Shortlisting resumes is more sophisticated than ever in 2025. Nearly 90% of major recruiters in India and more than 75% of businesses worldwide use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) with AI resume screening to find the best applicants. These days, sophisticated algorithms look for accomplishments, abilities, and keywords that match the job description rather than a hiring manager reading each resume.
Your resume must pass the applicant tracking system (ATS) and appear higher in recruiter searches, regardless of whether you’re applying for a remote freelance position anywhere in the world, a digital marketing job in London, or a software developer position in Bangalore. Nowadays, getting interviews requires knowing how employers evaluate resumes and how to make yours stand out.
In this manual, we will discuss:
- The precise procedure for shortlisting resumes in 2025
- ATS and AI optimisation tricks that recruiters won’t tell you
- Tips for attracting employers in India and overseas with a location-based resume
This year’s job market is being shaped by global recruitment trends. Regardless of where you apply, you can outperform the bots, make an impression on hiring managers, and establish yourself as the most qualified candidate for the position by using the appropriate tactics.
Table of Contents
How Do Companies Shortlist Resumes?
Resume shortlisting is the methodical process of going through many job applications to find the best candidates for a specific position. This first screening step is very important because it decides which candidates move on to the next step in the hiring process.
Shortlisting serves a number of purposes in the larger hiring ecosystem. It helps businesses handle the huge number of applications and makes sure that only qualified candidates take up recruiters’ time. Companies in India get an average of 75 to 100 applications for each typical corporate job. This means that shortlisting must be done quickly for hiring to be effective.
This process has effects that go far beyond just filtering. For candidates, this is the moment that can make or break them. Months of job searching can end in either progress or rejection.
For recruiters, making a good shortlist of candidates is important because it helps them hire good people while keeping costs and time down. The process has changed a lot as technology has improved, going from manual reviews on paper to advanced AI-powered systems.
Setting the Standards for Shortlisting
To make a good shortlist of resumes, you need to set clear, measurable criteria that match the job requirements. The question, “How Do Companies Shortlist Resumes?” is always on everyone’s mind. Companies usually start by carefully reading the job description and figuring out what skills are most important for doing the job well.
Essential qualifications and skills
Most Indian businesses make a list of requirements that separates must-have qualifications from preferred ones. When hiring, employers often look at candidates’ educational backgrounds, professional certifications, and technical skills first.
For example, a job in software development might require knowledge of certain programming languages, while a job in finance might require certain accounting qualifications.
Relevance of Experience Level
Different jobs and industries have very different requirements for experience. Entry-level jobs may put more weight on education and internship experience, while higher-level jobs may put more weight on years of relevant experience and leadership skills. Companies often group applications into experience bands, like 0–2 years, 3–5 years, and 6–10 years.
Company Values and Cultural Fit
More and more, progressive Indian companies think about cultural fit when they make their shortlists. This means looking at candidates’ career paths, company preferences, and values that they have shown through their work choices and achievements. Businesses look for signs that a person is adaptable, has a growth mindset, and fits in with the company’s culture.
How Technology Helps in Resume Shortlisting?
| Shortlisting Criteria | Weightage (%) | Common Evaluation Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Skills | 35% | Keyword matching, Certification verification |
| Experience Level | 30% | Years of experience, Role complexity |
| Educational Background | 20% | Degree relevance, Institution ranking |
| Cultural Fit | 15% | Career progression, Company alignment |
How Do Companies Shortlist Resumes with Technology? With ATS checkers. ATS has changed the way companies choose resumes, and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are now used by almost all Indian businesses. So, you must know how to make an ATS-friendly resume as well. 67% of HR leaders think that investing in HR analytics in 2025 will help make hiring easier. This shows that more and more people are relying on technology to solve problems.
Understanding Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
ATS platforms act as advanced gatekeepers, automatically sorting and ranking resumes based on set criteria. These systems look for keywords, qualifications, and experience markers in documents and make scored rankings that help recruiters make decisions.
BambooHR, Workday, and other platforms are used by big Indian companies, as well as local solutions made for the needs of the Indian market.
There are several steps in the ATS parsing process, like document ingestion, text extraction, keyword identification, criteria matching, and scoring.
Advanced ATS solutions now use algorithms that were made by reading 2,000,000 resumes and OpenAI’s ChatGPT large language model. This makes the screening process more advanced than ever.
Optimising Keywords and Phrases
Modern ATS systems use natural language processing to find not only exact keyword matches but also similar words and how they are used in context. So, candidates need to carefully use industry-specific words, job-related skills, and language that is appropriate for the role throughout their resumes.
Formatting Your Resume and Making Sure It Works with ATS
Professional Summary
Work Experience
Skills Section
Education
Additional Sections
Importance Level Guide
Technical formatting is very important for ATS to work. Systems have a hard time with complicated layouts, graphics, tables, and fonts that aren’t standard. Using standard section headers and simple, clean formatting makes sure that parsing is done correctly and that the information is correct.
How Do Companies Shortlist Resumes? Sometimes they do manual screening. Even though technology has come a long way, human oversight is still an important part of the shortlisting process. After ATS filtering, recruiters look over the applications by hand to find details that automated systems might miss.
The Personal Touch in Resume Review
Recruiters with experience bring an understanding of the context, knowledge of the industry, and the ability to make intuitive assessments that work well with technology-based screening. They look at career stories, spot possible problems, and decide if a candidate is a good fit beyond just matching them with an algorithm.
Why Cover Letters and Other Documents Are Important?
- Cover letters give job seekers a chance to put their applications in context, talk about career changes, and show off their communication skills.
- Indian recruiters are putting more and more value on personalised cover letters that show a real interest in the job and the company.
- Portfolio submissions, letters of recommendation, and extra certifications can have a big impact on who gets short-listed, especially for creative, technical, or senior-level jobs.
Warning Signs and Good Signs: During manual reviews, recruiters become very good at spotting worrying patterns and promising signs.
Red Flags That Are Common:
- Changing jobs often without a clear path forward
- Unexplained breaks in work
- Formatting and presentation that aren’t always the same
- Applications that are not tailored to your needs
- False or exaggerated claims
Good Signs:
- A clear path for career growth and advancement
- Results and accomplishments that can be measured
- Certifications and skills that are useful in the field
- Stable and consistent performance
- Custom applications that show research and interest
Common ways to make a shortlist
During the shortlisting phase, companies use a number of different methods to evaluate and rank candidates in a systematic way.
- Systems for Scoring and Ranking: A lot of companies use numerical scoring systems that give different criteria different weights. For IT jobs, technical skills might be more important, while for jobs that deal with customers, soft skills and cultural fit might be more important. This methodical approach makes sure that all reviewers are fair and consistent.
- Looking for Relevant Achievements and Metrics: Recruiters put candidates who can show measurable impact through quantifiable achievements at the top of their lists. Candidates’ skills can be proven through things like making money, saving money, managing a team, improving processes, and delivering projects.
- Setting priorities: Resumes that are generic and made in large quantities always do poorly in shortlisting processes. Companies prefer candidates who show they understand the job requirements and the needs of the company through personalised applications.
| Resume Type | Shortlisting Success Rate | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Highly Customised | 68% | Role-specific keywords, Company research is evident |
| Moderately Tailored | 42% | Some customisation, Generic cover letter |
| Generic Application | 18% | No customisation, Mass-produced content |
Challenges with Shortlisting Resumes
There are a number of ongoing problems with the shortlisting process that affect both recruiters and candidates.
Managing Volume
In February 2025, India’s job market grew by 4%, which led to more applications. Well-known companies get thousands of applications for each job, which makes it almost impossible to review them all without technology.
Unconscious Bias and Diversity Issues
Traditional ways of making a shortlist can keep unconscious biases based on things like gender, educational background, past employers, and other demographic factors. To encourage diversity and inclusion, forward-thinking companies use blind resume reviews and structured evaluation criteria.
How to Handle Resumes That Are Missing Information or Are Not Clear?
Many candidates don’t give enough information, which makes it hard to judge them accurately. Recruiters need to find a balance between giving candidates the benefit of the doubt and making assumptions about qualifications or experiences that aren’t clear.
Limitations of Technology
Even though they have gotten better, ATS systems still have trouble with creative formats, non-traditional career paths, and achievements that depend on the situation. This can lead to situations where qualified candidates are accidentally filtered out because of problems with formatting or keywords.
How to Get Shortlisted for a Job?
Candidates can make their applications more likely to be successful by understanding the shortlisting process.
How to Customise Your Resume for Each Job
Candidates who get the job put in the time to learn what the job requires and make sure their resumes reflect that. This means using the right keywords, emphasising relevant experiences, and showing that you are a good fit for the job.
Using Keywords in a Smart Way
To use keywords effectively, you need to find a balance between natural language and optimisation. Candidates should use industry terms, technical skills, and phrases that are relevant to the job, but they should also make sure that the content is easy to read and interesting.
How to Make Resumes Work for Both Types of Jobs?
Today’s resumes need to meet the needs of both ATS parsing and human reviewers. This means that:
- The formatting should be neat
- The section headers should be clear
- The content should be in chronological order
- The keywords should be placed in a way that makes sense
Bringing Attention to Measurable Successes
Numbers say more than general descriptions. Successful candidates use specific metrics to show how they made a difference, like:
- “Increased sales by 23%”
- Instead of “Improved sales performance”
What Indian Job Seekers Should Do?
- Professional Summary: Write a short, 3–4 line summary that highlights your most important skills.
- Skills Section: Make a separate section for your technical and soft skills that are relevant.
- Experience – More Information: Use action verbs and numbers to show how much you’ve done when you can.
- Education Section: List relevant classes, projects, and academic successes.
- More Sections: Include certifications, languages, and volunteer work if they apply.
Finally
The resume shortlisting process is a very important step for every job seeker, and knowing how it works can greatly increase their chances of getting the job. As we’ve seen, companies use a mix of advanced technology and human judgement to find the best candidates from a large pool of applicants.
Changes in how companies find talent, such as using AI, data analytics, and automation, are reflected in the way shortlisting works. But the human element is still important, so technology should make candidate evaluation better instead of replacing it.
In today’s competitive job market, Indian job seekers need to think strategically about how to improve their resumes, customise them for specific roles, and clearly show their value proposition. In 2025, India’s hiring industry will see a lot of growth and change because of new technologies and changes in the workforce. This means that job seekers need to stay up to date on how things are changing.
The key to making a good shortlist is knowing that resumes are marketing tools that get you interviews, not jobs. Candidates can greatly improve their chances of getting through the shortlisting phase by:
- Making sure their applications fit the needs of the company
- Making sure they are easy for both people and technology to review
- Consistently showing value through measurable achievements
As hiring practices change, job seekers who can adapt their strategies to fit those changes while still honestly showing what they can do and what they can bring to the table will be the most successful. Understanding how companies narrow down resumes is a good investment that pays off throughout your career. It helps you search for jobs more strategically and position yourself better in India’s fast-changing job market.
13+ Yrs Experienced Career Counsellor & Skill Development Trainer | Educator | Digital & Content Strategist. Helping freshers and graduates make sound career choices through practical consultation. Guest faculty and Digital Marketing trainer working on building a skill development brand in Softspace Solutions. A passionate writer in core technical topics related to career growth.
