What are the things you consider (e.g. according to the CV), whether to move on with the candidate?
Yesterday, I asked for the best places/platforms to connect with talent for your team.
The next question is more about how you select or proceed in selecting the right candidate.
For example,...
When a company has to choose from 1,000+ resumes, what will differentiate that candidate and move them to the next round?
(If HR agencies are also in the process, I would also be interested in their procedure, because there is a difference when the founder selects and when someone external does.)
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@ashok_nayak It is okay to share links in comments. :)
Toki: AI Reminder & Calendar
The first suitable candidate (in terms of interview timing) wins. No one has the time to go through 1,000 applicants.
If you review 100 resumes out of 1,000, you'll find about 10 suitable for interviews. Out of those, at least 2–3 will be ready to take the job.
Time is too much of a factor to waste it talking to people who won’t end up working for you.
I have many friends who constantly apply through LinkedIn and other platforms, but it’s always the same . If you miss the first few hours after a job post goes live, or if you’re not among the first to interview, your chances drop. That’s how the game works, whether we like it or not.
Disclaimer: Of course, I’m not talking about super high-level roles like CEO or CTO. In those cases, who gets selected really, really matters.
@byalexai Do you have personal experience with that? (I mean, did you pick the same way?) 😅
@busmark_w_nika I won’t lie-I do it too.
When we used to hire at the real estate agency, the first person to make a good impression was the favorite. When I hire on Upwork, those who respond the fastest and show up first for the interview always have an advantage.
After all, if I spend an hour with 10 candidates, that’s 9 hours spent on the wrong people plus the time the chosen one could’ve already been working. So if you don’t hire someone, you’re practically wasting both your time and theirs. And if your time is valuable, that’s a loss of resources.
@byalexai Reasonable. At the end, I also do not see any outcome of spending more time on other candidates when someone made a great impression earlier.
To set up remote business outsource in global real estate back in 2022, which involves candidates with strong communication and relationship-building skills, is non-negotiable, as is being undertaken in CV pinpoints i.e., results-focused language for skills mentioned in cv + familiarity with tools and strategies in real campaigns + well-crafted email and other forms of written conversation with mock interviews along with strong social media presence.
Since this domain involves social media marketing, handling all kinds of documents, digital marketing tools, and other stuff with regards to client management.
Previously, I hold position over a span of 3 years in remote recruitment firm as Ayka Comm, being fully decentralized to my EA and his team after training him with all procedures, has a very vast and dynamic Human Supply Chain Management is very much vast service for different clients from different industries.
Right now, I am a candidate.
@nitin_joshi How do you approach applying? What differentiates you? (or better question: How do you position yourself to stand out?)
@busmark_w_nika Great question, Nika!
When going through hundreds (or even thousands) of CVs, a few key things really help a candidate stand out — beyond just ticking skill checkboxes:
Clarity & relevance: A well-structured CV that clearly highlights relevant experience and achievements for the specific role shows effort and intent.
Context & outcomes: It’s not just what someone did, but why they did it and what the outcome was. Metrics or results always catch the eye.
Consistency: A coherent career story, even if it’s non-linear, tells me the candidate knows where they’re heading.
Customization: When a resume feels tailored — even slightly — to the role or company, it signals genuine interest. That’s rare but powerful.
When founders are reviewing, the bar might be more aligned with culture-fit, entrepreneurial mindset, or adaptability. With HR agencies, the first filtering might lean more on role fit and keywords — which makes sense given the volume they deal with.
At the end of the day, the human element still matters most — curiosity, clarity, and communication can carry a lot of weight.
Would love to hear how others approach this too!
@salestarget I think that HR hates me – almost never heard back lol