If you utilize scored pre-screening questions within an applicant tracking system, do you make your questions challenging? Are your questions too predictable? Do you think your applicant is beyond lying if the questions are worded in such a way that they know the desired response? Applicants are not beyond stretching the truth if they feel it will help them get that face-to-face interview. For the most part, the applicant feels that he/she has nothing to lose and they'll respond in whatever fashion necessary to get that "face time" when they plan to sell themselves to the interviewer.
For example, an employer will often ask a candidate if they have experience in a certain area. The applicant knows that if they respond with "yes", it will almost always work in their favor.
EXAMPLE: Do you have experience with minor household electrical repairs? Y/N
If the question is worded this way, the applicant might feel justified saying "yes" if they've ever changed a light bulb. That's probably not what what the employer is seeking. Here's a better way to word that question:
Do you have experience with minor household electrical repairs that required you to shut off the electricity to a specific circuit at the fuse box/circuit breaker panel? Y/N
This question gets a bit more specific and the applicant may still lie. However, I guarantee you'll have a higher percentage of applicants that respond with a "no" when the question is worded this way instead of the first way.
The best way to get the truth out of someone is to ask a question where the applicant has no idea as to what is the desired response.
EXAMPLE: Do you consider yourself more of a "detail-oriented" person or a person who always keeps the "big picture" in mind? (Multiple Choice)
In this example, being both detail-oriented and keeping the big picture in focus could be considered positive attributes. However, if you force the applicant to make a decision between the two options, you are most likely going to get the truth because the applicant will typically tell the truth when they are put in a position where they don't know what the employer is seeking. (When all else fails, tell the truth.)
Another example of this might be, "Do you prefer to come in early to work or would you rather work late, if overtime is mandated?" Showing up early for work is not seen as a bad thing, but if you need someone who is flexible and is not a "clock watcher" who will stay a couple of extra hours to finish up the day's orders when the situation call for it, then you may want to assign more points if they state that they'd rather work late.
The Galileo Applicant Tracking System has a screening scores report to show the effectiveness of the screening scores that are asked. Ideally, the report displays graphically with something of a "bell-curve" representation with a few applicants scoring very low, a few scoring very high, but the vast majority of applicants are somewhere in the middle. If all of your applicants score 95 or greater, then your pre-screening questions are way too predictable. If all of your applicants score 40 or lower, then maybe your expectations regarding the talent that is available in your job market is too high. In order for any applicant tracking system to be effective for the employer, the pre-screening questions must be carefully crafted.
To learn more go to Galileo website
The Galileo ATS lists all activity of the logged-in user over the past 4 weeks under a heading entitled "My Activity". It lists any logged actions performed (sent an e-mail template, moved to a new workflow folder, etc.) during the past month. It only lists the actions performed for the top 5 jobs. The system identifies and separates "unique" actions from "compound" actions. A unique action is when one task was accomplished, even if it involved more than one applicant. For example, if you send the same e-mail template to four different people all at once, it is considered one unique action. However, if you send someone an e-mail template AND move them to a new workflow folder all at once, it is considered a compound action.