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Candidate Screening Questionnaire Template

A candidate screening questionnaire is a short written form applicants complete when they apply, before any recruiter speaks to them. It captures eligibility, work authorisation status, notice period, location or relocation preference, and self-rated experience, so you can filter a large applicant pool down to a shortlist worth calling, without booking a single screening call first.

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Attach this questionnaire to your job posting or application form so every applicant answers the same questions in writing. It replaces the first few minutes of every screening call - confirming eligibility, notice period and salary range - with a form your team can filter and sort before anyone picks up the phone.

01 Copy & adapt — replace every [placeholder]

Eligibility questions

1. Are you legally authorised to work in [COUNTRY] without visa sponsorship? Answer type: Yes / No

2. What is your current work authorisation status? Answer type: short text, e.g. [CITIZEN / PERMANENT RESIDENT / WORK VISA - SPECIFY TYPE]

3. Will you require sponsorship to continue working in [COUNTRY] in the future? Answer type: Yes / No

4. Are you at least [MINIMUM AGE] years old? Answer type: Yes / No

Logistics and availability

5. What is your current notice period, or earliest available start date? Answer type: short text

6. Current location: [CITY, STATE OR REGION, COUNTRY]. Answer type: short text

7. Are you open to relocating for this role? Answer type: Yes / No / Open to discussing

8. Is this role on-site, hybrid or remote for you, and does that work with your situation? Answer type: Yes / No / short text

Compensation

9. What is your expected salary range for this role? Answer type: range field, e.g. [LOW] to [HIGH] [CURRENCY] - do not pre-fill a figure

10. Is this range negotiable, or is it a firm requirement? Answer type: short text

11. What is your current or most recent compensation structure (base, bonus, equity)? Answer type: short text, optional

Reviewer note: leave this field to the applicant to fill in first - do not state a figure of your own anywhere on this form.

Experience and self-rating

12. Self-rate your experience with [KEY SKILL 1] from 1 (none) to 5 (expert). Answer type: 1-5

13. Self-rate your experience with [KEY SKILL 2] from 1 (none) to 5 (expert). Answer type: 1-5

14. How many years of relevant experience do you have in [FIELD OR FUNCTION]? Answer type: number

15. Portfolio, work samples or code repository link (if applicable): Answer type: URL

Knockout and disqualifying questions

16. Do you hold [REQUIRED CERTIFICATION / LICENCE], and is it current? Answer type: Yes / No

17. This role requires [MUST-HAVE REQUIREMENT, e.g. WILLINGNESS TO WORK NIGHT SHIFTS]. Can you commit to this? Answer type: Yes / No

18. Have you previously worked at [COMPANY NAME] or a group company? Answer type: Yes / No

Note to reviewer: mark any No on a knockout question above as a disqualifying answer and route the application to the reject list before scheduling a call.

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02 In practice

How to use this template

  1. Decide which two or three questions are true knockout questions - an answer that should stop the application moving forward - and mark them clearly for whoever reviews responses.
  2. Attach the questionnaire to your application form or send it as a follow-up link immediately after someone applies.
  3. Set the salary expectation field as a range, not a single number, and never pre-fill a figure of your own.
  4. Route every disqualifying answer straight to a reject list so reviewers only spend time on applicants who clear eligibility.
  5. Review answers in batches before booking any calls, and shortlist based on notice period, location fit and self-rated experience together.

Tips

Keep knockout questions to the two or three that genuinely end the conversation - overusing them screens out people who could still be a good fit. Ask about work authorisation status directly instead of guessing from a name or address - it saves a wasted call later in the process. Frame the salary field as a range the applicant fills in themselves; asking them to name a figure first, rather than stating your own, keeps the conversation open. Questions about age, family status, health or other protected characteristics are restricted in many countries and states - check what you may lawfully ask in your jurisdiction before adding a question like this. Treat self-rated experience as a starting point for the first conversation, not a final score - people rate themselves differently, so use it to prioritise calls, not to reject on its own.

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FAQ

Candidate Screening Questionnaire Template — FAQs

What is a candidate screening questionnaire?
It is a short written form applicants fill in when they apply, covering eligibility, work authorisation, notice period, location and expected salary range. It lets a recruiter filter a large pool of applications before booking a single phone call.
How is this different from a phone screen?
A phone screen is a live conversation after someone has already cleared the basics. This questionnaire happens first, in writing, and is designed to confirm eligibility and logistics so the phone screen can focus on fit and experience instead of repeating the same opening questions.
How many questions should the questionnaire have?
Somewhere between ten and twenty is usually workable - enough to cover eligibility, logistics, compensation and experience without turning the application into a chore. Long questionnaires reduce completion rates, so cut anything that is not a genuine filter.
Can I ask applicants for their salary expectations before an interview?
Many employers do, using a range rather than asking for a single figure, and some jurisdictions restrict how salary history questions can be asked. Check the rules that apply where you are hiring, and keep the field about the candidate's expectation rather than their past pay.
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