Avoid questions that can get you in trouble; check out the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Web site for an excellent list of illegal and loaded questions. Ask only about behaviors and work experience that's relevant to the current position.

Automate the process

By using application software, you won't have to look at applications from candidates who don't meet your minimal qualifications.

I recommend: SilkRoad Technology's OpenHire Candidate Qualification Screening is one example of application software that lets you choose the questions that applicants must answer, then automatically flag negative answers that disqualify an applicant. Kenexa offers both Kenexa Selector, an online behavior profiling questionnaire, and Kenexa Prove It!, which has hundreds of computer-based skill tests to help you find the most skilled candidates. PowerHires also sells prescreening software.

Hire someone else to do the prescreening

Depending on the number of applicants and open positions, you might want to hire an outside firm to prescreen job candidates.

I recommend: Prescreening comes in a various degrees: Verified Credentials, for example, provides employment verification to check an applicant's work history. ID Searchplus compares an applicant's name or Social Security number against a credit database to look for a criminal history and aliases. Unicru and HireSmart (specifically its Total Applicant Processing System) offer similar services. Rocket-Hire is a prescreening screener — the consultant evaluates and suggests vendors of prescreening services.

Check for the diploma

Any candidate can boast impressive educational credits on a resume. It doesn't hurt to make sure those educational credits are legit.

I recommend: Contact the school's admission's office (most universities have that info readily available online) to verify that the applicant really does hold the degree claimed.

Consider a credit report

If you're hiring for a bookkeeping position or anyone who will handle funds, you might consider running a credit report on promising individuals to see the state of their own financial affairs.

I recommend: AmerUSA.net, Accurate Credit Bureau and SentryLink all sell employee credit reports suitable for screening job candidates. (Ask your lawyer for guidelines on obtaining these credit reports. You must have a candidate's permission, for example, prior to obtaining a report.)