HR Question:

Should we use a pre-screen questionnaire for job applicants? Isn’t that just another step in the process that takes more time? Why should we use them?

HR Answer:

Recruiting is hard. Screeners can make it…well, a little less hard. You take the time to craft a perfectly worded job ad, post it online, and pray the ideal candidate applies soon. Then, your job posts either bring in only a handful of applicants or you get so many applicants that you don’t have time to review all the resumes. This is where spending 20 minutes upfront to create a pre-screen questionnaire when you post your job online can help save you hours later. You can get your applicant list down to the most qualified shortlist.

When trying to implement pre-screening processes, you will want to follow a few best practices to make the most of your time.

Use five or fewer screening questions

Your questions should be job-related and relevant, getting at the “must-haves” or “must-know” items. Keep most questions easy to answer with a Yes or No such as “Have you used Tableau for Data Visualization?” or “Are you willing to travel every week for two overnights?” Sparingly use questions requiring a longer answer such as “Tell us a recent example of how you closed your last sales deal.” These are best used during a phone or in-person interview.

Send your pre-screen questionnaire in a Word document or PDF if necessary

Do you get your applicants from other sources that are not online job boards? Send a short pre-screen questionnaire in PDF or Word to those applicants before you conduct a phone or in-person interview. This can be effective even when you don’t get an abundance of resumes yet still prefer to narrow the applicant pool. Once you have selected a handful of qualified candidates, you can spend your quality time interviewing by phone, video, or in person.

Leverage online skills assessment tests

Some job boards, such as Indeed or LinkedIn, offer skills screeners to save both you and the candidate time. You can have the skills tests sent automatically to all applicants or simply request it of just those whose resumes show the most potential. These skills screening assessments can give you a score for accounting skills, customer service, software, and so much more. These assessments are often free and take the candidate just minutes to do while saving your organization hours finding those stars.

Build questions into your organization’s careers page

This method is great when you’re advertising and drawing applicants in from places other than online job boards. You can still prescreen those applicants no matter the source. Many applicant tracking systems such as Taleo, Greenhouse, and Workable give you the option to add custom screening questions with each new job you list on your website, beyond those on your standard application. Keep these additional questions to fewer than five to avoid a lengthy application.

When not to use a pre-screen questionnaire

Are there times when using a screener or adding a screening skills assessment is not appropriate? Sure! For more senior-level positions, particularly ones that may have a large impact on your company’s strategy or bottom line, have a brief conversation with them up front if their resume looks like a fit. That quick conversation could address the same questions you would ask in a screener but has a personal and professional touch that would indicate your interest and their status in the recruitment process quickly. The same could go for any candidate you have found through networking or a referral as well.

Don’t forget that screeners and pre-screening questions should follow the same standards that you would follow when asking interview questions.

Thank you to Andrea Whalen, Senior HR Business Strategist, for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.

Recruitment is more than just posting a job ad. It takes a targeted message, the right sources, and lots of follow-up. But recruiting doesn’t have to take up all of your time and money! Our team at Strategic HR knows what it takes to attract, hire, and retain the best employees. Check out our Outsourced Recruitment page to learn more or contact us for recruiting help!