5 Pre-Screening Questions Recruiters Must Ask

Employers estimate 60 percent of applicants are unqualified for their job postings, according to Oracle. Looking to weed out these unqualified applicants ? Try asking pre-screening questions.

When creating pre-screening questions, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, ask questions to which candidates can provide unique answers. For example, don’t ask questions such as “Do you work well on a team?” because the candidate can simply answer “yes.” Second, it’s also important to make sure your pre-screening questions are completely legal and don’t violate the candidate’s privacy.

To improve your candidate selection process, here are five pre-screening questions recruiters must ask:

1. What is your highest level of education?

This question can automatically weed out individuals who don’t meet the education requirements for the position. Also, this question can be useful for recruiters who are searching for candidates for senior-level positions requiring a master’s degree or more.

2. Are you willing to travel X hours per month?

If you’re hiring for a position that requires some travel, this is another important screening question to ask. Any candidate who says they are unwilling to travel or don’t want to travel often can be eliminated from your pile of applications.

3. Do you have XYZ Certification?

Recruiters should ask this question when the position requires a special license or certification. This will confirm whether or not the candidate meets the position qualifications.

4. What did you accomplish in your last position?

This is a helpful question to ask during the screening process because it enables recruiters to determine what the candidate has the potential to accomplish if hired. It also gives recruiters some insight on what type of experience and skills the candidate has.

5. Why did you leave your last job?

Asking this question gives recruiters the opportunity to find out about the candidate’s previous work experience. It can also help determine whether the candidate left their last employer on positive or negative terms.

Hiring the wrong person can have a negative impact on an organization. By using pre-screening questions, recruiters can quickly weed out bad fits and make faster hiring decisions.

What questions do you believe are important to ask during the candidate screening process?