Candidate screening: outsource the sift, keep the choice

Key takeaways

Candidate screening outsourcing works when the criteria are written before the advert goes out. A managed team can sift CVs against those criteria, run short phone screens with set questions and produce a longlist with notes. The hiring manager decides the shortlist and the hire. Screening must follow the Equality Act 2010 and UK GDPR.

• Write must-have and nice-to-have criteria first.
• Sift every CV against the same criteria.
• Use the same phone screen questions for everyone.
• The hiring manager chooses the shortlist and the hire.

What does candidate screening involve?

Checking each application against the essential criteria, scoring it against the desirable ones, running a short phone screen to confirm availability, salary expectations and key experience, and producing a longlist with notes. For a popular role this can take days, which is why good candidates are often lost to slower responses.

• Which business processes should you outsource?
• Recruitment admin outsourcing: hire faster with less effort

How do you keep outsourced screening fair?

Use criteria linked to the job, apply them the same way to every candidate, and record the reason for each decision. Avoid criteria that could indirectly discriminate, such as unnecessary length of experience. Under the Equality Act 2010, the employer is responsible for discrimination in recruitment, including by anyone acting on its behalf.

• Job-related criteria only.
• Same criteria and questions for all.
• A recorded reason for each decision.
• Reasonable adjustments offered on request.

• Can you measure it? The test every outsourced process needs
• Decision tables: turn judgement calls into clear rules

What stays with the hiring manager?

Writing and approving the criteria, reviewing the longlist, choosing the shortlist, interviewing and deciding who to hire. Right to work checks also remain the employer's duty, although the admin of collecting documents can be supported.

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What data rules apply to screening?

Candidates must be told how their data is used, including that a provider is involved. Keep CVs only for a set period after the role is filled, and be careful with automated filtering: UK GDPR gives people rights where significant decisions are made solely by automated means.

• Processes with sensitive data: can they be outsourced?
• Data processing agreements for outsourcing

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: hiring managers screen the first 20 CVs carefully and the last 80 in a rush. Consistent screening against written criteria gives every applicant the same chance and finds candidates who would otherwise be missed.

• See client work
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

Screening checklist

Agree these before the advert goes live.

• Essential and desirable criteria written.
• Phone screen questions agreed.
• Turnaround for the longlist.
• Candidate privacy notice updated.
• Retention period for CVs.
• Adjustment requests handled promptly.

• The process selection score: outsource, split or keep?
• Job advert posting: one routine across every job board

Next step

Tell us about the role you are hiring for and how many applications you expect. We will suggest a screening approach and turnaround.