Hiring the right person is one of the hardest things an entrepreneur ever does. Get talent management right and your business will scale faster than you ever imagined.
Get it wrong and you end up burning months of your time, thousands of dollars of salary and way too much energy.
The issue is most founders never know how to identify a strong candidate from a weak one.
Here's the good news:
Excellent candidates send out signals. When you know what to look for, you can review piles of resumes with confidence. This article will teach you how.
Let's jump in...
In this guide you'll discover
Why Strong Applications Matter More Than Ever
What A Strong Job Application Actually Looks Like
How To Score Applications Fast As A Busy Founder
Why strong applications matter more than ever
The hiring world has changed.
The majority of resumes are never seen by a human. Instead they're sorted by software initially.
In fact, close to 99% of Fortune 500 companies use what's called an applicant tracking system these days. Small companies are adopting them quickly as well.
That means the resume you're reviewing has most likely already gone through an electronic gatekeeper.
And if you're screening applicants with one of these systems, you should know how candidates are being scored.
One of the core technologies behind these systems is resume parsing, which automatically extracts candidate information from resumes into structured fields.
Applicant tracking platforms like Recruit CRM use this functionality to help recruiters organize applications more efficiently before moving to manual evaluation.
The easiest way to view it from the applicant perspective is to run a sample resume through a free ATS resume checker so you can see resume score results for yourself.
Of course, the system isn't fool proof. Good candidates can get weeded out over stupid things like poor formatting or keyword issues.
Relying solely on the software you'll lose the good hires. Use the software to cut down your search, then use your judgement.
Think about it:
The expense of a bad hire can be devastating. That's why the few minutes it takes to learn how to read applications correctly will more than pay dividends for you.
What a strong job application actually looks like
Ok, what makes an application good or bad? Here is the breakdown.
A good application is targeted, specific and easy to read. A bad application is generic, vague and wordy. You can easily tell them apart when you know what to look for.
It's tailored to your role
Look to see if they read your job posting first.
You will want a good candidate to repeat the wording of your job ad. They will mention specific skills and duties you included in the posting.
Customizing your applications to the job description always pays off. A lazy job seeker submits their identical cookie-cutter resume to 100 companies.
You'll know them a mile away. They mention "passion" and "team player" but never relate to your industry. Don't bother.
It shows real results
Here's something most founders miss...
Anyone can post job titles. You want numbers and results. Good applications don't list "managed social media."
They quantify: "Grew social media audience by 40% in six months."
Why is this important? Because accomplishments show you they can do the work, not just talk about it.
Look for resumes that feature:
- Specific numbers and percentages
- Clear before-and-after outcomes
- Real examples of problems they solved
If a candidate can show you results, they can deliver results for your business.
It's honest
This one is tricky, and the numbers might surprise you. A survey reported that 44% of job applicants said they lied when applying for jobs.
Nearly half! Some padded their skills. Others padded experience. Others padded responsibilities.
So how do you protect yourself?
Seek transparency. Cross-reference dates. Ask detailed questions only a real expert would know.
If someone boasts they are skilled at something, get particular. Those that are truthful will be thrilled to show you.
It's clean and easy to read
A messy application is a red flag.
If you can't write a concise, well-formatted resume, how can employers expect you to perform at work? Standout applications skim smoothly.
Use descriptive headings, short paragraphs, and plenty of white space. Important information should be easy to find.
Recall that applications that pass screening software are clean. Candidates who care about submitting a clean application often care about details when on the job.
How to score applications fast as a busy founder
You are busy. You don't have time to read every application verbatim.
The good news is recruiters don't have time either, and tools like one-way video interview software can help you screen candidates faster without the back-and-forth of live meetings.
In reality, most recruiters spend less than one minute on each resume during their initial review. It is harsh but learn from them.
You too can create a quick and consistent scoring process that helps you identify your top candidates fast.
Here's the simple method to use:
- First pass - knockout round. Eliminate applications that take you more than 30 seconds. Trash the form letters, the sloppy ones, and the ones that obviously aren't a good fit.
- Second pass — results check. Discard anything from survivors that does not include actual numbers AND verification of work. Keep anything from survivors that does show results.
- Third pass — fit and honesty. Read the top applications thoroughly. Look for consistency, indications that they know your business.
The three pass system allows you to save hours. You aren't spending equal time with every resume. You only focus where it matters.
(There's that "keep it simple" rule in action again.)
One final tip. Create a simple scoring sheet based on criteria important to you. Fit, outcome, integrity and readability are all great criteria.
Score each submission out of ten. Compare apples to apples. The best candidates will naturally gravitate to the top and you eliminate a lot of guessing.
Bringing it all together
Hiring is a skill, and the more you practise your skill, the easier it becomes.
An interview-worthy resume is targeted to the job, quantified with real accomplishments, truthful, and easy to skim.
After you develop an eye for these cues, you'll fly through stacks of resumes with much more confidence.
To quickly recap:
- Watch for applications tailored to your exact role
- Reward candidates who show real numbers and results
- Stay alert for honesty and consistency
- Favour clean, easy-to-read applications
- Use a fast three-pass scoring system to save time
The fact is that it takes work to find great people.
However every minute you spend learning how to read applications correctly is a minute saved keeping your business from making a costly mistake.
Go forth. Create your scoring system. Begin your next round of recruitment blissfully.
