Candidate Score & Shortlist
1. Overview
This process reviews a job description and a set of candidate CVs, extracts the relevant information from each, calculates a score for each candidate based on how well they match the job requirements, and produces a ranked shortlist for the recruiter to review.
2. Business Value
- Speed – Automates the initial screening so recruiters can focus on high‑potential candidates.
- Consistency – Applies the same objective criteria to every applicant, eliminating bias.
- Efficiency – Reduces the time spent manually reading each CV, shortening the hiring cycle.
3. Operational Context
- When it runs: When a new opening is posted and a batch of CVs has been received for that role.
- Who uses it: HR Recruiters and Talent Acquisition team members who need a quick, data‑driven shortlist.
- Frequency: Once per hiring request (i.e., each time a new set of CVs is gathered for a specific job).
4. Inputs
| Name/Label | Type | Details Provided |
|---|
| Job Description Document | PDF file | A PDF that contains the full job description. Required sections within the PDF: |
| • Job title | | |
| • Required skills (list) | | |
| • Desired years of experience (numeric) | | |
| • Minimum education level (e.g., Bachelor’s, Master’s) | | |
| • Optional/desired skills (list, optional) | | |
| • Other preferences (e.g., certifications, location) | | |
| Candidate CVs | One‑to‑many PDFs (one PDF per candidate) | Each PDF must contain the candidate’s information as clearly labeled sections: |
| • Candidate name | | |
| • Contact information (optional for the SOP) | | |
| • Education (degree & field) | | |
| • Years of relevant experience (numeric) | | |
| • Skills list (comma‑separated) | | |
| • Certifications (optional) | | |
| • Professional summary (optional) | | |
| Scoring Guidelines (Appendix C) | Document (included in the SOP) | Defines point values for each scoring element (skill matches, experience, education, optional skills, certifications). This is a static reference used to compute scores. |
Note: All PDFs must be machine‑readable (text‑based, not scanned images).
5. Outputs
| Name/Label | Contents | Formatting Rules |
|---|
| Candidate Ranking List | A table that includes, for every candidate that could be processed: | |
| • Rank (1 = highest) | | |
| • Candidate name | | |
| • Score (0 – 100) | | |
| • Brief notes (summary of key matches & gaps) | Plain‑text table, sorted descending by Score. When scores are tied, order alphabetically by last name. No system‑generated IDs. | |
| Process Summary (optional) | Text paragraph summarising the total number of candidates processed, any flagged errors (e.g., missing data), and the date the ranking was generated. | Simple paragraph; no bullet points or tables. |
6. Detailed Plan & Execution Steps
- Collect the job description PDF and verify it contains all required sections (title, required skills, years of experience, minimum education). If any required section is missing, stop the process and flag the job document for review.
- Collect all candidate CV PDFs and verify each contains a candidate name, a list of skills, years of experience, and education. Flag any CV missing any of these required fields for manual review; do not assign a score to that candidate.
- Extract job requirements from the Job Description Document:
- List each required skill.
- List each optional/desired skill.
- Record the desired years of experience.
- Record the minimum education level.
- Extract candidate data from each CV:
- Candidate name.
- Skills (as a list).
- Years of relevant experience (numeric).
- Education level.
- Certifications (if any).
- Calculate a raw score for each candidate using the Scoring Guidelines (Appendix C).
- Required‑skill matches: 5 pts per required skill that appears in the candidate’s skill list.
- Optional‑skill matches: 2 pts per optional skill that appears.
- Experience:
- If candidate’s experience ≥ required years, award 10 pts.
- For each year above the required minimum (up to 5 years extra), add 1 pt per year.
- Education: Assign points based on the level (see Appendix C).
- Certifications: 1 pt for each relevant certification (maximum 5 pts).
- Total possible points: 100.
- Normalize the total to a 0‑100 scale (if the sum exceeds 100, cap at 100).
- Rank the candidates:
- Sort candidates descending by Score.
- Break any ties by alphabetical order of the last name.
- Create the “Candidate Ranking List” (see Output section) containing:
- Rank (1, 2, 3 …).
- Candidate name.
- Score (rounded to nearest whole number).
- Brief notes that include: (a) number of required skills matched, (b) any missing required skills, (c) years of experience vs. requirement, (d) education level, (e) any notable certifications.
- Generate the Process Summary (optional) stating: total candidates processed, number of candidates flagged for missing data, date of ranking.
- Deliver the outputs to the recruiter (as plain‑text tables). No files are generated by this SOP.
7. Validation & Quality Checks
- Document completeness: Ensure the Job Description includes all required sections before scoring.
- Candidate data completeness: For each CV, confirm presence of required fields (name, skills, experience, education). Flag any missing‑field CVs and exclude them from scoring.
- Scoring calculation check: Verify each of the four scoring components (required‑skill, optional‑skill, experience, education) sum correctly before normalizing.
- Score range check: All scores must be within 0 – 100. If any value falls outside, flag as an error.
- Ranking verification: Confirm that the ranking list is sorted by descending score, then alphabetically.
- Error logging: For each flagged issue (missing data, invalid PDF, out‑of‑range score), add an entry in the Process Summary.
- Final review: The recruiter should review the “Brief notes” for each candidate to verify that the highlighted strengths/ gaps make sense.
8. Special Rules / Edge Cases
| Situation | Handling Rule |
|---|
| Missing required field (e.g., no years‑of‑experience) | Do not calculate a score. Add a note “Missing required data – flagged for manual review.” |
| Candidate has no required skills | Assign 0 pts for the required‑skill component; still calculate other components (experience, education) if data is present. |
| Tie in total score | Rank by alphabetical order of the candidate’s last name. |
| More than 5 years beyond the required experience | Cap extra‑experience points at 5 pts (maximum 15 pts total for experience). |
| Candidate includes a skill not listed in required or optional lists | Ignore for scoring, but list in Brief notes as “additional skill”. |
| Candidate has a higher education level than required | Assign the higher education points (see Appendix C) – no penalty for over‑qualification. |
| Non‑text PDF (e.g., scanned image) | Flag as “unreadable PDF” and do not assign a score; add to Process Summary as a flagged item. |
| No candidates meet any required skill | All candidates receive a score of 0; still produce a ranked list (all scores 0) and note that none meet required skills. |
9. Example
Input (sample)
Job Description Document (PDF) – “Software Engineer – Backend”
- Required skills: Python, Django, REST API
- Optional skills: Docker, Kubernetes
- Desired experience: 3 years (backend development)
- Minimum education: Bachelor’s (any field)
Candidate CVs
1. Jane Doe (PDF)
- Skills: Python, Django, REST API, AWS, Docker
- Experience: 5 years
- Education: Master’s in Computer Science
- Certifications: AWS Certified Solutions Architect
2. John Smith (PDF)
- Skills: Python, Flask, SQL
- Experience: 2 years
- Education: Bachelor’s in Information Systems
- Certifications: (none)
Output (Candidate Ranking List)
| Rank | Candidate Name | Score | Brief notes |
|---|
| 1 | Jane Doe | 92 | Matches all required skills, +2 years experience (2 pts extra), Master’s (+7 pts), AWS cert (+1 pt). |
| 2 | John Smith | 45 | Missing required skills Django & REST API (0 pts for those), 2 yr experience (<3 yr) → 0 pts experience, Bachelor’s (+5 pts), no optional skill matches. |
Process Summary (optional): 2 candidates processed. No missing‑data errors. Ranking generated on 2025‑08‑11.
Appendix A – FAQ
Q1: What if a CV is missing the candidate’s name?
A: The candidate is flagged for “Missing candidate name”. No score is generated for that CV and it is listed in the Process Summary for manual review.
Q2: How are certifications weighted?
A: Each relevant certification listed in the CV adds 1 point, up to a maximum of 5 points. Only certifications that are listed in the “Preferred certifications” section of the Job Document (if present) are counted; other certifications are mentioned in the “brief notes” but do not affect the score.
Q3: What if the Job Description does not list any optional skills?
A: The optional‑skill component is omitted, and the scoring table automatically uses a weight of 0 points for that component.
Q4: How are ties resolved?
A: Ties are resolved alphabetically by the candidate’s last name. If the last names are identical, the first name is used.
Q5: What if a candidate’s experience is listed as a range (e.g., “3‑5 years”)?
A: Use the higher value in the range for scoring. If the range is ambiguous, flag the CV for manual review.
Q6: Can I use a different weighting scheme?
A: Yes. To change the weighting, modify the “Scoring Guidelines” in Appendix C and re‑run the process. All other steps remain unchanged.
Q7: What if a candidate has a degree higher than required (e.g., Ph.D.)?
A: The candidate receives the points for the highest education level listed in the table (see Appendix C). No penalty for over‑qualification.
Q8: What if the CV is a scanned image?
A: The system cannot read scanned PDFs. The CV will be flagged as “unreadable PDF”, excluded from scoring, and listed in the Process Summary.
Q9: How is the “Score” rounded?
A: Scores are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g., 92.6 → 93; 92.4 → 92).
Q10: How often should the scoring guidelines be reviewed?
A: The scoring guidelines should be revisited at least once per fiscal year or when a new hiring strategy is adopted.
Appendix B – Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Required skill | A skill explicitly listed in the “Required skills” section of the job description; must be present in a candidate’s skill list to earn points. |
| Optional skill | A skill listed under “Optional/desired skills” in the job description; provides additional points if present. |
| Experience | Number of years a candidate has performed work that directly matches the job’s functional area (e.g., backend development). |
| Education level | The highest academic degree completed. The mapping to points is in Appendix C. |
| Certification | A recognized professional credential (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect) that can be used to add points. |
| Score | A numeric value 0–100 that reflects how closely a candidate matches the job requirements. |
| Candidate CV | The candidate’s resume provided as a PDF; must contain sections for skills, experience, education, etc. |
| Ranking | The order in which candidates are presented, based on their score (1 = highest). |
| Brief notes | A concise, human‑readable summary of a candidate’s strengths and any gaps relative to the job. |
| Process Summary | A short paragraph that notes the number of processed candidates, any flagged issues, and the date the ranking was generated. |
Appendix C – Scoring Guidelines & Reference Material
1. Scoring Overview
| Scoring Category | Maximum Points | Details |
|---|
| Required‑skill matches | 40 | 5 pts per required skill that appears in the candidate’s skill list. |
| Optional‑skill matches | 10 | 2 pts per optional skill that appears; max 5 optional skills counted. |
| Experience | 15 | 10 pts if candidate’s years ≥ required years. |
| 1 pt for each year beyond the required amount, up to 5 pts (maximum 15 pts). | | |
| Education | 20 | Points based on highest degree (see table below). |
| Certifications | 5 | 1 pt per relevant certification; up to 5 pts. |
| Total | 100 | Sum of all categories; capped at 100 pts. |
2. Education Point Mapping
| Education Level | Points |
|---|
| High School (or equivalent) | 0 |
| Associate’s degree | 2 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 5 |
| Master’s degree | 7 |
| Doctorate (Ph.D.) | 10 |
3. Required Skill Weighting
- Core Skills (Required): Highest priority, 5 pts each.
- Supplementary Skills (Optional): Additional value, 2 pts each.
- Missing required skill: 0 pts; listed as a gap in the Brief notes.
4. Experience Evaluation
| Candidate Experience | Points (relative to required) |
|---|
| ≥ required years | 10 pts |
| +1 year (up to +5 years) | 1 pt per extra year (max +5 pts) |
| < required years | 0 pts (and note “insufficient experience”) |
5. Certifications
- Only certifications mentioned as “preferred” or “desired” in the Job Document are eligible for points.
- Each eligible certification adds 1 pt (up to 5 pts).
- Any certification not listed still appears in Brief notes as “additional certification”.
6. Example Scoring Calculation
| Candidate | Required Skills (3) | Optional Skills (2) | Experience (3 y required) | Education (Master’s) | Certifications (1) | Total Raw |
|---|
| Jane Doe | 3 × 5 = 15 | 2 × 2 = 4 | 5 y > 3 y → 10 + 2 (for extra 2 y) = 12 | Master's = 7 | 1 pt | 15 + 4 + 12 + 7 + 1 = 39 (capped at 100) → Score = 39 (but with scaling factor to 100). (This example demonstrates raw points; the final score is normalized to 0‑100 using the total maximum 100 points.) |
Note: The raw total is converted to a 0‑100 scale by dividing by the maximum possible points (100) and multiplying by 100; i.e., the raw total is already the final score if total maximum is 100. In the example above, the raw total is 39 → Score = 39.
7. Normalization
If the sum of points for a candidate exceeds 100, cap the final Score at 100.
8. Handling Missing Data
| Missing Element | Effect on Scoring | Action |
|---|
| Missing required skill(s) | 0 pts for those skills | Record missing skills in Brief notes |
| Missing years of experience | 0 pts for experience component | Add “Experience data missing” in notes |
| Missing education level | 0 pts for education | Add “Education data missing” |
| Missing required fields in the CV (e.g., name) | Candidate excluded from scoring | Flag in Process Summary |
9. Sample “Brief Notes” Template
- Matched required skills: list of matched required skills
- Missing required skills: list (if any)
- Experience: X years (required: Y years) – “Meets/Exceeds/Below”
- Education: Degree – Points (e.g., “Master’s – 7 pts”)
- Certifications: list of certifications – points
Additional Tips for Execution
- Consistent Naming: Use the exact candidate name as it appears on the CV for all references.
- Document Version: If a new job description is issued for the same role, treat it as a new input – the SOP does not carry over any data from previous runs.
- Manual Review: The recruiter should review the “Brief notes” for each candidate, especially for any “missing data” flags.
- Audit Trail: Keep a copy of the Job Description and the set of CVs used for each run; they may be needed for compliance or future audits.
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