In the recruiting process of the working world, recruiters rely on a set of questions to determine whether or not a candidate is worth an interview. This is called The Screen.

In the matchmaking process of the dating world, the same technique can apply. Say a friend wants to set you up. "She's great!" he tells you. "You should meet her!"

Alarm bells may ring. To allay them, you should begin The Screen.

"What's she like?" That's the first big question. It's an open-ended question, meant to draw out more details without adding preferential bias to the answer. A favorite technique of interviewers, it's equally despised by interviewees. Tough titties though; open-ended questions draw out loads of great information.

The follow-up questions are equally as important. "What do you mean, 'She likes the outdoors'? Does she like hiking & camping? Does she live in the trees? Does she raise farm animals?" Probing deeper allows you to better screen the candidate. You'll also get a better view of your friend's mental image of said candidate.

If your friend says, "She's nice" without any qualification, that can sometimes be a red flag. "She's nice" could mean: "I don't really know her well." Or: "She's boring and I sure wouldn't date her, but maybe you might."

Or: "She's a raving psychopath who foams at the mouth whenever she watches the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But since she's single and you're single, you both must be a great match!"

These are important details.

"What does she look like?" That's the next big question. Looks aren't the most important thing; an amazing personality makes a girl a lot cuter, and an awful personality makes a girl a lot uglier. But at this stage, you can afford to be a little judicious.

And admit it. You care about her looks. You don't want to hear your friend say, "Well, whenever she's on all fours, I can't tell which direction she's facing."

"Why do you think we'd like each other?" That's the last big question. This one tests your friend's matchmaking abilities. Some matchmakers are awful. A rank armpit after a really long run awful. This question will help you determine if your friend is such a case.

The question also forces him to confess the intent of the set-up. Is it a She's Single, You're Single set-up? Is there more to it? Is he randomly throwing two birds into a cage? Or carefully selecting two beautiful robins that actually have a chance?

If there's bullshit, you'll hear it. "Oh, hmm, I don't know… maybe you two wouldn't work out so well." Well, golly, why didn't you say so sooner?

And even better, you may hear a deeper level of candidness. "Oh, well, she just got out of a long-term relationship and could be on the rebound. So be careful."

Throughout The Screen, you'll have many opportunities to fine-tune his selection criteria. That's just as important as screening the candidate. "She really likes the Backstreet Boys. And… don't you like that kind of stuff too…?" Smack him around after a comment like that and he'll never make that gross mistake again.

Like seriously. Gross. Ew.

This is a very important point. Just as you want to discern your friend's mental image of the candidate, you want to make sure his mental image of you is accurate. Good matchmakers will be more accurate, but every so often, a little fine-tuning wouldn't hurt.

Sounds like a lot of work? Maybe. But when you meet the girl and have a successful date, you'll be glad you have such a thorough Screen!

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What questions do you use in your Screen?