Toni,

You've touched on the very crux of the problem very early in your article. You write that you can understand why HR uses keyword scans because "it?s easier than having HR understand the intricacies of every department in the company." Herein lies the problem. HR should NOT be doing hiring. The only role HR should play in hiring is coordination.

If (and this is a big if as has been discussed in other posts) the company truly wants the best candidate for the position, then the hiring manager or someone they designate should be doing the initial filtering of the resumes BY HAND! Only those involved in the disciplines involved can make an informed decision about the candiadte's potential ability to perform the job.

Don't get me wrong, HR has a role to play in the business, I just don't believe that it's as a primary player in the hiring process.