General Staffing Intake Screening Interview Template

What type of work are you looking for? Do you have a preference for a specific industry, role type, or work environment?

What this assesses: Establishes what the candidate actually wants so you route them to openings they will accept and stay in, not just any req with an open seat. Strong answers name a specific role type or industry and a clear reason, which predicts a stickier placement; weak answers say they will take anything, which sounds flexible but usually means they leave the moment something closer to what they wanted comes along.

Are you authorized to work in the United States? Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for an employment visa?

What this assesses: Confirms the baseline that gates every placement, since no match matters if the candidate cannot legally take the job. Strong answers are direct and unambiguous about current authorization and any future sponsorship need. Be cautious with hedging or "I think so," and verify documentation before submitting, because an authorization surprise late in the process burns the submission and the client's trust.

What is your availability? Are you looking for full-time, part-time, temporary, or temp-to-hire work? When is the earliest you could start?

What this assesses: Determines employment type and start date, two of the most common reasons a match falls apart after you have already invested time. Strong answers give a clear employment-type preference and a concrete start date; weak answers are open to "anything" but then turn down temp work, or cannot say when they could actually begin, which stalls placements against time-sensitive reqs.

What are your salary or hourly rate expectations? Is there a minimum rate you would not go below?

What this assesses: Captures the pay floor early, before you submit a candidate whose minimum sits above the client's bill rate. Strong answers give a realistic range and a clear floor that lines up with the market for their role; weak answers refuse to name a number, or quote a floor well above what the work pays, which means a wasted submission no matter how strong the rest of the screen looks.

What is your preferred work location or maximum commute distance? Are you open to remote, hybrid, or travel-based assignments?

What this assesses: Identifies the geographic box you can place inside, which decides whether reliable attendance is even possible. Strong answers give a concrete commute radius and are clear on remote, on-site, or travel; weak answers are vague on distance or wave off a long commute, which often turns into no-shows once gas and traffic become real. For on-site hourly roles outside transit reach, this is a hard filter, not a preference.

Walk me through your last two or three positions. What were your job titles, main responsibilities, and reasons for leaving?

What this assesses: Provides a fast employment-history read and surfaces tenure patterns before a reference check does. Strong answers move through recent roles clearly with coherent reasons for leaving. Be cautious with a string of very short stints, reasons that shift as you probe, or gaps the candidate talks around, since job-hopping and unexplained gaps are the patterns most likely to repeat in your placement.

Do you have any certifications, licenses, or specialized skills that you want to make sure we know about?

What this assesses: Surfaces qualifications that open additional, often higher-paying, placements the candidate did not think to mention. Strong answers name specific active credentials with current status (a forklift cert, a CDL with endorsements, an active CNA license, a food-handler card); treat anything credential-gated as something to verify rather than take on faith, since an expired or unverifiable cert disqualifies the candidate for the very roles it would have opened.

Is there anything that would prevent you from passing a background check or drug screening? Are there any schedule restrictions or accommodation needs we should be aware of?

What this assesses: Identifies the blockers that most often kill a placement at the finish line, and gives the candidate a chance to explain before a screen does it for them. Strong answers are upfront about a background or drug-screen issue with context, and name real schedule constraints early. Be cautious with evasiveness or a flat "no issues" that the screen later contradicts. The goal is not to disqualify on any flag, it is to know now rather than after you have submitted them to a client.