How to Answer: Let's say you post an opening and receive 100 applications. How do you sort through them?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Talent Acquisition Specialist job interview.
21. Let's say you post an opening and receive 100 applications. How do you sort through them?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, sometimes you'll receive 1 application for a job, and other times you'll receive hundreds. The interviewer wants to know how you filter through them quickly and efficiently without losing any good candidates in the process.
Written by Tiffany McPherson on May 27th, 2022
How to Answer
While professional experience, education, and skills can be important factors to consider, they are not the only ones. You should also discuss cover letters, volunteer activities, and anything else that makes a candidate stand out.
Written by Tiffany McPherson on May 27th, 2022
Answer Example
"The more applicants you have for a job, the better chance you have of finding the right person. But you also then have to find a way to quickly determine who to interview and who to pass on without potentially losing any of the strong candidates. My first step is to eliminate anyone who doesn't meet the requirements the hiring manager made clear are absolutely necessary. From there, I look at their cover letters or answers to any additional questions the application might have asked. If it looks like they simply copied and pasted their answers and are using the same generic responses for every job they apply to, I'll pass on them. We want candidates who took the time to read the job summary and customized their responses to it. I then start looking through the candidates I have left to see who stands out, either through volunteer activities or special interests on their resume or perhaps through simply some creativity in their resume design. Once I have 30 or fewer strong candidates, I'll schedule brief phone interviews. In a matter of just a few minutes on the phone, I can assess their communication skills and passion for the job and determine who should move forward to the interview stage."
Written by Tiffany McPherson on May 27th, 2022