Recruiting & HR
Build a candidate screening question checklist
A good checklist keeps early screening consistent, relevant and easy to review. This guide shows how to turn a role into a short set of questions, using a worked example for a customer support hire.
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Step one: define what the role truly requires
Begin by listing three to five outcomes the person must achieve, not a long wish list. For a customer support representative, outcomes might be resolving routine questions clearly, staying calm with upset customers, documenting each case and knowing when to escalate. Add any practical constraints, such as shift availability, language needs or required tools. Each outcome becomes a category on the checklist. If a requirement cannot be connected to the actual work, leave it out. This keeps screening focused, reduces irrelevant questions and gives every reviewer the same definition of what a strong early answer should demonstrate.
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Step two: write one question per outcome
For each category, write a single open question that invites a concrete example. For documentation, ask: describe a time you recorded a problem so someone else could continue the work. For calm communication, ask what you did the last time a person was frustrated with you. Add a short factual question for logistics, such as availability. Avoid questions that touch on protected personal characteristics, and avoid trick prompts. Keep the wording identical for every candidate. Five to seven questions is usually enough for a first screen, leaving deeper exploration to the interview stage where conversation can be more flexible.
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Step three: set a scoring note and a review step
Beside each question, write what a strong, acceptable and unclear answer looks like, using plain language. A strong escalation answer might name a specific moment, the action taken and the result. Score before comparing candidates, and record brief evidence rather than impressions. Then add a human review step: a second person reads the notes for any candidate who is borderline, and the team confirms that the questions still match the role. After a few hiring rounds, revise any question that fails to separate answers or confuses applicants. The checklist improves as it is reused with discipline.