Pre-screen questions by role
Choose pre-screen questions that ask for a specific example of the candidate's contribution, reasoning and outcome in the work the role requires.
Use these role sections as starting points, then tailor them to the job scorecard. Ask the same core questions consistently and record evidence rather than a general impression. Keep personal and protected information out of the assessment. If time is short, prioritise the two uncertainties most likely to change the next step.
Java developer
Describe a Java service you owned and how you handled a production failure.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the Java developer sourcing string if you need more profiles.
DevOps engineer
Walk through a deployment rollback you performed and the signal that triggered it.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the DevOps engineer sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Data engineer
How did you detect and correct bad data in a pipeline you maintained?
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the data engineer sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Data scientist
Describe a model or experiment where your evaluation changed the business decision.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the data scientist sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Product manager
Tell me about a feature you chose not to build and the evidence behind that decision.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the product manager sourcing string if you need more profiles.
UX designer
How did a usability finding change one of your design decisions?
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the UX designer sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Registered nurse
Describe how you prioritised competing patient-care needs and escalated a concern.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the registered nurse sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Outside sales rep
How did you build a new territory, and which activity measures predicted qualified opportunities?
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the outside sales rep sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Account executive
Walk through a deal you qualified out and explain how that improved your pipeline.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the account executive sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Accountant
How did you investigate a reconciliation difference and document the resolution?
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the accountant sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Controller
Describe a close-process or control weakness you identified and how you corrected it.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the controller sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Financial analyst
How did you explain a material forecast variance and update your assumptions?
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the financial analyst sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Project manager
Describe a project dependency that threatened delivery and how you resolved it.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the project manager sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Salesforce admin
How did you test and safely release a Salesforce Flow or permission change?
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the Salesforce admin sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Cybersecurity analyst
Walk through an alert you investigated, including evidence, escalation and closure.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the cybersecurity analyst sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Cloud architect
Describe a cloud architecture tradeoff involving reliability, cost and operational complexity.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the cloud architect sourcing string if you need more profiles.
QA engineer
How did you decide which regression checks to automate and which to keep exploratory?
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the QA engineer sourcing string if you need more profiles.
HR generalist
Describe how you handled a sensitive employee-relations issue while protecting confidentiality.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the HR generalist sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Recruiter
How did you recalibrate a search when the hiring manager rejected the first shortlist?
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the recruiter sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Customer success manager
Describe an at-risk customer and the evidence you used to choose an intervention.
Follow up: What did you personally own? What constraints affected your approach? How did you verify the outcome, and what would you change next time?
Record the example, the candidate's contribution and any unresolved requirement. Use the customer success manager sourcing string if you need more profiles.
Close with clear next steps
Confirm the role's practical requirements using neutral, job-related questions. Tell the candidate which points need further review. Agree on the next step and update timing instead of promising an outcome you cannot control.
Data last reviewed: .
Frequently asked questions
How many questions fit in a pre-screen?
Choose a small number based on the call length and the uncertainties that could change the next step. Leave time for the candidate’s questions.
What makes an answer useful evidence?
A specific situation, the candidate’s own responsibility, the actions taken and an outcome they can explain are more informative than a list of tools.
Should I use identical questions for every role?
Use a consistent evidence standard, but change the work example to match the role and the job scorecard.
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