What is automated resume screening and how does it work?

Automated resume screening means using software to review resumes and job applications. The automated resume screening system compares information about candidates’ education, experience and skills with a list of qualifications that you established in your job description. Then, the resume screening software compiles a list of candidates that it has identified as the “best” matches.

Pros of using an automated resume screening system

There are a few good reasons why you should consider adopting an automated resume screening process, including the following.

Time and cost savings

Resume screening software limits the need for a person to review all resumes or job applications received for an open position. An automated system can create a pool of quality candidates for your consideration in a fraction of the time it may take for you to do the same.

Not only does automated resume screening potentially save time, but it can also positively impact a company’s bottom line. A business may be able to operate with a smaller human resources department by delegating resume screening to a software program. Even when this isn’t possible, employees who were once responsible for prescreening prospective employees will have more time to focus on other hiring tasks, leading to increased productivity.

Potentially higher quality standards for candidates

An automated resume screening system can sometimes take subjectivity out of the hiring process, potentially generating a short list containing the highest quality candidates. As a result, automating the process can help ensure you make the right hire. However, it’s also important to understand that automated resume screening can come with limitations and potential biases, such as algorithmic biases, lack of context and unfair exclusion in some cases.

Better candidate experience

Using resume screening software can improve the candidate experience because it speeds up the process. You’ll be able to contact quality candidates sooner, making them feel more valued. Accelerating the hiring process with automated screening can help you make a great first impression with prospective employees and opens the door to attracting and retaining them.

Related: What Is Candidate Experience (and How to Create a Positive One)

Cons of using an automated resume screening system

For all their benefits, automated resume screening systems do have some downsides. Read on to explore them.

Risk of lower quality candidates getting through screening

Since job seekers may know that their applications could be put through an automated resume screening system, they may modify their resumes to beat the system. One example is keyword stuffing. As a result, it’s possible you’ll get some false positives, leading to fewer quality candidates ending up on the short list.

Chance for high-quality resume rejection

On the flip side, resume screening software may sometimes miss applications from candidates who are good matches for the job description. These false negatives may occur due to the settings of the automated resume screening system, glitches with the program or unusual resume formatting. Additionally, the algorithms used for resume screening may inadvertently introduce biases if they are trained on biased or incomplete data.

Not only that, but automated screening may not capture nuanced information, such as career gaps, career changes or soft skills. Human recruiters are often better equipped to interpret these factors. They may also inadvertently exclude qualified candidates who have unconventional backgrounds or experiences that do not match the algorithm’s expectations. This can lead to the loss of potentially valuable talent.

Learning curve

When you begin using resume screening software, your team will have to learn how to operate it. While many programs are intuitive and simple to learn, there is still a learning curve involved. You also may need to take time out of the workday to train new users on an ongoing basis.

Reliance on keywords

Automated resume screening relies on keywords, important terms that the software searches for to identify quality candidates. In some cases, the program may pull keywords from your job description. Other programs may give you the ability to choose keywords yourself or to add additional keywords not found in the job description.

An automated resume screening system that identifies keywords on its own is only as good as its algorithm. After all, results can be skewed if the software selects a term that isn’t vital to the job description.

For example, say your company’s name is Shipshape Logistics, and you use it several times in a job description, but the open position is actually in the marketing department. Candidates don’t need any background in logistics to perform well in the role. However, the software may identify logistics as a keyword and rule out many resumes from quality candidates.

With software programs that allow you to enter or modify the keyword list, you’ll need at least a basic understanding of keyword search terminology to identify terms.

Potential for outages

If you’re exclusively using automated resume screening, tech issues can interfere with the hiring process. Any problems with the software or your computer system can result in delays.

Overcoming the potential pitfalls of automated resume screening

The good news is that there are ways you can minimize the potential risks of automated resume screening. Follow these tips for best results.

1. Choose your automated resume screening software carefully

Before purchasing or subscribing, research a few automated resume screening options. Consider the cost, features and customer support available to your team. Also, pay attention to how many users can access the data and if there are caps on the number of candidates the system will return.

2. Use keyword research tools to identify top terms

Keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner and Moz Keyword Explorer can help you identify terms that job seekers enter into search engines when looking for work as well as keywords that may be synonyms for key qualifications. Incorporating these keywords into your job description can improve the accuracy of automated resume screening systems and potentially help more quality candidates discover your job listing.

3. Take advantage of vendor-provided training and tutorials

Some resume screening software programs make tutorials and training courses available for companies. If the one you select does, take advantage of these tools to get your current team and future hires familiar with how to use the system.

4. Write comprehensive job descriptions and update them regularly

Strong job descriptions that describe duties and responsibilities, qualifications, skills, education and experience in detail can improve the outcome of automated resume screening. Get off to the right start by writing a comprehensive job description and revisit the description each time you need to hire someone new to fill the position.

Related: How to Write a Job Description

Automated resume screening FAQs

How can I evaluate the effectiveness of an automated resume screening system?

Conduct occasional audits to assess how well your automated resume screening system is working for your company. Review the entire pool of candidates that submitted applications and the ones filtered by the automated resume screening process, making note of the number of false positives and negatives. If the quality of results is poor, modify your keywords and screening questions and then complete another audit in the future. Should problems persist, you may wish to explore other resume screening software programs.