Want to learn more about using screening questions in your recruitment process? Watch the video below or read on.
Screening questions help you quickly identify candidates who meet your requirements and filter out those who do not. You can also mark specific answers as disqualifying, automatically moving unsuitable candidates into the unsuitable section of your hiring pipeline and saving time during review.
Adding screening questions to your job
You can add screening questions on the Application Method screen when posting a job using ‘Apply via CV and cover letter (CharityJob Apply)’.
You have two ways to add questions:
Choose questions
Select from a list of pre-built screening questions, including:
Right to work,
Driving licence,
Notice period,
Availability,
Previous experience,
Where they heard about the vacancy.
Create questions
Create your own custom screening questions and choose the response type that best fits your needs.
Response types
When creating a question, you can choose from four response types:
1. Yes/No.
Ideal for simple two-option questions.
Example: "Do you have the right to work in the UK?"
2. Short answer
Maximum 150 characters. Best for brief text responses.
Example: “What is your preferred working location?”
3. Long answer
Maximum 5,000 characters. Use when you would like candidates to provide
more detail.
Example: "Why would you like to join our organisation?"
4. Multiple choice
Select from a list of options that you provide.
You can allow candidates to:
Select one option (radio buttons),
Select multiple options (checkboxes).
You can add up to 10 options, with a maximum of 150 characters per option.
Setting up a multiple-choice question
When you select multiple choice, you will be asked how many options a candidate can select.
One option
Candidates can select a single answer using radio buttons.
Multiple options
Candidates can select one or more options using checkboxes.
Once you have chosen the format, you can add your answer options. You can drag and drop them to change their order.
Making a question disqualifying
Disqualifying questions automatically mark a candidate as unsuitable if they select an answer you have flagged as disqualifying.
Disqualifying questions are available for:
Yes/No answers,
Multiple choice answers.
They aren’t available for:
Short answer, or
Long answer.
To make an answer disqualifying, tick the disqualifying checkbox next to the relevant option.
For Yes/No questions:
Select either:
Yes, or
No
Depending on which answer should automatically disqualify a candidate.
For multiple choice questions:
Tick any answer options that should disqualify a candidate.
You can mark more than one option as disqualifying.
Important: for multi-select multiple choice questions, a candidate will be marked as unsuitable if they select any option marked as disqualifying.
Rules for disqualifying questions
Not every option can be disqualifying
You can’t mark every option as disqualifying - at least one option must remain available. If every option is marked as disqualifying, an error message will appear, and you won’t be able to save the question.
Disqualifying questions are automatically required
As soon as you mark an option as disqualifying:
The question becomes required.
The required setting is locked.
Candidates must answer the question before they are able to submit their application.
Changed your mind?
Simply remove all disqualifying selections.
The question will become a standard screening question again and you can choose whether it’s required or optional.
How automatic disqualification works
Candidates who submit a disqualifying answer:
are automatically moved to the unsuitable pipeline,
don’t trigger a new application email notification,
remain available in your ATS for review,
can be returned to the active pipeline at any time.
What candidates see
Candidates see screening questions as part of the application process and must complete any required questions before submitting their application. They cannot see which answers are set as disqualifying. Disqualifying questions look the same to them as standard screening questions.
Reviewing candidate answers in your ATS
An active candidate’s answers will appear in the screening questions section of their application.
For multiple choice questions:
Single-select questions show the chosen answer. Multi-select questions show all available options, highlighting those selected by the candidate
Automatically disqualified candidates
Candidates who submit a disqualifying answer are automatically moved to the unsuitable section of your hiring pipeline.
You will see:
A failed disqualifying question indicator at the top of their profile,
A disqualifying answer label next to the answer that triggered the disqualification,
A back to active button that allows you to return the candidate to your active pipeline.
For multi-select questions, each disqualifying answer selected by the candidate is flagged.
Filtering candidates by screening question answers
You can filter candidates in your hiring pipeline using their screening question responses.
Select filters above the pipeline columns to open the filters panel.
Yes/No questions
Filter by:
Any,
Yes,
No.
Multiple choice questions
Use the ‘choose answers’ dropdown to select one or more answers. Candidates will be shown if they selected one or more of the chosen options.
Disqualifying answers
Where applicable, you’ll also see a helper message explaining which answers are disqualifying.
For example:
Disqualifying if the answer is ‘No’.
Disqualifying if the answer is ‘I have no professional experience’ or ‘Less than one year’.
Active filter chips
Applied filters are displayed as chips above your pipeline, making it easy to see which filters are currently active.
For example:
How many years of experience do you have? 6-10 years, 10+ years.
To remove a filter, click the × on the relevant chip.
Tips for getting the most out of screening questions
Focus on essential requirements
Use disqualifying questions for requirements that are essential for the role and would immediately rule a candidate out.
Requirements that are desirable but not essential are often better suited to standard screening questions, allowing you to still review strong candidates who may not meet every preference.
Use multiple choice for consistent data
Multiple choice questions provide cleaner, more consistent data than free-text answers.
They are particularly useful for:
Notice periods,
Salary expectations,
Availability,
Qualifications,
Licences and certifications.
Review your suitable and unsuitable candidates regularly
Candidates moved to the unsuitable pipeline aren’t deleted and remain available in your ATS. If you’d like to reconsider a candidate, you can review their application and move them back to active at any time.