4 Ways to Screen Applicants Faster (And Better!) - Spark Hire

4 Ways to Screen Applicants Faster (And Better) - Spark HireAttempts to streamline job applicant screening sometimes gets a bad rap (They only look at my resume for HOW long?). However, we all know that speeding up the hiring process is in everyones best interest. Candidates get answers faster, and employers spend less time with a vacant position. How to reconcile these two opposing ideas? No one trick will solve all your hiring problems, but luckily, we have four. Here are 4 ways to screen your job applicants faster and better.Video InterviewsYou had to know this one was coming, right? Seriously video interviews are a faster and better way to do applicant screening.Why its faster One-way video interviews, used as a replacement for traditional phone interviews, can cut your per-applicant screening time from 30 minutes to 30 seconds. How many times have you known in the first 30 seconds of a phone interview that a candidate wasnt going to work out? With a video interview, just stop wa tching and move on.Why its better Change your mind? Want another opinion? Share a video interview with other stakeholders to get a better opinion on a candidate. Also screen their body language and presentations skills ahead of time.Job App Easter EggsEaster Egg in this context is my assessment of the idea, but basically do this include a quirky instruction or request in the job application. For example, ask a candidate to include his/her favorite color in the application. The people who do it get to move on to the next round the people who dont get crossed off the list.Why its faster One criterion makes it easy to weed out several applications quickly.Why its better One hiring manager says, In all of my companies, noting the details and following instructions are a must. If they cant follow instructions in a job ad, its improbable that theyll be a good fit for us.Check their Social SitchThis is a good trick for applicant screening during a later stage of the interview process. Vide o interviews have gone well, but youve still got a few more folks than youd like to invite to the home office? Check out the way they express themselves on their social media outlets.Why its faster Youll get an immediate feel for a candidate after only reading a few tweets or Facebook status updates.Why its better You get a great glimpse into what a candidate is really like. If s/he spends all their time swearing and yelling at people, you probably dont want to hire them.Automated ApplicationsThese often get a bad rap as well, because theyre impersonal. However, fill-in-the-blank style applications can have their advantages.Why its faster Boolean-style answer fields mean candidates can be kicked out for not having specific qualities like enough experience or education.Why its better A candidate filling out this kind of application should be able to assess his/her likelihood of getting the position almost immediately. If s/he is checking a bunch of no boxes, it should be pretty clear that the job wont be a good fit. Plus, employers get more specific answers for their applicant screening process.Do you know other ways to screen job applicants faster? Let us know in the comments.