Screening resumes is the process of narrowing down the application pool. The goal is to find the most qualified candidates for the job. The first step in screening can be done automatically by using computers. Scanning resumes for keywords is done through the use of specialized software. From the job description, several keywords are selected. These keywords are used to narrow down the pool of applicants. The program then searches the resumes for the specific keywords or phrases. Resumes that have the keywords that are looked for are then forwarded on.
There are a couple advantages to using a keyword search to start the screening process. The recruiter or employer doesn’t have to read every resume. This software narrows the fields of applicants, which allows the employer to spend more time to review the most likely prospects. Another advantage to a keyword search is that it saves businesses money. This software saves money by eliminating the time spent by employees in reviewing the resumes.
There are also a few disadvantages to the keyword search. A qualified candidate’s resume could be skipped over because they did not provide the exact word(s) that the employer was looking for. By not having the word that was being looked for the applicant appears to be unqualified. Another disadvantage of the keyword search is that the applicant can try to cheat the system by putting in keywords from the job announcement or by flooding their resume with keywords. By people forcing in those keywords it defeats the purpose of having the software since this would cause the employer to have to review all resumes that it was aiming to bypass.
Using keyword searches to screen applicants is a fair practice. This can be beneficial to any business that receives an extremely large amount of resumes for job openings. First, it narrows the pool of applicants in an efficient and mostly effective manner. This practice saves companies both time and money. By saving companies time in the initial steps, by weeding out applicants, more time is able to be spent reviewing the most qualified applicants. Even though applicants can try to cheat the system by flooding their resume with keywords, technology in scanning software is improving. The software can be tweaked to catch attempts at keyword flooding. If the resume makes it through the scanning process it would still be caught in the next steps when a person reviews the resume. It is important to remember that the keyword search does not make the hiring decisions, it just flags resumes that meet the criteria. The hiring manager meets with the applicants and hires the person that meets the needs of the company. The time and money saved by companies using this software far outweighs the negatives against using it.
References
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/career/why-keyword-scanning-tools-are-used-on-resumes-a-recruiters-perspective/2554
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/career/why-you-may-be-cheating-your-company-when-you-use-keyword-scanning-apps/2506
