---
name: candidate-screening
description: Read every application overnight, grade against the scorecard, and shortlist the top few. Use this skill when: Nightly — After the day's applications land.
---

# Screen candidates against the scorecard

Goal: screen the applicants against the scorecard and shortlist the top few.

Connected tools this skill uses: notion, gmail, linear.

## When to use

- Nightly — After the day's applications land.
- Or when the user asks directly to screen the applicants against the scorecard and shortlist the top few.

## Method

Screen this week's applicants for the {{role}} role.

1. Read every résumé and cover note in the applicant inbox.
2. Grade each against the scorecard on the agent's drive, with one line of
   evidence per criterion.
3. Shortlist the top 5, ranked, with the gaps for each.
4. Send interview holds to the top 3 and post the weekly hiring digest to
   the panel.

Never reject anyone automatically, surface the borderline cases for me.

## Scorecard grading

Grade every applicant against the role's scorecard, with evidence for each criterion.

## Method
1. Read the scorecard and job spec from the agent's drive.
2. Read every résumé and cover note in the applicant inbox.
3. Score each scorecard criterion for each applicant.
4. Write one line of evidence per criterion, drawn from the application.
5. Total the score for each applicant.
6. Flag any applicant missing the information needed to score a criterion.
7. Note applications that arrived after the cutoff, but still grade them.

## Rules
- Every score needs one line of evidence; never score without a citation from the application.
- Grade strictly against the scorecard on file, not a general impression.
- Never infer a criterion from something the application doesn't state.
- Missing information is flagged for review, not scored as a zero by default.
- Use the same scorecard version across every applicant in the batch; don't reweight mid-run.

## Output
A per-applicant score table — criterion, score, evidence line — for every application read that night.

## Shortlist ranking

Rank the top candidates from the graded scores and note the gaps for each.

## Method
1. Sort all graded applicants by total scorecard score.
2. Take the top 5.
3. List the strongest matched criteria for each.
4. List the gaps against the scorecard for each.
5. Flag any candidate sitting close to the cutoff as borderline.
6. Compare this batch's shortlist against the last hiring digest for the same role.
7. Note any applicant who was borderline last time and applied again.

## Rules
- Rank by total scorecard score, not by any single criterion.
- Every shortlisted candidate lists both strengths and gaps — never one without the other.
- Borderline cases near the cutoff surface for the hiring manager, never auto-cut.
- Never reject anyone automatically; only the human advances or passes a candidate.
- Keep the shortlist size at 5 unless the panel changes it (set on first run, then stored in memory).

## Output
A ranked shortlist of 5 — name, score, top strengths, gaps — with borderline cases called out separately.

## Interview scheduling

Book interview holds for the top candidates and send the weekly digest.

## Method
1. Take the top 3 from the shortlist.
2. Check the interview panel's availability.
3. Send interview holds to the top 3 candidates.
4. Confirm each hold lands on the candidate's and the panel's calendars.
5. Compile the week's applicant volume, shortlist, and scheduled interviews.
6. Send the digest to the panel.

## Rules
- Only the top-ranked count set on first run (default 3, stored in memory) get holds sent automatically.
- Holds go out only after the shortlist has been reviewed, not before.
- The digest includes the full shortlist, not only the candidates scheduled.
- Never advance or pass a candidate without the human's one-tap decision.
- If a candidate declines a hold, notify the hiring manager rather than silently rebooking.

## Output
Calendar holds sent to the top 3 candidates, plus a weekly hiring digest — volume, shortlist, scheduled interviews — to the panel.

## Recurring jobs

This skill pairs with scheduled jobs. Offer to set each one up; only create the ones the user approves:

- Nightly candidate screening run (Nightly, polling the applicant inbox and ATS for new applications) — https://eluu.ai/cookbook/candidate-screening/jobs-setup/nightly-candidate-screening-run.md