screen applicants

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "screen applicants" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to the process of evaluating job candidates to determine their suitability for a position. Example: "The HR team will screen applicants to find the best fit for the role." Alternative expressions include "evaluate candidates" and "assess applicants."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Police screen applicants.

The New Yorker

Screen applicants and determine whom to interview.

Cornell University

Delta has set up a telephone hotline to screen applicants.

The Economist

They raise job standards, and they screen applicants slowly.

The New Yorker

Employers in Utah could request workers and the Mexican authorities would screen applicants.

The Economist

To make its risks manageable, the company uses several criteria to screen applicants.

The Economist

Each year, the show's producers, Chris Shipley and Jim Forbes, screen applicants from 800 technology companies.

The New York Times - Tech

Yet those who screen applicants are wise to the ways of inflation.

The New York Times

Randolph's mother, Annie Evans Brannon, above, helped screen applicants until she died three years ago.

The New York Times

They need to retrain officers and screen applicants for subtle bigotry.

The New York Times

The department responded by assuring Mr. McCall's office that it was requiring insurance carriers to screen applicants.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal business writing, pair this phrase with the criteria being used, such as "screen applicants for technical proficiency" or "screen applicants based on academic records".

Common error

Avoid using "screen applicants" to describe the final interview phase. Screening is the process of filtering out unsuitable candidates to decide who deserves an interview, whereas interviewing is the deeper evaluation that follows. Using them interchangeably can lead to confusion regarding the recruitment timeline.

Linguistic Context

As demonstrated in Ludwig, the phrase "screen applicants" functions as a transitive verb phrase. It consists of the action verb 'screen' (to examine or test) and the direct object 'applicants'. It is typically used in the active voice when describing organizational policy and the passive voice when focusing on the candidate's experience.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "screen applicants" is a vital professional phrase used across various sectors to describe the initial evaluation of candidates. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread acceptance in top-tier journalism, scientific journals and academic career guides. Whether you are discussing corporate hiring, university admissions or government background checks, this phrase accurately conveys the act of filtering for quality and suitability. To improve your writing, remember that screening is the precursor to selection, focusing on efficiency and consistency in the early stages of a search.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

vet candidates

Focuses more on investigative background checks and character verification.

evaluate job seekers

Broadens the scope to include qualitative assessment of skills and fit.

filter applicants

Emphasizes the reduction of a large pool of candidates down to a manageable size.

shortlist candidates

Specifically refers to the stage of selecting the most qualified individuals for an interview.

review applications

A more general term for the administrative act of checking submitted documents.

assess potential employees

Implies a more systematic or psychological measurement of suitability.

process applicants

Suggests a more administrative or automated flow within a recruitment system.

select qualified individuals

Focuses on the outcome of the screening process rather than the act of filtering itself.

validate credentials

Strictly refers to checking the truthfulness of a candidate's claims.

appraise candidate suitability

A more formal and analytical way to describe the evaluation of a candidate's fit.

FAQs

How to use "screen applicants" in a sentence?

A common way to use it is: "The HR department will "screen applicants" to find the most qualified candidates for the second round."

What can I say instead of "screen applicants"?

Depending on your focus, you can use phrases like "vet candidates", "evaluate prospective hires" or "filter job seekers".

Which is more formal, "screening" or "vetting"?

Both are professional, but "vetting" often implies a more rigorous investigation into a person's background, while "screening" is the standard term for initial administrative filtering.

What is the difference between "screen applicants" and "interview applicants"?

To "screen applicants" is to review their initial credentials (resumes, tests) to see if they meet basic requirements, whereas to "interview applicants" is to engage in a direct conversation to assess their personality and depth of knowledge.