Your time is valuable. You don't want to waste it reviewing resumes of unqualified candidates. You need a system to keep all those unqualified candidates' credentials off your desk (and off your computer desktop, too).

Of course, in the real world, you can't avoid all unqualified candidates, but there are steps you can take to avoid most of them. Here are three tips to keep in mind:

1. Attract Qualified Candidates

This sounds obvious, but if you're not careful, you'll spend hours sifting through the credentials of unqualified candidates.

What can you do? In all your advertising and posting, be crystal clear about the requirements and specific about the job. Unqualified candidates will largely self-select out, and the best candidates will be intrigued by the close match between what you seek and what they want.

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2. Get Data Consistent

If you're like most managers these days, you're deluged with stacks of resumes and various other types of application material — such as application forms filled out by walk-ins, e-mails, letters from various people recommending candidates, and other documentation containing varying degrees of useful information.

Before you review, try to get as much information as possible in the same format. You can't compare one candidate who submitted a brief letter with one who sent in a detailed resume and filled out an application.

If you have just a brief letter, or if a resume is too brief to be illuminating, send an application for the person to fill out, or request a more detailed resume.

3. Quickly Select the Best-Qualified for Serious Consideration

In the winnowing process, you want to spend as little time as possible on the obvious rejects — and more time on the serious candidates. You need an evaluative process that will help you quickly determine which of your candidates have the qualifications you seek.

Here's how to work through credentials quickly:

• Make a Quick Pass
  
  Make a quick pass through your pile of credentials, glancing at each candidate's resume. Don't read, just glance. (This is critical — resumes can be fascinating, but you must steel yourself. Set the resume aside the instant you know the person is not fully qualified.) Sort the credentials into one of three piles:
  

  Pile A: appears to meet all or most qualifications
  Pile B: missing one or more important qualification
  Pile C: clearly not qualified

  If you have a good number of people in Pile A, you won't have to deal with Piles B and C again. If there are few or none in your Pile A, you'll either have to modify your expectations, or figure out a way to attract more capable candidates.

• Do the Fully Qualified Sort
  
  Now take the "A" pile and sort it into two piles — a "top candidates" pile for those who appear to meet all your important criteria, and a "backup candidates" pile for those who appear to fail on less important criteria, or for whom the information isn't complete about one important criterion. (If they fail on two or more criteria, move them to the "B" pile.)

• Do an In-Depth Review of the Few
  
  Now spend some significant time with the "top candidates" pile, which should have at most 10 or 20 resumes. (If you have 100, go back a step and review your requirements.)
  
  For each candidate, make a note of areas in which you need additional information. For example, say a candidate's resume says she is familiar with Web design software, but you must have a person with experience on a specific program, such as Dreamweaver. Make a note to explore that by e-mail or in a telephone interview before bringing the candidate in for an interview.
  
  After your in-depth review, you should have a group of probably 6 to 10 finalists. These people will be given further consideration. The remainder should be considered only if the first group doesn't end up satisfying your criteria.