Candidate Screening Methods

Key takeaways

• No single screening method works well alone; combining two is standard practice.
• Resume review filters on stated qualifications, not demonstrated ability.
• Skills-based assessments give direct, comparable evidence at volume.
• Phone screens are best used after an initial filter, not as the first step.
• The right combination depends on applicant volume and role complexity.

The four common screening methods

Resume and qualifications review. The most common first filter — checking for required experience, certifications, or education. Fast, but it measures what a candidate claims, not what they can do.

Phone or video screens. A short call to confirm basic fit, availability, and interest. Useful, but time-intensive at volume and easy to bias toward candidates who interview well rather than perform well.

Skills-based online assessments. A structured test sent to every applicant, scored consistently. Gives direct evidence rather than a self-reported claim, and scales to any volume.

Situational judgment checks. Short scenario-based questions that reveal how a candidate would handle realistic workplace situations, useful for roles heavy on judgment or customer interaction.

How to choose a combination

1. Start with a basic qualifications filter for any hard requirements (certifications, location, availability).
2. Add one broad assessment matched to what the role actually requires.
3. Save phone screens for after the assessment, once your pool is smaller and each call is worth the time.
4. Keep the combination consistent across every candidate for the same role.

Examples

A call center hiring 20 agents uses qualifications review plus a customer service situational judgment assessment, skipping phone screens until after results come in.

A finance team hiring one analyst uses resume review, a numerical reasoning assessment, and a short phone screen — all three, since volume is low and the role is highly specific.

Assessments to use

• General Cognitive Ability — broad, fast signal for most roles.
• Situational Judgment — useful for people-facing or judgment-heavy roles.
• Customer Service — for support and service-oriented positions.

Browse the full assessment library →

Role-specific considerations

See our role guides for a pre-built assessment combination matched to 21 common positions, from sales to administrative work.

Connecting screening to the interview

Whichever methods you use, treat the combined result as a prioritization tool — it tells you who to talk to first and what to explore, not who to reject without a conversation.

Common mistakes

• Relying on resume review alone. It measures claims, not demonstrated ability.
• Doing phone screens before any filter. Expensive in time at high volume.
• Stacking too many methods. Four screening steps for a high-volume role causes drop-off.
• Using the same combination for every role regardless of fit. A method that works for sales may not work for engineering.

Frequently asked questions

Which screening method is most objective?

Structured, consistently-applied skills assessments tend to be more objective than unstructured resume review or phone screens.

How many methods should I combine?

Two is typical: a basic qualifications filter plus one assessment.

Do I need a phone screen at all?

Not always — it depends on role and volume. High-volume roles often skip straight to assessment-based screening.

Can screening methods be automated?

Qualifications checks and online assessments can be fully automated; phone screens generally cannot.

Should screening methods differ by seniority?

Yes. Senior roles typically need fewer, more targeted checks than high-volume entry-level roles.

A note on methodology

This guide reflects common, widely-used hiring practice rather than a single proprietary study. For details on how our own assessments are built and scored, see our assessment approach.