VLOOKUPS: How to Use These to Find Your Next Candidate

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VLOOKUPS: How to Use These to Find Your Next Candidate

Every employer is looking for a way to streamline their hiring process and make finding the best candidate a little bit easier. VLOOKUPS is a sorting system that can help you do just that. Here is how this technology might be able to help you find your next candidate.

What is VLOOKUP?

VLOOKUP is a function within Excel that can help you sort through information. In short, it stands for “vertical lookup,” and it works with data that has been organized into vertical columns, as most spreadsheets are. You specify a value for the function to find within the document, and it sorts through the data for you.

For example, if you were sorting through a list of candidates, you could enter different information about them in each column. You may enter their desired hourly rate, number of years of experience, or other pertinent information. Then use VLOOKUP to sort through the document to find the best fit for your needs. So, if you are looking for someone whose hourly rate is around $30 and who also has five years of experience, VLOOKUP can put the candidates that meet those criteria right in front of you.

How VLOOKUP Can Help You Find Candidates

As stated in the example above, VLOOKUP can help you sort through numerical data such as desired salary and number of years of experience. You can also use it to sort through valuable information. If you add data about each applicant to the spreadsheet, you can search and sort using VLOOKUP.

For example, if you are searching for someone with a specific skill, you may note that the person does or does not meet that requirement in the spreadsheet. Once you have reviewed each applicant, you can sort through the spreadsheet using VLOOKUP and narrow it down to the individuals who meet that qualification.

Similarly, you can fill out the spreadsheet after each potential employee has been interviewed with key information. If you are searching for someone who answered certain questions in a certain way, log their response in the spreadsheet and use VLOOKUP to sort the candidates by their answer.

Another way you can use the function in Excel is with assessments. Many companies require incoming employees to take assessments before or after their interview to prove competency, reliability, ethics, and other key information for employers. You can log the candidates’ assessment scores in the spreadsheet and sort them that way as well.

It Makes Things Easy

All in all, VLOOKUP can be a real-time saver for you as you sort through a pile of resumes. You can quickly filter through applicants who don’t quite meet the qualifications you are looking for. It can also make it easy to weed out the candidates you simply cannot afford to hire.

Contact Top Notch Personnel Today

VLOOKUPS isn’t the only way you can make the hiring process easier for your company. Staffing firms like Top Notch Personnel can help you in your search as well by offering expert advice, assistance with the interview and vetting process, and more. See how our recruiters can assist you in improving your processes.