By Mary Beth Barry
For Catholic employers, the interview process is about more than finding a candidate with the right credentials. It is also an opportunity to discern whether an applicant will support, promote, and live out the mission and values of the organization. A thoughtful faith-aligned hiring process not only strengthens Catholic identity and workplace culture, but it can also help preserve important legal protections available to religious employers.
Recent litigation continues to highlight why this matters. In a lawsuit filed against a Georgia Catholic school, a former teacher challenged the school’s reliance on religious protections after her employment ended. Although the court acknowledged that further litigation may show the school had a sincere religious mission and that the employee served an important role in advancing that mission, the court still declined to dismiss the case at an early stage. The case serves as an important reminder that Catholic employers should intentionally align their hiring process, interview questions, and job expectations with the faith-based duties of the position.
Cases like this underscore why even clearly Catholic organizations should consistently communicate faith aligned expectations throughout the hiring process—not just after employment begins. Courts often look at whether the employer consistently treated their religious mission and faith alignment as important parts of the position, including during hiring and interviewing. Clear job descriptions, mission-focused interview questions, and documented discussions regarding faith-related responsibilities help demonstrate that Catholic identity is central to both the role and the organization itself.
Start Before the Interview
Mission-focused interviewing begins long before a candidate walks into the room. Job descriptions, applications, and postings should clearly identify whether a position:
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Requires support of the organization’s Catholic mission and values;
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Prefers or requires candidates who are practicing Catholics committed to supporting and living out the Church’s mission and values; or
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Expects employees to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with Catholic teaching and the organization’s faith-based identity.
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Includes faith-based or ministerial responsibilities—such as promoting, teaching, modeling, or supporting the Catholic faith—as essential duties of the position.
When expectations are communicated clearly from the beginning, interviews become more intentional and mission-focused and candidates are less likely to be surprised by responsibilities connected to the organization’s Catholic mission later in the process. Catholic employers should also strive to use a structured process and consistently communicate mission expectations throughout hiring and onboarding.
The Interview Should Evaluate Mission Alignment
Most HR professionals are already skilled at evaluating technical qualifications and workplace competencies. Catholic employers, however, should also evaluate whether candidates can genuinely support the religious mission of the organization.
This does not mean every interview must feel overly theological or adversarial. Rather, the goal is to have intentional conversations about mission, values, and the role faith plays within the organization.
Interviewers should be prepared to explain:
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The organization’s Catholic mission;
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How Catholic teaching influences workplace culture and decision-making;
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The faith-related responsibilities connected to the position; and
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Expectations regarding conduct and representation of the organization.
Importantly, these conversations should be documented. Notes regarding mission-related questions and the candidate’s responses may become important evidence that the organization consistently incorporated faith considerations into the hiring process.
Many of us have been trained on the cautions surrounding “what you cannot ask” during interviews. Certainly, Catholic employers should avoid questions that could suggest unlawful discrimination based on race, age, disability, ethnicity, or other protected categories. As a result, some HR professionals—particularly those coming from secular organizations—may feel hesitant to ask questions related to faith or mission alignment at all.
However, Catholic employers can and should appropriately discuss mission, values, and faith-related job expectations during the interview process when those expectations are connected to the role and the organization’s Catholic identity. The key is to focus questions on the candidate’s ability and willingness to support the mission of the organization and fulfill any faith-related responsibilities of the position.
Questions to Ask
If there is no religious preference or requirement, employers might ask:
- How much do you know about the teachings of the Catholic Church?
- Have you had negative experiences with the Catholic Church in the past?
- Do the mission and values of our organization raise any concerns for you? (state mission/values first).
If there is a faith or religious preference. employers might ask:
- How long have you been a Catholic? If not Catholic, what brought you to apply for this position?
- Are there any Catholic teachings that you struggle with?
- Are you comfortable supporting and representing Catholic teachings as part of your role? Why or why not?”
If there is a faith or religious requirement employers might ask:
- How long have you been a Catholic and what parish do you attend?
- How would you integrate Catholic teaching and values into this position?
- This position is called to avoid conduct and a lifestyle that oppose the teachings and values of the Catholic Church. What are your views on this?
Members can find additional sample interview questions and selection protocols in the Members Only Room HR Resources section. Catholic employers should also strive to use a structured process and consistently communicate mission expectations throughout hiring and onboarding.
Preserving Catholic Identity Through Hiring
The interview process is often the first meaningful conversation a candidate has with a Catholic employer. It’s worth noting that Catholic organizations are not merely workplaces; they are communities formed around a shared religious mission. When a hiring process intentionally incorporates that mission, it becomes more than a hiring exercise—it becomes an opportunity to reinforce culture, communicate mission, and identify employees who will help advance the organization’s ministry.
As Catholic employers continue navigating an increasingly complex legal and cultural environment, thoughtful, faith-aligned interviewing remains one of the most practical and important tools for preserving Catholic identity.