Guidelines

The goal of screening resumes is to select the candidates you will contact for the first round of interviews. Narrowing that list can be challenging, especially if there are many qualified applicants. Start by comparing each candidate's cover letter and resume to the minimum job requirements, which provide the essential screening parameters for the selection process.

Reviewing Resumes

As a written summarization of the candidate’s experience, skills, knowledge and education, the resume will tell you what the applicant has done, but not how well she did it. But even this preliminary information may help determine if the candidate is the right fit for the position:

• Is there a consistent and stable employment history?
• Are there gaps in employment dates, overlaps in time or frequent job-hopping?
• Are there inconsistencies in education or experience?
• Are there examples of accomplishments and advancement?
• Are the accomplishments specific or vague?
• Is the resume organized, neat and free of errors?

Candidate Selection Form

An effective resume-review tool is the candidate selection form. This document allows you to numerically rate applicants' technical information against position requirements. This is a consistent and objective way to determine which candidates should be selected for a phone interview.

Using a form for each applicant, assign one point for each skill that meets the requirements, two points for those that exceed them, but no points for those that don't fit the needs at all.

After you have reviewed all of the resumes, the total scores for each candidate can be used as a tool for prioritizing which candidates to contact first.

Download an MS Word document (116K) for a candidate selection form that you may save to your computer, customize and print out.

The Employment Application

The employment application is used to obtain consistent information about all employment candidates. The form should solicit only information related to candidates' eligibility and suitability for employment, such as: name/contact information, current and past employment, training, education, salary history, references, skills, and knowledge.

The employment application is a critical tool in the screening process because it also contains the candidate's oath that the information provided is complete and true.

Some employment applications also require the candidate's signature to confirm:

• authorization to allow the employer to conduct reference and background checks
• agreement to abide by employment policies and procedures
• understanding of the at-will employment doctrine, if applicable

Click here to see NAR's employment application.

Reference Checks and Background Checks

Reference checks and background checks are two methods for obtaining additional information on candidates’ past performance and background. Before contacting references or conducting a background check, you must obtain written authorization and signed permission from the candidate.

Download, save, customize and print this MS Word (32K) sample authorization form.

Reference Checks

Companies and individuals may choose not to provide professional references due to legal concerns. A potential employer is unlikely to obtain negative references because candidates generally provide only the names of contacts who will provide positive comments.

If you do receive negative feedback, this does not necessarily mean the person will perform poorly. You should check to determine whether the assessment of the candidate applies only to the previous employer or whether it has more universal application. Usually, one can make this determination by talking with additional references and eliciting similar assessments.

In addition, a positive reference does not guarantee that the candidate will perform well. This is particularly true when past and future positions differ with regard to management level, degree of accountability, and organizational culture.

Reference checks should be done consistently for all candidates. Ask each candidate to provide a list of four to six business references to be contacted: past employers, supervisors, association leaders, members, subordinates and colleagues. Develop a list of job-related questions to ask references, including specific examples of performance and any areas of concern about the candidate.

Sample questions:

• What are her strengths and weaknesses?
• What did she accomplish that made a difference to your organization?
• What was the biggest challenge that she faced and overcame?
• How would you characterize her interaction with co-workers?
• Tell me about her management style. How did she handle conflicts with staff or performance concerns?
• How would you compare her work to others who had the same position?
• Did her actions or decisions ever reflect questionable ethics or business practices?
• Would you consider her for rehire?

Background Checks

Background checks can be used to reduce the risk of theft, discipline problems, workplace violence and hiding of information. Employers can contract with firms that specialize in background investigation to conduct background checks on employment candidates. The following items can be obtained through a background check:

• Credit checks (Note: Discuss this with your attorney, because most states require you to inform the candidate if the decision not to hire is based on the credit check.)
• Criminal record checks
• Department of Motor Vehicle checks
• Education verifications
• Social Security traces
• Public record searches

Disclaimer

This material was developed for use by State and Local Association Executives. Some of the information may not be applicable to other audiences. This guide is intended to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this information, the authors and editors of this guide cannot be responsible for any errors or omissions. This guide is not a substitute for legal or technical advice. Associations that need legal or technical advice should obtain opinions from their own legal or technical advisors.

 

Consulting Services Available from NAR Human Resources

Fee-based consulting services are available from NAR's Human Resources Department. For more information, contact Donna Garcia, Director Human Resource Services, at dgarcia@realtors.org, (312) 329-8311.