Objective Criteria
Developing objective criteria to use while reviewing the credentials of all candidates will optimize candidate screening. Your selection process may be subject to unconscious bias when objective criteria have not been developed in advance and these criteria are not applied equitably across all candidates.
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Position criteria must be in compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity laws that exclude the use of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disabilities, etc. Review the Interview guide for examples.
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Use job description, responsibilities, and competencies in constructing objective criteria
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Consider what knowledge, skills, and behaviors are important in an ideal candidate
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Consider which attributes are “trainable” and which are not
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Prioritize these criteria before beginning to review CVs/resumes and apply equally to all candidates
Reviewing CVs/Resumes
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Concentrate on factual information rather than appearance. Candidates may have had varying levels of professional assistance in preparing their CVs/resumes
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Look for indications of behavioral as well as technical competencies such as the ability to work collaboratively and independently
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Check the authenticity of publications
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Develop a scoring system using your objective criteria to rank the pool of candidates based upon their attributes
Identifying Candidates to Interview
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Rank candidates by degree of attributes: high, moderate, and low
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Select a reasonable number of candidates from the high-ranking group to potentially interview
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Ask candidates to bring proof of degree, awards, patents, etc. to the interview