How to shortlist candidates for an interview: A step-by-step guide for employers

Shortlisting candidates is one of the most important steps in the hiring process. Done well, it helps you focus on the people who are the best match for the role. Done poorly, it leads to wasted time and missed opportunities.

A clear and simple approach to shortlisting can save you hours and help you hire with more confidence. In this blog, we’ll explain what shortlisting means, why it matters, and how to do it properly with practical steps you can apply straight away.

What do we mean by candidate shortlisting?

Candidate shortlisting is the process of narrowing down your list of applicants to a smaller group who meet the key requirements for the role. It involves reviewing CVs, applications and sometimes initial screening steps, to decide who should move forward to the interview stage.

Shortlisting is more than just ticking boxes. It’s about matching candidates to the specific needs of the role and your business. This means looking at skills, experience, qualifications and potential fit, based on the criteria you’ve set before reviewing applications.

When done properly, shortlisting brings structure to your hiring process. It helps you focus on the strongest applicants, reduces bias, and speeds up decision-making. Whether you’re hiring for a new role or replacing someone, an effective shortlist sets the tone for the rest of your recruitment process.

Why is creating a shortlist so important?

Shortlisting helps you move from a long list of applicants to a manageable group of candidates who are genuinely suitable for the role. Without it, the hiring process can quickly become overwhelming and inconsistent. A structured shortlist brings focus, saves time and improves the overall quality of your interviews.

It also helps you stay objective. By comparing each candidate against clear criteria, you reduce the risk of gut-feel decisions or unconscious bias creeping in. This makes the process fairer, more transparent, and easier to explain if questions come up later.

Creating a shortlist also protects your time. Interviewing candidates takes effort, especially if more than one person is involved. By only progressing candidates who meet the must-haves for the role, you avoid wasting time on interviews that go nowhere. This is particularly important when hiring at pace or across multiple roles.

What should you consider before shortlisting candidates?

Before you begin reviewing CVs or applications, take a step back and get clear on what you actually need from the role. This helps make the shortlisting process faster, more consistent and easier to justify.

Here’s what to think about first:

The must-haves

These are non-negotiable requirements a candidate must meet to be considered. This might include:

• Specific qualifications

• Years of relevant experience

• Technical skills or certifications

• Right to work in the UK

The nice-to-haves

These are desirable qualities that could set a candidate apart, but aren’t essential. Examples include:

• Industry-specific experience

• Exposure to certain tools or systems

• Additional languages or training

The team and business fit

Look at the bigger picture. Ask yourself:

• What kind of person will work well with the team?

• Are there any skill gaps this hire could help fill?

• Does the candidate's approach align with your values and ways of working?

When you have a clear view of what you need, you can shortlist candidates more fairly and with better results.

How to effectively shortlist candidates for interview

Once you’re clear on what the role needs, it’s time to start shortlisting. This part of the process helps you move from a large pool of applicants to a focused group of people who are worth progressing to interview.

There’s no one right way to shortlist, but there are steps you can follow to make your decisions more consistent, fair and aligned with what the business needs. In this section, we’ll walk you through a practical approach that helps you shortlist candidates with confidence and clarity.

Start with a clear job description

Before you can shortlist candidates, you need to be clear on what the role involves. A vague or outdated job description makes it harder to compare applicants fairly. It also increases the chances of attracting people who aren’t right for the role in the first place.

Your job description should outline the key responsibilities, reporting lines, and day-to-day duties. It should also highlight the skills, experience and qualifications required to succeed in the role. Try to keep it specific, but realistic. Avoid long lists of criteria that make it hard to judge what really matters.

This document is the foundation for shortlisting. You’ll be measuring each application against it, so make sure it’s aligned with what the team actually needs — not just a copy of an old advert or a generic HR template.

Read more: How to write job descriptions that attract top talent

Identify your must-have requirements

Start by deciding what a candidate absolutely needs to bring to the role. These are the non-negotiables that every applicant should meet before being considered for an interview.

Must-haves usually include things like qualifications, years of experience, technical skills or certifications. These should link back to your job description and reflect what’s truly essential to do the job well.

Being clear on your must-haves helps you filter applicants quickly and fairly. If someone doesn’t meet these basic requirements, you can rule them out early on and save time for more promising candidates.

Highlight desirable but non-essential qualities

Once the must-haves are in place, identify the qualities that would be nice to have but aren’t critical. These could give a candidate an edge but shouldn’t be used to rule people out if they meet all the essentials.

Desirable qualities might include industry-specific experience, experience with a certain tool or system, or additional training. These details can help break ties between closely matched candidates or help you build a more balanced team.

Just be careful not to treat your nice-to-haves like must-haves. Doing so can narrow your pool too much and lead you to overlook strong candidates who bring value in other ways.

Be mindful of unconscious bias

It’s easy to make assumptions about people based on details that aren’t relevant to the job. That’s where unconscious bias creeps in — and it can affect the quality and fairness of your hiring decisions without you realising it.

To keep your shortlisting fair, focus on the job criteria. Don’t be swayed by names, ages, education backgrounds or where someone has worked before unless it directly relates to their ability to do the role.

You can also reduce bias by involving more than one person in the shortlisting process. Comparing notes with others helps you challenge assumptions and keep the focus on who’s best suited to the job.

Decide how many candidates to take forward

Before you begin shortlisting, it helps to set a target for how many people you want to interview. This number can vary depending on the role, the size of your team, and how many quality applicants you receive.

For most roles, shortlisting between three and six candidates works well. It gives you enough choice without making the interview process too long or difficult to manage. If you’re getting a high number of strong applications, you might want to do a quick phone screen to narrow the list further.

Having a clear number in mind keeps things focused. It also helps you explain your decisions to others in the business and keep the recruitment process moving without delays.

Score candidates against your criteria

To make shortlisting more consistent, use a simple scoring system. This helps remove guesswork and makes it easier to compare candidates side by side.

Create a list of the key criteria based on your job description. For each candidate, score them out of five (or use a similar scale) against each one. This might include things like experience level, relevant qualifications, and specific skills.

Once all candidates are scored, you can sort them by total and review the highest-scoring applicants. This approach works well if more than one person is involved in the shortlisting, as it brings structure to what can otherwise be a subjective process.

Use assessments or screening calls if needed

If you're unsure about a candidate based on their CV alone, a quick screening step can help. This might be a short call to check basic details or a simple task that relates directly to the role.

Screening calls are useful for confirming availability, salary expectations or communication style. They can also help you sense a candidate's motivation for applying. Just keep the calls short and focused, and ask the same questions to each person to keep things fair.

For some roles, a short assessment task may be more effective. Choose something practical that reflects the work they’d actually be doing. This can help highlight skills that may not be obvious from a CV alone.

Look at the candidate pool as a whole

Once you’ve reviewed individual candidates, take a step back and look at the shortlist as a group. Does it reflect a good balance of skills, experience and perspectives? Are there any gaps you might have missed?

You might have several candidates who meet the criteria, but bring different strengths. This is where you can consider team fit, complementary skills or long-term potential. It’s not about ticking every box, but thinking about who adds value in a way the team needs.

Looking at the pool this way helps you avoid hiring the same type of candidate every time. It also supports better team dynamics and stronger long-term outcomes.

Communicate with shortlisted candidates

Once you’ve chosen who to move forward, let them know. A clear and timely message shows respect and sets the tone for the rest of the process. It also helps you keep good candidates engaged, especially if they’re in demand.

Your message should include the next steps, expected timings and anything they need to prepare for. If you’re arranging interviews, give enough notice and be clear on the format.

Don’t forget about the candidates who didn’t make the shortlist. A brief, polite message goes a long way. It protects your employer brand and keeps the door open for future roles.

Keep a record of your shortlist for future roles

Even if a candidate is not the right fit for this role, they might be perfect for something else down the line. That’s why it’s worth keeping a record of the people who came close to being hired.

Make notes on why each shortlisted candidate was considered, where they stood out, and why they didn’t progress this time. This helps you build a talent pool for future vacancies and speeds up hiring when similar roles come up.

It also means you’re not starting from scratch every time. A well-organised shortlist gives you options, saves time and helps you stay connected with people who have already shown an interest in your business.

How to streamline and improve your shortlisting process

Shortlisting can take up a lot of time, especially when you’re hiring regularly or across multiple teams. The good news is there are simple ways to make the process faster and more effective, without cutting corners.

In this section, we’ll look at how to improve your shortlisting by using consistent methods, reducing bias, focusing on potential, and knowing when to bring in extra support.

Use consistent CV screening methods

One of the simplest ways to improve shortlisting is to make sure everyone follows the same approach when reviewing CVs. This creates a level playing field for all applicants and helps reduce unconscious bias.

Decide in advance how CVs will be reviewed and what criteria will be used. You might use a scoring sheet, checklist or set questions that guide your decision-making. The key is to apply the same process to each applicant so you can compare them fairly.

This approach is especially useful when multiple people are involved in the hiring process. It helps everyone stay aligned and makes it easier to explain how decisions were made.

Try blind or anonymised applications

To keep the focus on the facts, some businesses remove personal information from applications during the initial review. This is known as blind or anonymised screening.

By hiding names, ages, locations or educational institutions, you can avoid being influenced by details that are not relevant to the job. This supports a more objective shortlisting process and encourages diversity in your candidate pool.

It doesn’t need to be a complicated step. Even small changes, like removing names from CVs or using a simple form instead of a traditional cover letter, can make a real difference to how applications are assessed.

Focus on potential, not just experience

Experience matters, but it’s not everything. Some of the best hires are people who might not tick every box but show strong potential to grow into the role.

When shortlisting, look for signs of learning, adaptability and motivation. These qualities can often outweigh a missing year of experience or an unfamiliar job title. You might also spot transferable skills from other industries or roles that bring something fresh to your team.

This mindset can widen your talent pool and help you find candidates who are more engaged and invested in the opportunity. It also supports long-term retention, as people who grow with your business are more likely to stay.

Work with a recruitment partner like us

If shortlisting feels like a struggle, you don’t have to do it alone. A specialist recruitment agency can take the pressure off by helping you find, screen and select the right people more quickly.

At Digital Waffle, we get to know your business, understand the role and use our network to bring you candidates who match your needs. We handle the early screening and shortlist only those who meet your criteria, so you can focus on the final decision-making.

Working with a partner like us not only saves time but also gives you access to talent you might not reach through adverts alone. It’s a practical way to improve your hiring process and make stronger, more confident choices.

Shortlisting candidates is one of the most important steps in hiring. It helps you focus your time, compare applicants fairly and choose the right people to move forward. With the right structure, it doesn’t have to be complicated.

From defining your must-haves to reducing bias and staying consistent, every step you take makes the process smoother and more effective. And when shortlisting is done well, it leads to better interviews and stronger hires.

If you want support with shortlisting or finding the right candidates for your business, we can help. Submit your vacancy and we’ll help you find the talent that fits.