resume-screener

Resume Screener

Systematically evaluate resumes against job requirements to identify qualified candidates, flag concerns, and prioritize for interviews.

When to Use This Skill

• High-volume application screening
• Creating screening criteria
• Building evaluation rubrics
• Training hiring managers
• Audit of screening consistency

Methodology Foundation

Based on structured interviewing research and EEOC guidelines, combining:

• Job-related criteria only
• Objective scoring rubrics
• Bias-aware evaluation
• Documentation requirements

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

Claude Does	You Decide
Creates screening rubrics	Hiring decisions
Scores against criteria	Culture fit assessment
Identifies red/green flags	Interview invitation
Summarizes qualifications	Final selection
Flags potential concerns	Exception handling

Instructions

Step 1: Define Job Criteria

Required vs. Preferred:

Category	Must Have	Nice to Have
Education	Minimum degree	Advanced degree
Experience	X years in Y	Specific industry
Skills	Core technical	Adjacent skills
Certifications	Required licenses	Preferred certs

Scoring Weight:

Criterion	Weight	Rationale
Required experience	40%	Core capability
Required skills	30%	Day-one impact
Education	15%	Foundation
Preferred qualifications	15%	Growth potential

Step 2: Create Screening Rubric

Scoring Scale:

Score	Definition
4	Exceeds requirement significantly
3	Meets requirement fully
2	Partially meets requirement
1	Does not meet requirement
0	Cannot assess from resume

Step 3: Evaluate Resume

Assessment Framework:

1. Check must-have requirements (binary pass/fail)
2. Score each criterion (1-4 scale)
3. Calculate weighted total
4. Identify flags (red and green)
5. Make recommendation

Step 4: Document Findings

For Each Resume:

• Overall score
• Must-have checklist
• Criterion-by-criterion scores
• Flags and concerns
• Recommendation with rationale

Step 5: Prioritize Candidates

Priority Matrix:

Score Range	Action
80-100%	Priority interview
60-79%	Standard review
40-59%	Conditional hold
<40%	Not qualified

Examples

Example 1: Full Resume Screening

Input:

Job: Senior Product Manager

Requirements:
- 5+ years product management experience
- B2B SaaS background required
- Technical degree or equivalent experience
- Experience with Agile methodologies
- Preferred: MBA or similar

Resume:
Jane Smith
Product Manager at TechCorp (3 years)
- Led product roadmap for B2B analytics platform
- Managed team of 4 designers and engineers
- Increased user retention by 35%

Associate PM at StartupXYZ (2 years)
- B2C mobile app
- Launched 3 major features

Education: BS Computer Science, Stanford
Certifications: CSPO, SAFe Agilist

Output:

## Resume Screening: Jane Smith

### Quick Summary
**Position:** Senior Product Manager
**Candidate:** Jane Smith
**Score:** 78/100 - STANDARD REVIEW

---

### Must-Have Requirements

| Requirement | Status | Evidence |
|-------------|--------|----------|
| 5+ years PM experience | ✅ PASS | 3 + 2 = 5 years total |
| B2B SaaS background | ✅ PASS | TechCorp B2B analytics |
| Technical degree/equivalent | ✅ PASS | BS CS Stanford |
| Agile experience | ✅ PASS | CSPO, SAFe certifications |

**Must-Have Result:** PASS (4/4)

---

### Detailed Scoring

| Criterion | Weight | Score | Weighted | Notes |
|-----------|--------|-------|----------|-------|
| Years of Experience | 40% | 3/4 | 30/40 | Meets minimum exactly |
| B2B SaaS | 30% | 3/4 | 22.5/30 | 3 years, not full tenure |
| Technical Background | 15% | 4/4 | 15/15 | Stanford CS |
| Preferred (MBA) | 15% | 2/4 | 7.5/15 | Has certs, no MBA |

**Total Score: 75/100**

---

### Green Flags

| Flag | Evidence | Significance |
|------|----------|--------------|
| Quantified impact | "35% retention increase" | Results-oriented |
| Management experience | "Team of 4" | Leadership ready |
| Relevant certifications | CSPO, SAFe | Agile commitment |
| Top-tier education | Stanford CS | Technical foundation |

---

### Yellow Flags

| Flag | Concern | Mitigation |
|------|---------|------------|
| Experience exactly at minimum | Just hits 5 years | Probe depth in interview |
| Mixed B2B/B2C | 2 years in B2C | Understand B2B transition |
| No MBA | Preferred qualification | Certs may compensate |

---

### Red Flags

None identified.

---

### Interview Recommendation

**Decision:** RECOMMEND FOR INTERVIEW

**Rationale:**
- Meets all must-have requirements
- Strong B2B SaaS experience at TechCorp
- Technical background exceeds expectations
- Quantified achievements show impact

**Interview Focus Areas:**
1. Depth of B2B product strategy experience
2. Transition from B2C to B2B context
3. Scale of products managed (ARR, users)
4. Examples of cross-functional leadership

---

### Comparison Notes

Candidate is solid but not exceptional. Meets requirements without
significantly exceeding them. Consider alongside stronger candidates
if available.

Example 2: Batch Screening Summary

Input:

Screen these 5 candidates for Marketing Manager:
Requirements: 3+ years marketing, B2B experience, analytics skills

1. Alice: 5 years B2B marketing, Google Analytics certified
2. Bob: 2 years marketing, B2C only, strong analytics
3. Carol: 4 years, mixed B2B/B2C, basic Excel
4. David: 6 years B2B, owns marketing analytics tool
5. Eve: 3 years B2B, HubSpot certified

Output:

## Batch Screening Summary: Marketing Manager

### Quick Rank

| Rank | Candidate | Score | Recommendation |
|------|-----------|-------|----------------|
| 1 | David | 95% | Priority Interview |
| 2 | Alice | 85% | Priority Interview |
| 3 | Eve | 75% | Standard Review |
| 4 | Carol | 55% | Conditional Hold |
| 5 | Bob | 40% | Not Qualified |

---

### Individual Summaries

#### 1. David (95%) - PRIORITY INTERVIEW

| Requirement | Status | Score |
|-------------|--------|-------|
| 3+ years | ✅ 6 years | 4/4 |
| B2B experience | ✅ Full tenure | 4/4 |
| Analytics skills | ✅ Tool owner | 4/4 |

**Standout:** Exceptional analytics depth - owns a marketing analytics tool
**Interview:** Immediately

---

#### 2. Alice (85%) - PRIORITY INTERVIEW

| Requirement | Status | Score |
|-------------|--------|-------|
| 3+ years | ✅ 5 years | 4/4 |
| B2B experience | ✅ Full tenure | 4/4 |
| Analytics skills | ✅ GA certified | 3/4 |

**Standout:** Solid all-around, Google Analytics certification
**Interview:** This week

---

#### 3. Eve (75%) - STANDARD REVIEW

| Requirement | Status | Score |
|-------------|--------|-------|
| 3+ years | ✅ Exactly 3 | 3/4 |
| B2B experience | ✅ Full tenure | 4/4 |
| Analytics skills | ⚠️ HubSpot only | 2/4 |

**Concern:** HubSpot is automation, not analytics
**Interview:** Probe analytics skills deeper

---

#### 4. Carol (55%) - CONDITIONAL HOLD

| Requirement | Status | Score |
|-------------|--------|-------|
| 3+ years | ✅ 4 years | 3/4 |
| B2B experience | ⚠️ Mixed | 2/4 |
| Analytics skills | ❌ Basic Excel | 1/4 |

**Concern:** Weak analytics foundation
**Hold:** Consider if top candidates decline

---

#### 5. Bob (40%) - NOT QUALIFIED

| Requirement | Status | Score |
|-------------|--------|-------|
| 3+ years | ❌ 2 years | 1/4 |
| B2B experience | ❌ B2C only | 1/4 |
| Analytics skills | ✅ Strong | 3/4 |

**Disqualified:** Does not meet experience or B2B requirements
**Action:** Reject with positive note on analytics skills

---

### Screening Actions

| Action | Candidates |
|--------|------------|
| Schedule interviews | David, Alice |
| Standard queue | Eve |
| Hold file | Carol |
| Rejection email | Bob |

Skill Boundaries

What This Skill Does Well

• Structuring evaluation criteria
• Consistent scoring application
• Identifying relevant flags
• Documenting decisions

What This Skill Cannot Do

• Assess culture fit
• Verify claims accuracy
• Conduct background checks
• Replace human judgment

Important Compliance Notes

• Focus only on job-related criteria
• Avoid protected class considerations
• Document all decisions
• Apply criteria consistently

Iteration Guide

Follow-up Prompts:

• "Create interview questions based on this screening"
• "What should I probe further with [candidate]?"
• "Compare these top 3 candidates side by side"
• "Draft rejection email for [candidate]"

References

• SHRM Structured Interviewing Guidelines
• EEOC Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection
• Google re:Work Hiring Practices
• Lever Recruiting Best Practices

Related Skills

• interview-scheduler - Coordinate interviews
• onboarding-guide - Post-hire integration
• job-description-writer - Create requirements

Skill Metadata

• Domain: HR Operations
• Complexity: Intermediate
• Mode: centaur
• Time to Value: 10-15 min per resume
• Prerequisites: Job requirements, resumes