For years, companies in the accounting industry have relied heavily on resume screening to identify which candidates have the credentials and experience required to thrive in their organisation.
However, resume screening isn't as effective as it appears.
The higher the number of applications received, the more time it takes to examine every resume. That's why many recruiting managers spend less than 7 seconds scanning through a resume.
Also, resumes aren't always great indicators of a good job fit.
Resumes, despite sharing academic data and work experience, provide little insight into genuine abilities, personality traits, and characteristics. The good news is that various screening techniques exist that accounting organisations can use to improve the success of their recruitment efforts.
Here are some of the top options to consider:
1. Behavioural Interviewing Techniques
Behavioural interviews are a tested tool for accounting recruiting managers and
recruitment agencies to assess a candidate's "fit" for a role. In these interviews, which can be conducted in person, over the phone, or via video, interviewers ask candidates questions about their behaviour in past situations, similar to the situations they may encounter in their prospective role.
Candidates respond to questions often using the "STAR" (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method, offering an overview of what they needed to accomplish, the challenges they had to overcome, and the goals they achieved. This form of interviewing provides a clear insight into how candidates reacted in real-life situations and specific results accomplished.
This helps recruiting managers make informed decisions about who to take to the next stage in the hiring process based on their proven skills, experience, and attributes.
2. Skill Assessments and Job Simulations
A resume offers limited insight into what a candidate can accomplish in a prospective role, and this is where skill testing can give you an unbiased, effective way to verify a candidate's expertise.
With a straightforward online test, you can identify candidates with the right critical soft skills ( communication and problem-solving) and technical skills (mathematical or analytical). You can also use personality tests for insights into desirable traits (like proactivity).
To take skill-testing a step further, candidates can be asked to participate in a "job simulation," where they are required to complete a task related to the responsibilities of their roles. Seeing candidates "in action" gives the recruiting manager an excellent opportunity to make informed decisions based on clear evidence of the candidate's skills and abilities.
3. AI-Powered Screening Systems
For years, recruiting managers and companies in the accounting industry have used solutions like "Applicant Tracking Systems" to screen large numbers of candidates rapidly. In today's world, these tools have become increasingly advanced with the addition of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
AI-powered systems, now used by around 79% of organisations worldwide, can accelerate the early stages of the screening process. AI solutions can be programmed to search for specific terms or references to certain skills in a resume or application. This saves companies hours of time they would otherwise spend reviewing resumes themselves.
However, it's worth noting that AI-powered tools aren't perfect. They can miss essential application details and generate biased results, which may rule out valuable candidates. It's important to be cautious when implementing AI and automation and understand their limitations.
4. Video Screening Techniques
Over the years, video screening and preliminary interview sessions have become increasingly popular, replacing phone screening. With video conferencing solutions, accounting organisations can engage in face-to-face conversations with clients wherever they are. This makes it easier for firms to assess a wider range of candidates, often from across the globe.
Video interviewing and screening also allow teams to learn more about their candidates based on their nonverbal cues, communication, and presentation skills.
Aside from the above, organisations can also choose an asynchronous approach. Asynchronous video interviewing allows companies to record and send questions to candidates, who can respond with their recordings within a certain deadline. This can save hiring teams significant time during the initial interview stages.
5. Anti-Bias Screening Techniques
One of the biggest issues with relying on resumes for screening candidates is that it can lead to biased hiring decisions. With limited information, accounting hiring managers can unconsciously make decisions based on attributes like age and gender rather than skills.
To ensure you're hiring diverse candidates to add to your teams, there should be a conscious focus on reducing bias in the screening process. This could include using:
Blind resume screening: Using software or asking recruitment companies to remove details like age, gender, and location from resumes and applications.
Structured interviewing: Structured interviews, which involve asking every candidate the same questions in the same order, allow for a more objective comparison of candidates.
Diverse recruitment panels: Inviting various stakeholders to participate in the screening process can help companies make decisions based on varying perspectives.
It's also advisable to provide everyone responsible for recruitment in the team with regular training to help them recognise signs of bias in hiring decisions.
6. Social Media Screening
Individuals use social media channels to communicate with friends and share their insights, passions, and accomplishments. While there are limitations to how much you can learn about someone from their social media profiles and online presence, social media screening can give the recruiting manager more insights into the accounting candidates.
The majority of employers check a candidate's online presence during the hiring process to learn about their personality, work ethic, and other factors. The important point to remember when using social media for screening is that bias can be an issue.
Companies must ensure their team members pay attention to only the most relevant information on a candidate's social profiles, ignoring details like their outside hobbies, political views, or religious affiliations.
7. Cultural Fit and Value Alignment Assessments
A big issue with resume screening is that it provides little insight into a candidate's values and personality or how they'll mesh with existing company culture. Many people fail in their new role because of something connected to their attitude, personality, or values.
Conducting an effective interview, where you ask your accounting candidates about their priorities, goals, and expectations, can help you learn more about how well they'll fit into your organisation. Personality assessments can also be useful alongside "trial work" periods, which allows you to see how your candidates interact with their colleagues.
Careful evaluation of what value a candidate will add to your company culture will help you to make better hiring decisions and increase talent retention rates.
Go Beyond the Resume for Screening
Effective candidate screening ensures you make the best hiring decisions for your accounting organisation. However, resume screening can be flawed, offering limited insights into how effective someone might be in a particular role.
Advanced screening techniques, from skill tests to value alignment assessments, will ensure you make more informed, objective hiring choices. This can significantly reduce turnover rates for your business and improve your chances of building a diverse team.
At Hedley Scott Recruitment we have been helping Accounting and Tax professionals to achieve their career and business goals for over 20 years. If you want to find out how we can help you, call us on 02 8877 8700 or contact us here.