Startup Hiring
November 13, 2025
11 min read
How Startups Screen Resumes on Zero Budget: Complete Guide
You're a 5-person startup. You posted one job. 250+ resumes arrived. You have $0 hiring budget. How do you screen without burning 40 hours manually? This Q&A covers zero-budget resume screening: free ATS tools (Dover, Zoho, Resume Screening AI), DIY spreadsheet workflows, hiring scripts, automation tricks, and when to upgrade. Includes real workflow, time-saving hacks, and honest assessment of what's possible without money.
Alex Rivera