Recruitment hints and tips

Writing self-selection questions

Self-selection or 'killer questions' can help candidates decide if they want to apply, by giving them information regarding what it is like to work for your organisation and the kind of skills, attributes and outlook you are looking for in employees.

Some killer questions are used to help the candidate decide if they will be able to work for the organisation:

For example, Do you have a work permit to work at this location?

Do you have the minimum educational qualifications to join this apprenticeship scheme?

Others are intended to help the candidate decide if they have the outlook and attributed which would help them fit into the organisation. Some of these questions may take the form of scenarios which could occur in the workplace, with multiple choice responses.

It is essential these questions do not exclude disabled applicants by asking for skills or attributes not critical to the job.

Test your picture of the perfect candidate. Be careful, too much clarity regarding the preferred candidate could cause you to miss out on an unexpected source of talent. You may inadvertently reduce your organisations ability to attract a diverse range of applications.

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