Companies of all sizes face one common issue. When a position is advertised, they will get an onslaught of general applications and information from potential candidates.
How will they know which ones to choose for an interview? Even more, how will they choose the right person for the job?
One way for an employer to rate the list of candidates that apply for a position is to use an applicant evaluation form, like the template available on VIVAHR. An evaluation form allows for a subjective yet comparative chart, making the selection process more uniform.
What is an Applicant Evaluation Form?
This is one of the most valuable forms used by businesses to identify each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. It is in grid form. Along the left-hand side, there will be a list of attributes. Columns moving across the form will be a rating system to help rank the candidate based on each quality.
An employer will add these marks at the bottom of the form, allowing them to place a subjective yet quantifiable total on each candidate. Attributes can include education, work experience, hard skills, soft skills, or any other characteristics that an employer might use to gauge a potential candidate’s abilities to be successful in the position.
How Do Evaluations Help Employers?
Imagine putting an advertisement out for a position. An employer will receive ten application forms listing basic information.
The person went to school, what jobs they have worked in the past, special abilities they may have, etc. Instead of having to flip between ten applications, an employer can quickly rate each category.
For example, a person with a high school diploma may rank as a “2.” Still, a person with a Master’s degree ranks as a “5.” An employer can quickly run through an application and rate the candidate quantitatively. Otherwise, an employer would have to compare person to person and flip through each application several times to decide whether to interview based on different criteria.
Evaluating Education
Employers find this form very helpful when measuring education. Although not every job requires a certain level of education, some can mandate a minimum standard.
However, what does an employer do when five applicants have the same level? With this particular form, there can be sub-categories for education. For example, does the person have a specific level of education? Do they have a degree in the field of the position advertised? What was their GPA? Did they receive any awards? Do they have any continuing education credits?
Employers can use sub-categories to help separate basic information and rate even more exact circumstances for each candidate.
Evaluating Work Experience
Just like education, an evaluation form can rate the experience of a person’s work history. An employer can rate a person if they are currently employed, how many years they have in the particular field, how many years of total work experience they have, how long their work history is on average at each position, and much more.
Each employer’s needs will be different; however, having a rating system can rank each candidate based on what they seek subjectively. For example, an employer may want someone with five years of experience as a waitress, but the candidate has ten years in the food and beverage industry. They may rank higher than a person who has been a mechanic for the past two years.
Evaluating Hard Skills
Hard skills include accounting, serving, mechanics, computer skills, etc. These skills will help a candidate perform the day-to-day functions of the job.
Even if they are not in the actual niche the employer is looking for; hard skills can still play a role in the ranking system. Individuals with varied work experience may have a plethora of complex skills to make them a beneficial asset to the company.
Evaluating Soft Skills
Soft skills can still benefit a potential candidate. Soft skills include leadership abilities, employee dresses during an interview, grammar, customer service skills, etc. Indeed, it can list any noticeable characteristics during the application or interview process that an employer deems necessary.
Candidates never know what they will rank on in this rubric, but employers will rate them and compare them to others vying for the same position. Employers have free will to rank candidates on skills or characteristics that could be assets or liabilities.
Comparing Potential Candidates
The great thing is that most forms can be tailored to what an employer seeks. An employer compares many individuals on the same sheet of paper based on their rating of traits in grid form.
Although a potential candidate may rank lower in one area, they could outrank other candidates in another area. Employers may emphasize hard skills more than education or more emphasis on soft skills than work experience. It is a genuinely subjective chart that quantitatively organizes the candidates to assist in the hiring process.
Where Can an Employer Find a Template for Applicant Evaluation Form?
Many employers can take the time to create their ranking system. However, many hiring managers and owners are already bogged down with several other tasks. Templates are available from VIVAHR to assist companies in the hiring process, allowing them to spend more time focused on their candidates and their company’s operations.
Evaluating potential employees means obtaining a plethora of information and comparing it to see who will be the most vital asset. A systematic ranking system, just subjective, will help companies reach each candidate’s knowledge and choose a quantitative total who will receive an interview or even the position.
