Most recruitment still begins the same way. A job advert goes out, applications arrive, and someone sits down to sift through a pile of CVs. It feels like a sensible place to start. Unfortunately, it is also one of the least reliable parts of the entire hiring process.
If the goal of recruitment is to find the person most likely to succeed in the role, the process needs to start with the job itself, not with the CV.
The first step in good recruitment is clarity about what success in the role actually looks like. Many job descriptions list duties and responsibilities, but that is only part of the picture. Every role also requires certain personal qualities. Some jobs demand resilience and persistence. Others require attention to detail, patience, or strong people skills. Unless these factors are clearly understood at the start, it becomes difficult to judge candidates properly later.
Once the role is clearly defined, the next step is to filter applicants against the practical requirements. Instead of asking candidates to submit a CV and hoping someone interprets it correctly, it is far more effective to ask structured qualification questions.
These questions confirm whether applicants meet the basic requirements of the role. For example, they can check relevant experience, qualifications, location, right to work, availability, or willingness to travel. Candidates who do not meet the essential criteria can be removed from the process immediately, while those who do move forward.
This approach is faster and far more consistent than trying to interpret dozens or hundreds of CVs.
The reason CV sifting is such a weak method is that a CV mainly tells you what someone says they have done in the past. It does not tell you how they are likely to behave in the job you are trying to fill.
Two candidates can have very similar CVs and perform completely differently once they start work. One might be organised, resilient, and comfortable with responsibility. Another might struggle with pressure or lack persistence when things become difficult. These differences rarely appear clearly on a CV.
CVs also reward presentation. Some candidates are simply better at writing about themselves. Others have had professional help preparing their CVs. As a result, the process often favours people who are good at describing their experience rather than those most likely to perform well in the role.
After confirming the basic requirements, the next stage should focus on factors that actually influence performance. Personality assessments and behavioural profiling can provide useful insight into traits such as resilience, teamwork, attention to detail, and decision-making style. These characteristics tend to remain fairly stable and often have a stronger link to job performance than past job titles.
Structured interviews should then follow. Unlike informal conversations, structured interviews ask each candidate the same set of questions and evaluate their responses against clear criteria, making comparisons far more reliable.
A CV can still be useful later in the process as background information. It can help provide context about someone’s career and experience. The key difference is that it is no longer the starting point.
Good recruitment is about reducing guesswork. Start with the role, confirm the essentials, assess the personal qualities that influence performance, and then explore experience in more detail.
Starting with CVs does the opposite. It puts presentation before evidence and assumptions before insight. And that is rarely the best way to hire.
Best wishes
Nik
Nik Plevan
Director, eTalent,
Flat-fee Recruitment – with a Difference
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