The title of this post was almost “Screening Job Applicants In The Recession.” I’m done saying recession though so from now on, we are just dealing with a new economy. A new economy that is new all of the time. But that’s really beside the point.

If you’ve been lucky enough to do any hiring during the last six months, you know that applicant flow has been crazy. I’ve talked to colleagues who have seen almost 1,000 resumes for a single position and often times only advertising in a couple of sources. They found the task daunting because these companies are often smaller companies that don’t necessarily have an applicant tracking system (ATS).

I have a very easy technique that I’ve talked over with several other HR people that seems to work well for those in the ATS-less world. I think this could work for companies with ATS capabilities as well though they could certainly add some automation.

1. Prevention is easier than the cure - Before posting the position, doing your research to find out what is required for the position, what is customary and how you want to position your company in the employment market.
2. Write a solid advertisement - Make sure to be specific as to what you will screen for and what third party checks may take place. So if you are looking for a truck driver, you may be asking for 1-3 years of on-the-road experience and a CDL. You’ll also want to be sure that you mention a background check, driver check and pre-employment drug screen is necessary.
3. Try to funnel submissions - Electronically through e-mail is obviously preferable if you don’t have an ATS. A record is created and stored for your own use.
4. Do a once over - Do they meet the basic qualifications? If no, set them aside. If you have a truck driver candidate applying for your VP of Finance job, this is an easy step to take.
5. Sort by similar experience - If you’re hiring for an administrative assistant for a law office, you might sort those who worked in a legal office, those who worked in a professional office environment and those who worked in a non-professional office environment.
6. Look for fit - What have they done in similar circumstances.
7. Look at professional level - A controller with a CPA can probably do your entry level accountant job but you want to find people that have a good professional fit.
8. Start ranking by critical skills - Do they have 10 key skills or experience with the latest versions of Microsoft Office?
9. Do the phone screen - Going from your top ranked person on the list, start going down the list with a phone screen until you find enough solid candidates to do interviews.

After that, it becomes fairly standard. I’ve told employers to expect more people that are not currently employed than usual and to put less weight on that than they have in the past.

What are your tricks to properly screen people when you don’t have an ATS and you have a mountain of resumes?