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Oct 24

Top 10 Questions to Include in Your Pre Employment Questionnaire Template

We all know how difficult it can be to find the right fit for an open role, and resumes only tell part of the story. Far from it, in fact, since over 70% of people have included misleading information on their resumes.

In such an environment, finding the right candidates for a position can be a daunting task. Pre-employment questionnaires serve as a valuable tool to streamline the hiring process, allowing employers to gather important information about potential employees before the interview stage.

In this article, we’re covering ten insightful questions to include in your pre-employment questionnaire template and the benefits of doing so. You can also find some helpful resources so that you’re not starting from scratch with your PEQ.

10 Questions to Include in a Pre-Employment Questionnaire Template

  1. What about your past work experiences make you a great fit for the role? A common question during interviews, this question helps the candidate to think about whether or not they’re really qualified for the role. It allows candidates to reflect on their history and connect their experiences to the specific job, showcasing their suitability and relevant skills.
  2. What are the traits your ideal manager has? Understanding what candidates value in a manager can help employers gauge whether their management style aligns with the candidate’s expectations, fostering a better working relationship. If you know who the person will be reporting to, you can keep their personality in mind as the interview process proceeds. Does it seem like their characteristics align with what brings out the best in the candidate?
  3. What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your professional life, and how did you handle it? Another common interview question, you can learn this information early to get some valuable insights. The question reveals a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, resilience, and capacity for growth, providing insights into how they might navigate future challenges. And, if someone can’t point to a challenge, that’s a red flag.
  4. How do you manage conflict with a co-worker? Conflict resolution skills are critical in any workplace. This question assesses a candidate’s interpersonal skills and their approach to collaboration. Keep your overall company culture and the mindset of your colleagues in mind as you assess the answer. Does this person seem like they can address potential issues in a productive manner? You also want to look out for self-motivation; if their first instinct is always to turn to a manager, then you may have your hands full if you hire them.
  5. Rate your interpersonal skills from 1 – 10 (with 1 being none and 10 being exceptional). Self-assessment can highlight a candidate’s confidence and awareness of their communication abilities, which is essential in team environments. If the candidate rates themselves a ten on scales like this, you should be wary. That might be a sign that they are not very self-aware.
  6. Rate your [hard skills that are necessary for the role] from 1 – 10 (for example, graphic design talents, software coding, or accounting capabilities). Every job has some skill set that is essential to the role. It’s important that your team member has these skills – no matter how dazzled you might be by great interpersonal skills. This question provides a quantitative measure of a candidate’s technical skills relevant to the position, helping employers determine if they meet the required standards. At the same time, a lot of job functions can be taught or trained, so you may not need to get too hung up on how proficient they are at the moment.
  7. Describe your personal work style. Candidates’ work styles can vary significantly. This question helps assess whether their approach aligns with the company’s needs and culture. Some companies even use personality assessments or tests designed specifically to gauge cultural fit, as ensuring teams are compatible is important for cooperation and productivity.
  8. How do you manage projects and prioritize deadlines? This is another area that is good to understand, no matter what the particular role is. Time management and organizational skills are critical for most people’s success. This question reveals how candidates approach their workload and ensure timely completion of tasks.
  9. In what sort of work environments do you thrive? This question helps identify if the candidate’s preferred work setting matches the company’s culture, enhancing the likelihood of job satisfaction and retention. How does the work preference align with the job? If someone says they really enjoy a team environment and collaborating, they may not be happy with a remote role.
  10. What are some characteristics of a positive company culture that you would be excited about? Understanding what candidates value in a workplace culture can help employers create an environment that attracts and retains top talent. Outside of this particular hiring process, it can also give hiring managers insight into what top talent values and where there might be gaps to address.

Benefits of Using a Pre-Employment Questionnaire

At a basic level, a pre-employment questionnaire (often called a PEQ) is a screening tool used by hiring managers to learn more about potential candidates and weed out those who aren’t qualified. They offer assessments or tests that let you understand the candidate better before you move on to interviews. If you build out an effective pre-employment questionnaire template, you can use it across your organization and tweak it when necessary for different roles.

Utilizing pre-employment questionnaires offers several advantages:

  • Speed up the hiring process – Collecting essential information upfront allows hiring managers to quickly sift through candidates and focus on the most promising applicants.
  • Evaluate skills effectively – Questionnaires can provide a clearer picture of a candidate’s skills and experiences, leading to more informed hiring decisions.
  • Increase the quality of interviews – By addressing key areas in the questionnaire, interviewers can tailor their questions, making interviews more targeted and productive.
  • Predict potential employee behavior – Insights gained from responses can help predict how candidates might behave in various workplace scenarios, aiding in selecting those who will fit well within the team.
  • Identify key qualifications – Questionnaires help clarify which candidates possess the necessary qualifications for the role, making the selection process more efficient.

Getting Started: Pre-Employment Questionnaire Resources

You don’t need to start your PEQ from scratch. Here are a couple of items to inspire your process: