Tips to Screen Job Applicants

Hiring job applicants can be a time-consuming process. The time and effort you invest in  looking for a skilled employee will however be time and energy very well-spent. 

Whether you are hiring someone to work from home or at your office, you will need similar tips to properly screen the applicants until you find the right candidate.

Detail the job description and task as best as you can. You can post job ads on several websites or in your local newspaper. To save you time, provide as much information about the job and skills required. This will cut down the number of applications you receive. You then need only screen those who are qualified. Include the following in the job description:

The specific type of work needed. If it’s a writing job, what type of writing do you require? Is it technical or copywriting? If you need graphic design work, is it for a graphics-heavy site that will require a very experienced designer or will simple graphic skills be sufficient?

Specify if it’s part-time or full-time work.
Include the pay rate or ask the applicants to include their going rate in the cover letter.
Ask for samples when necessary. Request for a minimum of two or three.

Talk to the applicants over the phone or the Internet. Email-only correspondence will never compare to a voice conversation. You and the applicant can talk and ask each other questions in real-time. An actual voice call will give you a feel of the applicant and find out if rapport is present. You won’t have to talk by phone regularly once you find the right candidate. But the initial time spent talking to the applicants whose resume impressed you will do wonders for your working relationship.

Ask for the applicant’s social media profile. This is especially useful if you’re hiring someone over the Internet. Serious freelancers with solid experience working online should have at least one well-managed social media account. The sites that can provide you with the best information about the applicants are Facebook and LinkedIn. 

Ask unique questions during the screening process. This step is even more suitable if the job you’re hiring for requires creativity. Even technical jobs that are not what most people would consider creative will benefit from a worker who can think outside the box. You can ask the applicants to write an essay with a unique angle. Here are examples:

If you were a planet millions of light years away from Earth, describe what type of world you would be.

You are having one of the worst days of your life yet you have an important business meeting with a client. You have one hour to relax before the appointment. How will you utilize the time?

You can’t get along with a difficult yet very talented co-worker. How will you win her over if you only had a week to do it?

Skilled employees will do wonders for your business. You will be competing with other businesses for the best talents out there. Hire the best you can afford and propel your business forward faster than you can on your own.