HR Glossary

CV screening — how it works and how to make it more efficient

CV screening is the first phase of recruitment — going through résumés and selecting candidates who advance to the next round. With a larger number of applications, it is the most time-consuming part of the entire recruitment process.

Definition

CV screening is the process in which HR or the hiring manager goes through the received résumés and evaluates whether the candidates meet the basic requirements for the position. The output is a shortlist — a narrower group of candidates who advance to a phone or in-person interview.

Structured vs. unstructured screening:

Unstructured approach: HR goes through CVs one by one, the evaluation is subjective and dependent on attention at a given moment. With 50+ applications, screening takes a whole day — and the results tend to be inconsistent.

Structured approach: Pre-defined criteria (must-have and nice-to-have requirements), a standardized evaluation form, possibly an AI tool for the first evaluation. The results are more consistent and more defensible.

How AI screening works

An AI tool analyzes the text of a résumé and compares it with the defined requirements of the position. The output is a score or categorization of candidates (recommended / possible / unsuitable) with a comment. HR then pays deeper attention only to the recommended candidates.

Important: AI screening is an assistant, not a judge. The final decision must always be made by a human — also with regard to the growing regulation of AI in recruitment.

lightbulb In practice

A company advertises an HR manager position and receives 65 résumés. AI screening evaluates all applications in 10 minutes and prepares a shortlist of 12 candidates with comments. The HR manager then spends the qualitative assessment only on these 12 — completing the entire screening in 2 hours instead of a whole day.

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