The Screening Process: CV vs. Forms

The Choice of Format: Application Form vs. CV

The first step in managing applications is to decide on the format in which the information will be received, which will directly impact the ease of the screening process.

The two main options are the application form and the curriculum vitae (CV).

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Application Form

Application forms, whether paper or electronic, have the great advantage of presenting information in a clear and consistent format.

They allow the organization to collect the information it considers relevant in a systematic manner, which greatly facilitates the objective evaluation and comparison of candidates during screening.

However, their disadvantage is their restrictive nature; they often force the candidate to fit his or her information into small boxes.

In addition, a poorly designed, outdated or unclear form may deter good candidates from applying.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Curriculum Vitae (CV)

The CV, on the other hand, is essentially a sales document.

Its main advantage is that it offers the candidate the freedom to "sell himself" in his own way, without being restricted by the boxes or the sequence of a form.

The disadvantage is precisely this lack of structure: candidates may include a lot of irrelevant information, and finding specific data becomes more difficult, as the information is not in a consistent place.

Many organizations opt for a hybrid model: a standard application form for key data, supplemented by a request for a CV or cover letter.

The Screening Challenge: "Ignoring the Story."

The screening process can seem daunting and time-consuming, but it doesn't have to be. The secret is learning to "ignore the story."

As humans, our brains are programmed to take shortcuts; we automatically create a complete narrative (a story) from small bits of information, using assumptions and stereotypes.

An interviewer may see on a CV "the candidate's partner is a policeman" and their brain creates the story "that means the candidate is honest". This is a dangerous and probably wrong assumption.

We must remember that a CV is a sales document and, at best, only provides indicators of issues we need to explore in the interview, not fait accompli.

A Systematic and "Ruthless" Screening Method

To avoid the "narrative" trap, a systematic and "ruthless" approach must be adopted.

This method is based on one key principle: compare each candidate against the Person Specification only, not compare candidates against each other.

Don't read ahead: Resist curiosity. File all applications as they come in and don't read them until the deadline.

If you read them before then, you will start building stories and biases that you will treat as facts during the screening.

Only two piles: "Yes" and "No": The "Maybe" pile does not exist. This pile is a trap that encourages comparison between people (e.g., "this one is better than the other") rather than comparison against the standard (the specification).

The Criteria Filtering Process

The filtering method should follow the hierarchy of the Person Specification:

Filter 1 (Essential Criteria): take a single Essential criterion from your specification (e.g. "3 years retail experience"). Review all applications looking only for that one piece of information.

If the candidate meets it, move to the "Yes" stack; if not, move to the "No" stack. Do not read the rest of the application.

Once finished, take the next Essential criterion and repeat the process, but this time checking only the "Yes" stack.

Continue this elimination process with all of your Essential criteria.

(This is where application forms save time, as the information is always in the same place, whereas CVs require you to scan the entire document).

Filter 2 (Desirable Criteria): At the end of the Essentials filter, the "Yes" stack will be much smaller.

Now, repeat the process using your Desirable criteria, starting with the most important one.

Continue until the "Yes" pile is reduced to the number of candidates you want to interview.

The Result: Avoid the "Best of the Rest".

If at the end of the process you have only one, two or even zero candidates in the "Yes" pile, trust your specification.

Resist the temptation to go back to the "No" pile to "force a fit" or select the "best of the rest."

If no one meets the minimum essentials, don't hire.

Finally, notify candidates in the "No" pile as soon as possible; this will prevent you from being tempted to reconsider them later.

Summary

The format (Application Form or CV) impacts the screening. Forms are consistent and easy to compare, but restrictive. CVs allow the candidate to "sell" themselves freely, but make it difficult to find specifics.

The secret to screening is to "ignore the story". The brain creates narratives (biases) based on assumptions, treating CVs as facts rather than indicators. A systematic approach must be taken.

The correct method is to compare each candidate against the Person Specification, not against each other. Use only two stacks: "Yes" and "No". Filter out all "Essential" criteria first; if no one meets, don't hire.