People looking for work call it the ‘job search’. Employers call it the ‘recruiting’ or ‘hiring’ process. What you call it depends on which party is your primary customer, and if you serve candidates and employers you may think of it as the ‘matching’ process.
But, here’s the deal. Most of the process is spent screening people out, so perhaps we should call it the ‘screening’ process…the first two-thirds of which are focused on screening people out. Only the last phase is focused on who to hire.
Here is a quick snapshot. Imagine that 100 candidates approach a company for a single position. The first question asked is ‘Who can be screened out?’. The criterion is rather shallow, and the goal is to toss all but 30-50 candidates. This initial screening is done by someone who can say ‘no’ or ‘maybe’, but not ‘yes’.
The next question is ‘Who else can be screened out?’, and the ‘maybe’ pile is culled to 8-12 candidates. 90%+ of the candidates are out, the question of who is best qualified for the job has not been entertained, and the person with the power to hire has not entered the process.
At this point, a couple of things can occur. Traditionally, screeners have conducted brief phone interviews to identify 5-12 people to interview. Today, it is increasingly common for screeners to quickly search online for reasons to eliminate candidates before investing in the phone or face-to-face interview—the information discovered isn’t used to hire but to screen out.
Another increasingly common step is to invite the top 5-12 candidates in for a group interview which allows the company to efficiently scrutinize, compare, test, and screen all the candidates at once. Only when the top 3-6 candidates are identified does the decision-maker with the power to say ‘yes’ enter the process and ask the question, ‘Which candidate will we hire?’
What's the Point?
Job search strategy has always focused on proving the candidate is qualified for the job, but today’s job search must also include proactive strategies to avoid being screened out long enough to make the short-list so you have a chance to prove your qualifications.
The average job seeker, and those of us who serve them, is not strategic enough about avoiding the screen out. This means many talented, well-matched candidates end up in the ‘no’ pile with no chance if marketing themselves to the decision-maker.
This is disappointing for two reasons: One, the candidate’s search is unnecessarily long and languishing, and two, the time spent preparing candidates to market themselves is misused. Strategizing how the candidate will ‘avoid being screened out’ is a wise investment. You get the time back in a shorter, more successful search.
There are essentially two reasons candidates are screened out.
- Unmet Employer Needs- Failure to prove they meet a stated job requirement, such as 2 years’ experience, specific education, a local network, physical strength, or a home office.
- Unresolved Employer Concerns- Failure to address (spoken or unspoken) employer concerns, such as the candidate’s age, weight, gender, disability, place of residence, culture, appearance, reasons for leaving jobs, work history, education, and more.
Whatever the reason a candidate may be screened out, they must identify it before interacting with companies, and do one of the following.
Three Ways to Avoid Getting Screened Out
#1: Minimize or Eliminate Screen Outs
We use the acronym SOLAR:
- S – Learn a New Skill (such as maintaining eye contact),
- O – Adjust an Outlook (“I’m too old”, “there are no jobs”),
- L – Change Where You Look for Work change the job target (new field, title, other),
- A – Develop a Good Answer for issues the employer still may or will be aware of (fired, must relocate, disability, criminal history),
- R – Access a Resource (interview clothing)
#2: Craft a Job Search Strategy that Minimizes Distractions
There are essentially four ways a candidate can approach companies– in writing (on paper/online), over the phone, in-person (live/video), and via credible references…and not necessarily in that order.
Candidates can avoid being screened out by using the ways that let them demonstrate the job requirements (proofreaders pitch in writing), minimizes their weaknesses (a strong accent means avoiding the phone), and highlights their strengths (if they are good looking people or well-connected, they should get there in person or rely in introductions, respectively).
#3: Use "Side Doors" that Lead Directly to Decision Makers
Side doors are non-traditional ways of searching that allow a candidate to get noticed by the people with the power to hire and impress them by offering a needed but uncommon quality, skill or attitude, before submitting an application/resume or letting the decision-maker know they are job searching.
Side doors include getting introductions in social or professional settings, encountering decision makers as a volunteer, intern, temp worker or customer, or spontaneously connecting with decision makers in writing, over the phone or in person, and more.
The books No One is Unemployable and The 6 Reasons You’ll Get the Job teach these strategies and offer lots of examples to help candidates avoid being screened out and proving they are the best candidate for the job.
