Saving time and energy in the recruitment process...
Recruitment… it either excites you or it does not. As recruitment professionals, one of the key elements in the recruitment process is the pre-screen. The pre-screen allows the recruiter the opportunity to have a candid conversation with the candidate to see if they meet the ‘must have’ criteria of the job before proceeding to the interview. It helps to save time by automating the initial evaluation process and can help reduce the time spent on in-person interviews and assessing unqualified candidates.
How long does a Pre-Screen need to be?
A pre-screen can be as short as a 5-10 minute phone call with the candidate.
What should you ask in a Pre-Screen?
You can explain the role the candidate applied to and ask them a few questions about your ‘must have’ requirements. For example, if you are recruiting for a position that requires the employee to stand for long periods of time or to lift items of a certain weight, you could confirm this information with them. Other information you can confirm in a pre-screen is certain experience in a specific process, experience with specific software, and shift availability. Additionally, you can also inquire about the candidate's salary expectations to ensure they are in line with what the position is paying.
What if the candidate is not qualified?
During the pre-screen, if the candidate does not have the skill set you are looking for, it is okay to be honest. At Synergy, we sometimes have to tell candidates if the role we are recruiting for is not right for them because our clients require a skill set that they, unfortunately, do not have. The conversation is never easy but at least the candidate knows the status of their application and we always wish them the best in their job hunt or keep an ear open for another opportunity that may suit them better.
But I just want to recruit and I don’t have time to make pre-screen calls!
This is where Synergy can help! Our recruitment team are pre-screen experts! We can do the heavy lifting for you and help you with your recruitment needs. As recruiters, we have seen many missed opportunities with great candidates due to weaknesses in the recruitment process. Time kills deals these days with the ever-changing marketplace.
If you would like to talk with our recruitment team about your current recruitment strategies, we are here to help. Above all else, we genuinely want to see organizations succeed and we are always available for support. Happy Pre-Screening!
