Screening questions let employers filter candidates before they apply. Add yes/no, text, or multiple choice questions to your job posting, and candidates must answer them as part of the application process. Responses are automatically evaluated. Candidates who meet your criteria proceed to apply, while those who don't are politely informed.
What are screening questions?
Screening questions are pre-application questions that candidates must answer before submitting their application for a job on Himalayas. They help employers quickly identify qualified candidates and reduce the time spent reviewing applications that do not meet basic requirements.
When a candidate clicks "Apply" on a job with screening questions, they see the questions in a step-by-step flow. After answering all questions, the system evaluates their responses. Candidates who pass move forward to the actual application. Candidates who do not meet the criteria receive a polite message and are not able to submit an application.
What types of screening questions are available?
Himalayas supports three question types:
Yes/No questions
Simple binary questions with a correct answer.
Example: "Do you have at least 3 years of experience with React?"
- Expected answer: Yes
- Candidate selects: Yes or No
- Evaluation: Exact match with the expected answer
Best for confirming hard requirements — certifications, minimum experience, legal eligibility, language fluency, or willingness to work specific hours.
Text questions
Open-ended questions where the candidate types a written response.
Example: "Describe your experience building REST APIs at scale."
- Maximum response length: 400 characters
- Evaluation: AI-powered semantic analysis compares the response against the expected answer for meaning and relevance
Text questions are evaluated using AI, which means candidates do not need to use the exact words from your expected answer. The AI checks whether the answer addresses what you are looking for.
Best for assessing knowledge, communication skills, or specific experience where a yes/no answer is not sufficient.
Multiple choice questions
Questions with several options where only one is correct.
Example: "Which of the following best describes your proficiency with Python?"
- Options: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert
- Correct option: Advanced
- Evaluation: Exact match with the correct option
Options are displayed to candidates in randomized order to prevent pattern-based guessing.
Best for skill-level self-assessment, preference selection, or knowledge verification where you want to offer specific choices.
How do I add screening questions to a job post?
When creating or editing a job listing from your Recruiter Dashboard:
- Navigate to the screening questions section of the job posting form
- Click "Add question"
- Choose the question type (yes/no, text, or multiple choice)
- Write your question
- Set the expected/correct answer
- Mark whether the question is required or optional
- Repeat for additional questions
You can add multiple screening questions to a single job post.
What does "required" vs "optional" mean?
Each screening question can be marked as required or optional:
- Required: The candidate must answer this question correctly to proceed with their application. If they answer incorrectly, they cannot apply.
- Optional: The candidate's answer is recorded but does not block their application regardless of what they answer. Optional questions are useful for gathering information without creating hard filters.
What does the candidate experience look like?
When a candidate clicks "Apply" on a job with screening questions:
- A screening modal appears showing the first question
- A progress bar at the top shows how many questions remain (e.g., "1 of 3")
- The candidate answers one question at a time and clicks "Next"
- They can go back to change previous answers
- After the final question, the system evaluates all responses
- If they pass: They see a confirmation message and can proceed to submit their application
- If they do not pass: They see a polite message explaining that the role is looking for candidates with a different skill set. They are not shown which specific question they failed.
The evaluation happens quickly — candidates see a brief "Analyzing your eligibility" loading state while responses are checked.
Tips for writing effective screening questions
Keep questions clear and specific. A question like "Do you have experience with cloud platforms?" is less useful than "Do you have at least 2 years of production experience with AWS or GCP?"
Do not over-screen. Using too many required screening questions can discourage qualified candidates from applying. Focus on the 2–3 criteria that are non-negotiable. Use optional questions for nice-to-have information.
Use the right question type for the job. Yes/no for hard requirements (certifications, legal eligibility), multiple choice for skill levels, and text for nuanced assessments.
For text questions, write a clear expected answer. The AI evaluates semantic similarity, so your expected answer should describe what a good response looks like. For example, if you ask about API experience, your expected answer might be "Experience building and maintaining RESTful APIs, handling authentication, rate limiting, and documentation."
Test your questions. Before publishing, read each question from the candidate's perspective. Is the expected answer obvious from the question? Could a qualified candidate reasonably fail due to ambiguous wording?
Can I edit screening questions after posting?
Yes. You can add, remove, or edit screening questions on a published job listing from your Recruiter Dashboard. Changes take effect immediately for new applicants. Candidates who have already completed screening are not affected by changes.
How do screening questions work with the rest of the hiring process?
Screening questions are the first step in the application funnel on Himalayas:
- Candidate finds your job listing (via search, alerts, or the talent directory)
- Screening questions: Candidate answers your pre-application questions
- Application: If they pass screening, they proceed to apply (via your external application page or email)
- Your review: You review applications from your recruiter dashboard or external ATS
Screening questions reduce the volume of unqualified applications, so you spend less time reviewing candidates who do not meet basic criteria. Combined with a detailed job description and clear requirements, they make the hiring process more efficient for both employers and candidates.
For more on posting jobs and optimizing your listings, see Posting a Remote Job. For proactively sourcing candidates, see Finding Remote Talent.
Who do I contact for help?
For questions about screening questions or job posting features, email hi@himalayas.app.