Knockout question
Also called disqualifying question, screening question.
An application question whose wrong answer removes you from consideration automatically, before any human review.
Knockout questions are the checkbox and dropdown items near the end of an application: are you legally authorized to work in this country, will you now or in the future require sponsorship, do you have N years of experience with X, are you willing to work on site in this location. The employer configures which answers are disqualifying, and the system filters accordingly.
They are the single most common reason a well-matched application disappears without a rejection email. Unlike a resume review, there is no judgment call and no benefit of the doubt — an answer outside the accepted set removes the record from the recruiter's default view.
Answer them honestly; the alternative surfaces later and costs you more. But do read them carefully, because they are frequently written sloppily. "Do you require sponsorship" and "do you require sponsorship now" are different questions with different correct answers for someone on a visa that is already valid, and a misread costs you a role you were eligible for.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
The software an employer uses to receive, store, search, and move job applications through their hiring process.
Job posting
The employer's public description of a role — part specification, part marketing, and rarely a literal list of requirements.
Ghosting
When an employer stops responding at any stage of a hiring process without ever declining you.