Definition
Screening questions — Screening questions are a short set of questions employers ask early in hiring, before a full interview, to check a candidate against a role's basic requirements. They typically cover things like required certifications, work authorization, minimum years of experience, willingness to work a specific shift or relocate, and salary range fit. A recruiter often asks them on a first phone call, or they're built directly into the online application, storing the answers before a person ever reviews the resume. Screening questions differ from an interview in scope. Where an interview explores how a candidate thinks and communicates, screening questions confirm a handful of yes-or-no or short-answer facts. Some are open-ended, like asking why a candidate is interested in the role, while others are closer to knockout questions, a stricter subtype that automatically disqualifies anyone who doesn't meet a true must-have requirement. For high-volume roles, screening questions are often the only reviewed step before an automated system narrows the pool, since a recruiter can't personally read thousands of applications for one opening.
Screening questions sit at the very start of the pipeline, written from the job requisition and job description into a checklist a recruiter or a system applies to every applicant the same way. A tightly worded question, like a required license number or years with a specific tool, gives a clear pass or fail before more time gets spent.
The Intervieux angle
On Intervieux, employers set up automated screening rules that run the moment each AI interview finishes, checking a candidate's scores, experience level, and key skills against conditions the employer defines, then tagging, flagging, or moving them to the next pipeline stage without anyone doing it by hand.
Frequently asked questions
How are screening questions different from an interview?
Screening questions confirm a small set of facts, like required experience or work authorization, usually in a form or a short call. A full interview evaluates how a candidate communicates and thinks through problems, which takes more time per candidate.
Are screening questions the same as knockout questions?
Not exactly. Knockout questions are a stricter subtype: an automatic disqualifier when a true must-have requirement isn't met. Screening questions is the broader category, and not every one ends a candidate's chances on its own.
Who writes screening questions for a job opening?
Usually a recruiter, working from the job requisition and job description, turning the role's actual must-haves into a short list every applicant answers the same way.
Related pages
Get past screening with a real answer
Intervieux's job board pairs open roles with a live AI screening interview, so applying moves straight into the actual conversation instead of another form.