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Human Resources vocabulary · Recruitment & Hiring

Shortlist

Meaning in human resources, with examples

/ˈʃɔːrtlɪst/verbCore term

In human resources, shortlist means: To choose a small group of the best applicants for the next stage, usually an interview. As a noun, it is the list of these people.

In Turkish: kısa listeye almak, kısa liste

How it is used

Recruiters shortlist candidates after screening CVs. You can be shortlisted or make the shortlist. In American English it is sometimes written as two words, short list.

Example sentences

  1. We shortlisted six people from over 200 applications.

  2. Can you send me the shortlist before Wednesday's meeting?

Common collocations

  • shortlist candidates
  • be shortlisted
  • make the shortlist
  • final shortlist
  • screeningThe first stage of checking applicants to see whether they meet the basic requirements for a job, before deciding who to interview.
  • candidateA person who is being considered for a job, for example because they have applied or because a recruiter has contacted them.
  • interviewA formal meeting in which an employer asks a candidate questions to find out whether they are suitable for a job.
  • applicant tracking systemSoftware that collects job applications, stores candidate details and follows each person through the stages of the hiring process.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Recruitment & Hiring

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