Add pre-screening questions to your job posting

Go to: Add pre-screening questions | Ask the right questions

Pre-screening questions are single or multiple-choice questions that candidates must answer when applying to your job in WaterlooWorks. You can add up to five pre-screening questions to each job posting on the Full-Cycle Service job board to help you assess a candidate's ability to meet specific, mandatory requirements for your job.

Pre-screening questions are most effective when used to assess specific job requirements with clear answers such as:

Specific requirements like a G license or experience with Javascript.
Location or travel-based requirements for the job.
Required security checks or clearance levels.
Certifications or skill levels in software/tools necessary for the job.
Any other requirements for your position that you’d like to ask for up front.
See some sample pre-screening questions.

Pre-screening questions help you to:

Filter through résumés faster by grouping applications based on their responses to your pre-screening questions.
Quickly see which candidates have the knowledge and skills required for your job.
Focus your interviews on applicants who indicated they meet your specific job requirements.

Have questions about what content to include in your pre-screening questions? Feel free to reach out to your account manager by sending a message in WaterlooWorks.

Steps to add pre-screening questions to your job posting on the Full-Cycle Service job board

DETERMINE WHAT TO ASK | SAMPLE PRE-SCREENING QUESTIONS

Pre-screening questions work best for specific job requirements that have a clear way of being measured. For the best results, be sure to choose clear, concise questions with clear answer choices. To determine what pre-screening questions to add, think about the requirements that exist on your job posting. If a clear answer exists, consider adding a pre-screening question.

Sample pre-screening questions

Category	Sample questions/answers
Work location	Which of the following locations are you willing to work at? <insert location options>
Security checks	Students will need to complete a <insert required security check – for example, vulnerable sector check, police clearance, reliability status security clearance, etc.>. Are you willing to complete this requirement? Yes/No
Language	This job requires you to be fluent in <insert language>. Do you meet this requirement? Yes/No
Physical requirement	Are you willing and able to lift, move and transfer equipment and supplies weighing up to <insert weight – typically 20kg or 50lbs>. Yes/No
Travel	This job requires travel. Do you have a valid passport or ability to obtain a valid passport for the purpose of traveling for this job? Yes/No
First aid	Which of the following valid certifications do you have? (Select all that apply). <insert required certifications>
Use of vehicle	Do you have a car that can be used for the work term period? Yes/No
License	Do you have a valid G-Class or equivalent driver’s license for the work term period? Yes/No
Clean driver's abstract	Do you have a valid G-Class driver's license and an acceptable driver's abstract (no more than three (3) driving related convictions and an accumulation of no more than three (3) demerit points in the previous three (3) years prior to the date of hire. Yes/No

After completing your interview reservation, WaterlooWorks will direct you to the Create Pre-Screening Questions page.
- The full path in WaterlooWorks is: Create Job Posting > Add Employment Details > Create Interview Reservation > Add Pre-Screening Questions
Click the Add Pre-Screening Questions button:

CREATE YOUR PRE-SCREENING QUESTIONS

To add questions, click the button that says Add Question.

ENTER A QUESTION

Enter the text for your question in the Question Text box (255 character limit).
Choose between multi-choice or single answer by clicking on the Multi-Choice drop down menu.
Write your answer options in the open text box and click the Add button. Repeat this step for each answer option you want to include.
Click Save when you are finished entering your question text and multi-choice answer options.

EDIT A PRE-SCREENING QUESTION

If you need to edit one of your pre-screening questions, click on Posting Options > Edit Pre-Screening Questions.

You can only edit questions before postings open to students. If you need to edit your questions once the job is live, contact your account co-ordinator.

Screenshot of editing pre-screening questions in waterlooworks

REVIEW ANSWERS TO PRE-SCREENING QUESTIONS

Once your job status is Applications Available you can filter in WaterlooWorks for answers to the pre-screening questions.

There are two ways to view the answers to the pre-screening questions.

Obtain a list of applications and their answers:
1. Use the filter function: click on the Applications Options tab and then View Applications.
2. Click on Filter.
3. Scroll down to Additional Filters, Pre-Screening. Click on the answer(s) you want for each question.
4. Click on Apply Filter and WaterlooWorks will populate a list of students who indicated they meet your selected criteria.
Review individual responses. To see individual responses, click on the Pre-Screening button beside the student’s name. WaterlooWorks will generate a page of questions and answers for each student.

Ask the right questions

There are human rights guidelines for employment interview questions and these pre-screening questions are no exception. You cannot ask discriminatory questions. Learn more about human rights guidelines for application and interview questions.

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