When times are hard the resume pile just keeps getting higher and higher. So how does an ordinary recruiter sift through an extraordinarily large mountain of resumes? Here are seven tips:

1. Give top priority to job candidates who have come as referrals and who possess all of the must-have qualifications.

2. Next, give priority to job candidates who have must-have qualifications and “wish-list” qualifications.

3. If job candidates have won awards in their field or somehow stand out in their field in other ways, add them to the must-read resume pile.

4. Filter out candidates who live out of state.  If you have enough qualified candidates in your locale it won’t make sense to review the resumes of those who don’t live in the state.

5. Filter out candidates with less experience.  When you have a large pile of resumes, it is wise to give priority to those who are most qualified and with the most experience. 

6. Filter out candidates whose job experience is sporadic, inconsistent or who are obvious “job hoppers.”  Candidates who have had 3 or 4 jobs in the last two years should not be given a priority read.

7. On that note, also filter out candidates who are recent hires at other firms unless they have a compelling reason why they left their last job.