I was speaking with a wise and knowledgeable colleague the other day who brought to my attention a major flaw with how most of us screen resumes and in turn recruit.   Most of us go through the screening process looking at “who can I eliminate from contention for the job” (a negative mindset) rather than approaching the responsibility with “what does this person offer that can really bring value to the job” (a positive mindset).

There are three important reasons for us to be aware of our screening approach, aside from it being a negative way of going about things.

1. The talent shortage is not going to go away.  As such, the need to have an inclusive approach to screening becomes paramount.
2. If an organization is really committed to diversity in its workforce, having such an ‘exclusive screening’ and recruitment process really goes against all that this stands for; suggesting it is all just lip service.
3. Those of you involved in recruitment may also find a whole new level of personal satisfaction from the recruitment function.

I would welcome your thoughts on the topic, as it is only something very recent that I’ve been considering. No doubt there are many views and different factors I have not considered here.