Screening Criteria Template

Most professional services firms waste 40-60% of their screening time on candidates who never had a chance. The problem isn't volume. It's the lack of a structured, weighted evaluation system that separates signal from noise before anyone reads a resume.

This template gives you a fill-in-the-blank framework to define exactly what you're looking for, assign mathematical weights to each criterion, and set hard cutoff scores for each hiring stage. Use it to build screening rules that your ATS can execute automatically, or as a manual scorecard for small-batch hiring.

Your screening criteria template needs four components:

1. Extractable criteria - Objective attributes you can pull from resumes, applications, or LinkedIn profiles
2. Scoring scale - Numeric values (typically 1-5) for each criterion
3. Weights - Percentage importance of each criterion (must total 100%)
4. Stage thresholds - Minimum fit scores required to advance

Download the blank template here: [LINK TO GOOGLE SHEET OR PDF]

List 6-10 criteria that are objectively verifiable from application materials. Avoid anything requiring interpretation or judgment calls at this stage.

Education Criteria:

• Degree level: [Bachelor's required / Master's preferred / PhD bonus]
• Degree field: [Specific majors or "any quantitative field"]
• School tier: [Target schools list / any accredited / no requirement]
• GPA threshold: [3.5+ / 3.0+ / not evaluated]

Experience Criteria:

• Years in industry: [Minimum __ years]
• Years in specific function: [Minimum __ years in tax/audit/consulting]
• Firm type experience: [Big 4 / mid-tier / any professional services]
• Client-facing role: [Yes/No requirement]

Technical Skills Criteria:

• Software proficiency: [List specific tools: Excel advanced, Alteryx, Tableau, etc.]
• Certifications: [CPA, CFA, PMP - list which are required vs. preferred]
• Programming languages: [Python, R, SQL - specify proficiency level]
• Industry systems: [CCH, Thomson Reuters, Workday, etc.]

Role-Specific Criteria:

• Billable hours experience: [Yes/No]
• Team leadership: [Managed __ or more direct reports]
• Business development: [Demonstrated BD responsibility]
• Specialization match: [Industry vertical or service line alignment]

Example for Senior Tax Associate:

1. CPA certification (active license)
2. 3-5 years public accounting experience
3. Corporate tax return preparation (Form 1120)
4. Big 4 or top 20 firm background
5. Bachelor's in Accounting
6. CCH Axcess or similar tax software
7. Client communication experience
8. Busy season availability

Assign a 1-5 score for each criterion. Define exactly what each number means.

Standard 5-Point Scale:

5 - Exceeds requirement Candidate has more than asked for (8 years when you need 5, Big 4 partner when you need manager-level)

4 - Meets requirement fully Candidate has exactly what you specified (5 years experience, CPA active, right software)

3 - Meets requirement partially Candidate has most of what you need (4 years when you need 5, CPA exam passed but not licensed)

2 - Below requirement Candidate has some relevant background but missing key elements (2 years when you need 5, related certification but not CPA)

1 - Does not meet requirement Candidate lacks this criterion entirely (no certification, no relevant experience)

Example Scoring for "Years of Tax Experience":

• 5 points: 7+ years
• 4 points: 5-6 years
• 3 points: 3-4 years
• 2 points: 1-2 years
• 1 point: 0 years

Create this scale for every criterion in your list.

Distribute 100 percentage points across your criteria based on importance. This is where you encode your actual hiring priorities.

Weight Distribution Framework:

Critical Requirements (40-60% total): These are non-negotiables. A candidate scoring low here is automatically out.

• Professional certification: 20%
• Years of experience: 25%
• Technical proficiency: 15%

Important Preferences (30-40% total): These differentiate good candidates from great ones.

• Firm pedigree: 15%
• Specialization match: 10%
• Advanced degree: 10%

Nice-to-Have Attributes (10-20% total): These are tiebreakers when candidates are otherwise equal.

• Target school: 5%
• Leadership experience: 5%

Example Weight Distribution for Senior Tax Associate:

| Criterion | Weight | Rationale | |-----------|--------|-----------| | CPA certification | 25% | Non-negotiable for client work | | Years of experience | 20% | Need someone who can work independently | | Corporate tax expertise | 20% | Core function of the role | | Big 4 background | 15% | Training quality and client expectations | | Tax software proficiency | 10% | Reduces ramp-up time | | Accounting degree | 5% | Helpful but not required with CPA | | Client communication | 5% | Can be developed on the job | | TOTAL | 100% | |

Use this formula for each candidate:

Fit Score = Σ (Criterion Score × Criterion Weight)

Example Calculation:

Candidate A applies for Senior Tax Associate role:

• CPA certification: Score 4 × 25% = 1.00
• Years of experience: Score 4 × 20% = 0.80
• Corporate tax expertise: Score 5 × 20% = 1.00
• Big 4 background: Score 4 × 15% = 0.60
• Tax software proficiency: Score 3 × 10% = 0.30
• Accounting degree: Score 5 × 5% = 0.25
• Client communication: Score 4 × 5% = 0.20

Total Fit Score: 4.15 out of 5.00

Candidate B applies for same role:

• CPA certification: Score 2 × 25% = 0.50 (exam passed, not licensed)
• Years of experience: Score 3 × 20% = 0.60 (4 years)
• Corporate tax expertise: Score 4 × 20% = 0.80
• Big 4 background: Score 1 × 15% = 0.15 (regional firm)
• Tax software proficiency: Score 4 × 10% = 0.40
• Accounting degree: Score 5 × 5% = 0.25
• Client communication: Score 5 × 5% = 0.25

Total Fit Score: 2.95 out of 5.00

Define minimum fit scores required to advance to each hiring stage.

Recommended Threshold Structure:

Initial Screen (Resume Review): Minimum score: 3.0 This eliminates the bottom 40-50% of applicants who lack basic qualifications.

Phone Screen: Minimum score: 3.5 These candidates meet most requirements and warrant a 20-minute conversation.

Technical/Case Interview: Minimum score: 4.0 These candidates meet all core requirements and are strong contenders.

Final Interview: Minimum score: 4.3 These are your top-tier candidates who exceed requirements in multiple areas.

Offer Stage: Minimum score: 4.5 Reserved for candidates who are exceptional fits across the board.

Adjust thresholds based on market conditions:

• Tight labor market: Lower thresholds by 0.2-0.3 points
• High application volume: Raise initial screen to 3.3-3.5
• Hard-to-fill role: Accept 3.8+ for final interviews

For ATS Integration:

Most applicant tracking systems (Greenhouse, Lever, Workable, BambooHR) allow custom fields and scoring rules.

1. Create a custom field for each criterion in your ATS
2. Set up dropdown menus or numeric fields for scoring (1-5)
3. Build a calculated field that multiplies score × weight for each criterion
4. Create a total fit score field that sums all weighted scores
5. Set up automatic tags or filters based on threshold scores

For Manual Screening:

Download the Excel version of this template and:

1. Fill in candidate names in rows
2. Enter scores (1-5) for each criterion in columns
3. The weighted score calculates automatically
4. Sort by total fit score to rank candidates
5. Apply conditional formatting to highlight scores above thresholds

For AI-Assisted Screening:

If you're using resume parsing tools (HireVue, Pymetrics, Eightfold) or custom GPT prompts:

1. Export your criteria and scoring definitions as a structured prompt
2. Feed candidate resumes to the AI with instructions to score each criterion
3. Review AI scores for the first 20-30 candidates to validate accuracy
4. Adjust your prompt or criteria definitions based on errors
5. Automate scoring for remaining candidates once accuracy exceeds 90%

Too many criteria (12+): You dilute the impact of what actually matters. Stick to 6-10.

Unequal weight distribution: If everything is weighted 10-15%, nothing is actually prioritized. Your top 2-3 criteria should account for 50%+ of the total score.

Subjective criteria at screening stage: "Cultural fit" and "leadership potential" cannot be scored from a resume. Save these for interviews.

Static thresholds across all roles: A senior partner hire needs different thresholds than a staff accountant. Build role-specific templates.

No validation: Track which candidates with high fit scores actually succeed in the role. Adjust weights quarterly based on performance data.

For Entry-Level Roles: Weight education (30-40%) and internships (20-30%) heavily. Reduce experience requirements.

For Senior/Leadership Roles: Weight years of experience (25-35%) and firm pedigree (20-25%) more heavily. Add criteria for business development and team management.

For Technical Specialists: Weight certifications (30-40%) and specific tool proficiency (25-35%) as top priorities. Firm background matters less.

For Client-Facing Roles: Add criteria for communication skills evidence (publications, presentations) and weight at 15-20%. Include business development track record.

This template eliminates the "gut feel" problem in resume screening. You'll know exactly why you advanced or rejected each candidate, and you can defend those decisions with data.