Hiring the right candidate goes beyond scanning resumes; it's about creating a strategic, data-driven hiring approach. Applicants want fairness and transparency throughout the process, and job application surveys are a powerful tool that screens candidates and helps you improve the overall experience. In fact, studies have shown that organizations employing structured application surveys see up to a 20% reduction in time-to-hire and improve candidate satisfaction by over 30%.
Here's a list of 50 job application survey questions across key stages of the application process. Use them to understand your applicant’s experience and improve your hiring process from start to finish.
Why Use Job Application Surveys in 2025?
Job application surveys are a core part of modern recruitment strategies. Here’s why most companies are adapting these surveys in the hiring process
Faster, More Efficient Hiring: Companies with structured surveys can automatically reduce hiring time. Teams spend less time chasing down candidates and more time interviewing them.
Stronger DEI Outcomes: Standardizing how you collect data from applicants will reduce unconscious bias and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Data-Driven Hiring Decisions: Instead of relying on gut feelings, recruiters can predict job success and filter out poor fits.
Automation-Friendly: Using tools like TheySaid, you can quickly create and share job surveys, automating early screening and collecting detailed replies.
The Psychology Behind Asking the Right Questions
Great questions do more than gather info; they reveal who someone really is.
In 2025, the smartest hiring teams are turning to behavioral science to craft application surveys that don’t just collect info; they reveal potential.
Reveals Personality & Motivation: Open-ended questions in job application surveys, such as "What motivates you to do work?" "What is your ideal workplace environment?" reveals applicants' personality traits.
Psychological Safety Leads to Better Insights: When applicants feel safe, it means they don’t feel judged or insecure, they open up. The tone of the questions plays an important role here. Swap robotic, transactional phrasing for human, conversational prompts.
The Right Questions Predict Real-World Performance: Ever heard of situational judgment testing? These questions place candidates in realistic situations and evaluate how they will respond, giving you a glimpse of their skills and traits.
Recommended Read: 70 Employee Feedback Survey Questions You Can Ask In 2025
50 Insightful Questions for Job Application Survey
Pre-Screening Job Application Survey Questions
- Are you legally authorized to work in [Country]?
- How many years of relevant industry experience do you have for this role?
- Elaborate how this position aligns with your career objectives.
- What’s your current employment status? ( Fully employed, part-time employed, freelancing, unemployed)
- Briefly describe a recent project or responsibility that shows you’re a fit for this position.
Did you know?
According to a study conducted by Columbia Business School, candidates chosen by AI are 14% more likely to pass interviews than those selected by humans.
Application Experience Feedback Questions
- How would you rate your overall experience with our application process?
- How did you hear about this job?
- On which device did you complete the job application process?
- Was there any confusing part in the application process?
- Rank the following aspects of the application process in order of importance to you (Ease of use, Transarcey, Fairness, Speed, Communication ).
Role Interest and Intent Job Application Survey Questions
- Are you familiar with our company and its mission?
- What excites you most about this job opportunity?
- Explain in a single sentence why you are the best fit for this role.
- Are you actively looking to change jobs within six months?
- How do you see this role contributing to your personal development?
Candidate's Personality Job Application Survey Questions
- What inspires you at work and why?
- What’s something outside of your work that you are passionate about?
- What’s your favourite hobby?
- Do you consider yourself more introverted than extroverted?
- Give an example of your specific personality trait that helped you overcome a difficult situation.
Value-Fit Job Application Survey Questions
- Share one of the most valuable lessons you learn in your career.
- What is your ideal work culture?
- What’s the biggest mistake you made in your career and how you handled it?
- Which of our company’s core values resonates with you most, and why?
- Describe a time you received constructive criticism. How did it help you grow?
Skill Set And Experience-Focused Job Application Questions
- What’s your strongest technical or functional skill related to this role?
- On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident are you in performing this job?
- Describe a recent project or task you’re especially proud of. What was your role?
- What certifications or training programs have you completed relevant to this position?
- What does your ideal job role look like?
Cultural Fit Job Application Survey Questions
- What does a respectful workplace look like to you?
- How do you handle working with someone with an entirely different working style?
- State some non-negotiable cultural values for you
- What type of cultural environment helps you to be productive?
- Have you ever worked for a company whose values didn’t align with yours?
Industry Knowledge Job Application Survey Questions
- Which company or company leader inspires you?
- In your opinion, what’s the biggest challenge companies like ours are facing these days?
- How would you like to keep up with the latest industry trends?
- If hired, what industry trend would you want to explore or lead an initiative?
- What’s one recent news headline related to our industry that caught your attention?
Compensation and Benefits Expectations Related to Job Application Questions
- What is your ideal total compensation package (salary + benefits)?
- On a scale of 1 to 5, how important is salary compared to other factors such as culture and flexibility?
- What salary range best describes your expectations?
- Have you ever left a job due to unsatisfactory compensation or benefits?
- Would you consider a lower salary if offered exceptional benefits?
Practical and Situational Job Application Questions
- I remain calm and composed under pressure.
- A client (or internal stakeholder) isn’t happy with your work. How do you respond?
- You have been assigned a task that is outside of your expertise. What would you do?
- Describe how you would handle a project with limited directions.
- Do you feel comfortable making decisions with limited sight?
Why TheySaid Is Perfect for Job Application Surveys
Traditional job application surveys are static. AI-powered surveys from TheySaid go way beyond check boxes. Here's how:
1-click survey creation: Generate job application surveys instantly using AI with no manual writing needed.
Conversational experience: Applicants interact with AI, leading to deeper, more honest responses.
Smarter candidate insights: AI analyzes qualitative data and highlights top candidates and trends.
Built-in feedback loop: Collect real-time feedback on your application process to improve hiring.
Scalable for any team: Whether you're hiring one person or one hundred, TheySaid handles it effortlessly.
Try TheySaid and build smarter job application surveys in seconds.
Key Takeaways
- Use job application surveys to streamline your hiring process and reduce hiring time
- Standardize your survey approach to support DEI initiatives and eliminate unconscious bias in early screening.
- Leverage AI tools like TheySaid to automate question creation, collect deeper insights, and analyze candidate data at scale.
- Include behavioral and situational questions to uncover real-world decision-making skills and personality traits.
FAQs
What is a job application survey?
A job application survey is a quick set of questions that helps you learn more about candidates and improve the hiring experience.
How do job application surveys improve hiring?
They allow you to gather deeper insights about candidates, reduce hiring bias, and shorten hiring time.
Can I automate job application surveys?
Yes! Tools like TheySaid use AI to automate survey creation, delivery, and analysis, making hiring more efficient.
.svg)
