Source and Screen
Sourcing applicants
During the intake conversation, you and your Talent Acquisition Partner will develop a strategy to attract a diverse and qualified applicant pool. The strategy may include active sourcing of candidates. If so, the Talent Acquisition team will engage in an effort to solicit interest from passive candidates to supplement the applicant pool. If you are interested in additional sourcing support, please contact your Talent Acquisition Partner to discuss options.
All candidates sourced directly must be invited to apply to the job opening on the career site. Only job seekers that apply and meet the minimum qualifications will be considered.
Screening applicants
Screening is the process of reviewing candidate resumes against minimum qualifications and the target profile of a job opening. You and your Talent Acquisition Partner will determine roles and responsibilities for candidate screening during the intake conversation.
Reviewing resumes
Understanding strategies for effectively screening resumes (and cover letters, when available) can maximize the time spent phone screening and interviewing candidates. The following questions will help you determine which candidates merit additional consideration:
- Does the candidate meet the minimum qualifications listed on the job description? As a federal contractor, Northwestern may only consider applicants who meet the minimum qualifications of the position, as listed on the job description.
- Does the candidate meet the preferred qualifications listed on the job description or the target profile established during the intake conversation?
- Consider not only the technical skills the candidate needs to be successful, but also the soft skills and behaviors that are important. Does the candidate's resume reference these?
- How does the candidate's previous work experience align with your position?
- Does the candidate's resume demonstrate career progression and growth?
- How long was the candidate at each employer (and in each position) listed on the resume?
- Are there any unexplained gaps between positions? Gaps may not be reason for concern, but should be noted as an area for follow up during the phone screen.
- Is the resume well written and free of grammatical and spelling errors? This is particularly important if attention to detail and writing are required for the position.
When screening resumes, it is also important to be aware of strategies for addressing unconscious bias.
Candidate dispositioning
As a federal contractor, Northwestern employees participating in the screening process must abide by the recordkeeping requirements set by the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance (OFCCP). As candidates are considered and move through the hiring process, their status must be tracked in myHR Staff eRecruit — this is called dispositioning. This can be managed in one of two ways:
- By your Talent Acquisition Partner
- The level of screening done by your Talent Acquisition Partner will be decided during the intake conversation.
- To accurately disposition candidates, the Talent Acquisition Partner and hiring department must stay in close contact through all steps of the hiring process.
- By a member of the hiring team
- Hiring team members can take responsibility for screening and dispositioning candidates in myHR Staff eRecruit.
- To do so, they must have Screener access in myHR. To get access, individuals must complete HRS121 Staff eRecruit training and request access by submitting a HR Systems General Access Request to myHR-security@northwestern.edu.
Determining transfer and rehire eligibility
Prior to being interviewed, internal applicants, temporary workers and former employees must be evaluated to determine their eligibility for transfer or rehire. Your Talent Acquisition Partner will help you determine eligibility.
More information about transfer eligibility for internal employees can be found in the Staff Handbook.
Staff members who leave Northwestern in good standing and who return to a regular staff position within six months are reinstated without loss of prior service or benefits status. Northwestern also considers re-employment of former staff members who have been gone more than six months when the prior employment record and the current qualifications warrant consideration.