How to Assess Candidates Beyond the CV

The curriculum vitae is the most widely used document in traditional recruitment processes, but it often proves insufficient for predicting how a person will perform day to day. An impeccable career history may reflect academic degrees or well-known company names, but it does not guarantee that the applicant possesses the practical skills, communication abilities, or right attitude to integrate into the team.

To evaluate candidates more rigorously in small and medium-sized businesses, it helps to move beyond initial CV screening. Combining the analysis of previous experience with brief practical exercises, structured interviews using a predefined script, and reference checks provides a much more complete and impartial view of an applicant's actual skills.

Design short practical tests based on real scenarios

The most direct way to check whether a professional will handle the demands of a vacancy well is to set a simple practical task representative of their daily work. These assessments should be brief, with a recommended maximum duration of one or two hours, so they do not demand excessive effort or cause the candidate to lose interest during the hiring process.

The aim of this test is not to get free work for the business, but to analyse how the candidate approaches problems, their logical reasoning, and their ability to make timely decisions under realistic working conditions.

• Drafting an email to respond to an urgent complaint from an unsatisfied customer in customer service.
• Creating a simple spreadsheet template to calculate the estimated profitability of a project.
• Prioritising five complex tasks that overlap during a simulated workday.
• Proofreading a technical text, code snippet, or contract to identify intentionally introduced errors.

When assessing the practical exercise, it is essential to focus on clarity of expression, attention to detail, and conciseness. The goal is not to find a perfect solution or require exhaustive work, but to understand the candidate's working methodology when facing a task relevant to the role.

Structured interviews with a predefined script to compare results

When a job interview is improvised, there is a high risk of being swayed by personal rapport, charm, or aspects unrelated to job performance. Designing a script in advance with the same questions for all applicants makes it possible to assess candidates under identical conditions and standardise comparisons across profiles.

Questions based on past situations and actual behaviours are the most effective tool at this stage. Asking a candidate to describe how they resolved a past conflict with a colleague or handled an unexpected issue under pressure provides valuable insight into their core skills. Recruitment platforms such as JOBO help businesses organise these stages, allowing them to centralise candidate information clearly.

Reference checking and explicit documentation of the hiring decision

Checking feedback from previous employers provides a valuable benchmark regarding the candidate's professional conduct and past performance. To get the most out of these conversations, it is best to ask specific questions focused on daily working life, such as meeting deadlines, handling constructive feedback, or collaborating with other departments.

After completing the interviews and reference checks, it is essential to document the detailed reasons behind the final decision. Recording qualitative data in a candidate summary or process sheet prevents criteria from shifting between hiring managers and helps maintain organisational consistency.

• Note down the quantitative and qualitative findings from the practical test.
• Document the most relevant insights gathered from the structured interview.
• Record feedback verified during reference checks with previous employers.
• Draft a brief, reasoned explanation supporting the final decision to hire or reject the applicant.

Keeping written records not only refines future hiring criteria within the organisation, but also allows you to provide transparent and constructive feedback to unsuccessful applicants, strengthening your employer brand in the job market.