In the last paper in this series covering recruitment and retention, we discussed the writing of job descriptions and person specifications as the first stages in the process of employing new staff. This paper will cover the next vital component of the recruitment process: the shortlisting of candidates for interview. Shortlisting is an often overlooked skill that managers need to develop because creating a shortlist that is too long will mean conducting a lot of pointless interviews, while one that is too short might exclude good candidates. The ideal shortlist will contain all of the best candidates from those who applied, who may well be able to undertake the work as described in the job description and person specification. While this is an often rushed part of the recruitment process, it is nevertheless important to undertake this process in a thoughtful and structured manner.