>Back to e-Newsletter

Top 10 Tips for Evaluating Candidate CVs & Resumés

By Julie Sherriff - President, Sherriff & Associates

When advertising for an open medical provider position, you may receive many CVs or resumés. How do you choose the most favorable candidates? Here are 10 tips to help you evaluate candidates on paper:

1. Is the CV/resumé professional, with clearly defined sections, correct spelling and word usage? If not, this may be a sign of disorganization, lack of attention to detail or poor communication skills.
   
   
2. Does the candidate provide clear contact information including mailing address, cell and home phone numbers, and a personal e-mail address? It is crucial this information is available so you can communicate with the candidate.
   
   
3. Carefully review the education, training, and experience to determine if the candidate meets the requirements of the job description. Set aside those that do not meet the criteria.
   
   
4. Create a checklist of additional core competencies and attributes you are seeking. Check all CVs/resumés against this list and set aside those that do not meet the criteria.
   
   
5. Does the candidate have ties to your area? This may be a candidate you want to pursue first. But don't exclude others who are interested in the opportunity for different reasons. Speak with each candidate who interests you and find out why they're seeking a change.
   
   
6. Closely examine the beginning and ending dates of all education, training, and experience to uncover any gaps in work history or evidence of short tenure in multiple positions. If you find gaps and are still interested in the candidate, ask for an explanation.
   
   
7. Check the public domain to learn more about the candidate. Search the web using Google or Yahoo. You can also search these networking sites: Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, MySpace or Twitter. But, be cautious – if you find the candidate's name, do a little more research to make sure it is the same person.
   
   
8. Review the CV/resumé for evidence of achievement in their specific field including awards, research grants, publications, and other accomplishments.
   
   
9. Assess the candidate's state licenses for current status. If in question, contact the state licensing board directly. To verify license information, visit http://www.docboard.org/docfinder.html.
   
   
10. Consider the candidate's volunteer work and personal interests to help determine how well he/she will fit into your practice environment and community.

In next month's edition of Focus: Physician Recruitment, look for the Top 10 Tips for Conducting Candidate Telephone Interviews.