• Recruitment overview
• Job description
• Person specification
• Diversity and equality
• Head hunting and poaching
• Advertising
• Applications and short listing
• Testing
• Interviewing
• Selection
• Offer of employment
• Checks

• Case studies
• Resources
• Further reading

• People In Aid Code

Applications and short listing

Advertisements may attract a large number of applications.

Providing a standard format for applications will help you to short-list candidates for interview.

Short-listing can be a tedious business but has an enormous impact on the recruitment process.

There is a risk that those involved do a bad job for lack of guidance or understanding of the process, or even abuse their position for personal gain or influence.

Suggestions:

• A two-stage approach is useful in managing large numbers of applications, with initial screening against broad requirements, then more detailed screening of a smaller number of applications against more specific criteria.
• Use of a standard rating system can overcome subjective assessment of one application against another.
• At least two people should be involved in short-listing. They should:
  • hold positions which are more senior than the one being recruited for. Ideally one should be a member of the team who is aware of team dynamics
  • be provided with the job description and person specification
  • have clear guidance on the criteria to use in rejecting or retaining applications.
  • leave a written record of why each applicant was rejected or retained.