HUMAN RESOURCES
Selecting Candidates to Interview
This is just a guide and intended for those who may need some guidance when choosing candidates to
interview. The following steps may help:
1. Make a checklist based on the detailed job description of the position. Make sure the checklist
includes both the required education/skills and the preferred education/skills.
2. Compare your checklist to the candidates' resumes. Do not let the format or style of the resume
influence your decision much at this point, but obvious typos or large work history gaps in a
resume should be considered when ranking applications.
3. Rank the applications based on your checklist and establish a "to interview" pile, a "maybe" pile
and a "no" pile. Your time constraints in filling the position should be your guide on what criteria
lead to a "maybe" score, and whether some of these candidates will be interviewed or will only be
considered further if the "to interview" candidates do not pan out.
4. Choose candidates to interview based on the above steps. If you have too many applications in
the "to interview" pile for your time constraints, you can further narrow your search by also
considering additional experience, skills or certifications that the candidates bring to the job.
5. You may also want to create a rubric like the sample below. Rubrics can help you score cover
letters and/or resumes.
NEED HELP?
Human Resource Department - Phone (573) 592-5226
human.resources@westminster-mo.edu
Applicant: ______________________________ Combined Score: _____/_____
Cover Letter or Introduction Email Score: _____
5 Points
Tone is professional
Language is precise throughout
Strengths are identified
Writing is clearly organized and
free from spelling and
grammatical errors
3-4 Points
Tone is professional
Language is mostly precise
Strengths are identified
Writing is mostly organized and is
free from spelling and grammatical
errors, however there may be
minimal awkward phrasing
1-2 Points
Tone is more suited to a friendly
letter
Language may be inappropriate
or ambiguous
Writing may include spelling,
grammatical, or phrasing errors
Letter may be missing key
information
For a “1” the letter is handwritten
or so short that its purpose is
unclear.
Resume Score: _____
5 Points
Resume presentation is
professional
3-4 Points
Resume presentation is
professional with perhaps some
room for improvement
Experiences are included from
current and past employment
and are extensive. Experience
exceeds required/preferred
experience.
Experiences are included from
current and past employment and
just meet required/preferred
experience.
Education exceeds
required/preferred qualifications
Education just meets
required/preferred qualifications.
No spelling or grammatical errors
May contain a minor editing error
1-2 Points
Resume presentation may be
sloppy, confusing, or lacking
necessary information
Experiences are minimal and/or
do not meet required/preferred
experience.
Education does not meet the
required/preferred qualifications.