How to screen candidates: a step-by-step guide
A repeatable first-round process that is fast, fair, and defensible — whether you screen by hand or automate it with Criba.
The short answer
To screen candidates effectively: define your must-have criteria, ask every applicant the same structured questions, score answers against a consistent rubric, back each score with evidence, and shortlist the top few for a human interview. Automating the structured first round lets you do this at volume without sacrificing fairness.
The five-step screening process
Define must-have criteria
List the skills and signals a candidate must show. Separate true must-haves from nice-to-haves before you read a single resume.
Write structured questions
Turn each criterion into a specific question every candidate answers. Structured questions make answers comparable.
Screen consistently
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same format — text, voice, or video — so no one is evaluated on a different standard.
Score with a rubric and evidence
Rate each answer against your rubric and capture the quote that justifies the score. Evidence makes decisions defensible.
Shortlist and hand off
Rank candidates by score and pass the top few to a human interview with the evidence attached.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Screening every candidate differently, which makes comparisons meaningless.
- Relying on resume keywords instead of how candidates actually answer.
- Skipping documented evidence, leaving decisions on gut feel alone.
Automating the first round
The five steps above are exactly what Criba automates. You define criteria and questions once, share one link, and Criba runs structured screens over text, voice, or video — returning ranked candidates with evidence attached. Learn more about who it fits below.