What Is WOTC Screening? How It Works for Employers and Applicants
Applicants often see a "WOTC questionnaire" during onboarding. Here is what WOTC screening is, why employers use it, and what happens to the answers.
If you have applied for a job recently, you may have been asked to fill out a short WOTC questionnaire. If you are an employer, you may be wondering whether you should be asking. Here is how WOTC screening works from both sides.
What WOTC screening is
WOTC screening is the process of identifying whether a new hire belongs to one of the targeted groups that make an employer eligible for the . The questionnaire asks about things like veteran status, participation in SNAP or TANF, recent unemployment and where the applicant lives.
The answers are used to complete IRS Form 8850, which the employer must send to the state workforce agency within 28 days of the employee's start date.
Do applicants have to complete it?
Completing a WOTC questionnaire is generally voluntary. Employers should make clear that answers do not affect hiring decisions — the credit is claimed after a hiring decision is made. Screening should be applied consistently to every applicant or new hire.
Why employers screen every hire
Most employers cannot tell who qualifies just by looking at an application. People in targeted groups are often the last ones to self-identify. Screening everyone, consistently, is the only reliable way to find eligible hires — and a single qualifying veteran hire can be worth up to $9,600.
When to screen
The best time is during the application or onboarding flow, while the candidate is already filling out forms. Screening later adds friction and puts the 28-day deadline at risk.
What happens after screening
- Form 8850 and the matching ETA form are submitted to the state.
- The state reviews the documentation and issues a certification or denial.
- At year end, the credit is calculated from actual hours worked and wages paid.
- The credit is claimed on the employer's federal tax return.
Make screening effortless
Trak builds WOTC screening directly into your hiring flow and handles state submissions and follow-up. Learn more about or .