Anyone who has been a part of the hiring process knows how much pressure there is to finding the right person for the job. It’s not enough to simply find someone who can do the required tasks.

No, hiring requires a more holistic approach–every individual must be vetted for things like experience, skills, growth and leadership potential, as well as overall company culture fit.

Reading the highlight reels of resumes can be exhausting and overwhelming, especially if the job posting produces a high number of applicants. Every applicant is putting their best foot forward and using all the fancy and most professional sounding adjectives to describe their past work experience.

Some positions will have built-in filters like specific degree requirements, minimum years of experience expectations, or even specific credentials or certifications. But, once these filters have been applied, how do you make heads or tails out of the qualified applicants that are left?

Described below are 3 creative, time-saving and beneficial ways to gaining key information in helping you further filter initial job applicants and narrow your search to the top contenders for the position.

1. Use a phrase in the job description as an answer for a question on the application.

Somewhere within the job description you can add a couple of sentences that give specifics for how to answer a question on the application.

For example:

Question 1 on the application will ask, “Did you read the entire job description?” To let us know that you have read this entire document, and have great attention to detail, please answer this question with the phrase,” ______________________.”

If applicants answer that questions with anything other than the exact phrase from the job description you will know that they did not read the job description carefully or thoroughly.

2. Have applicants answer a case study that is representative of a likely scenario they might encounter on the job.

Give applicants a limited number of words to answer the question. This will allow you to get a feel for the potential fit of the applicant within the work environment and culture. This will also give you information about their communication and tone in writing.

For example:

It is company policy that all emails be responded to within 24 hours. How would you respond to the following email?

Dear _________,

I sent an email last week and have yet to hear a response…

While a lot of things can be taught on the job, it is a great benefit to hiring someone who naturally tends to respond to situations in ways that meet the expectations and requirements of the company and hiring manager.

3. Ask the applicants to solve a problem.

Again, limit the number of words that applicants can use, (after all, you do not want to be reading dissertations on the topic–time is money, after all).

Give the applicants a problem, (real or imagined), that they may encounter in the position that they are applying for.

This exercise will give you great insight into each applicant’s approach to working through a problem and presenting potential solutions. Just a few sentences can give you a valuable glimpse into their past experiences, problem solving skills, creativity and forward thinking.

Once you have filtered the initial applicants down to a more manageable number you may want to ask for examples, appropriate for the job, of proposals, projects, writing samples or websites they have designed.

When deciding the few that you will call in for an interview, it is important to gain as much insight and knowledge about each individual.

What ideas do you have to add to this conversation?