What is a Phone Screen? Common Questions and Tips (2023)

A phone screen interview has become a vital step in any recruitment process, but even more so due to the increase in remote work. Not only do phone screen interviews allow employers to overcome remote barriers, they also save them time in narrowing down the most suited candidates for the role.

Many employers don’t know the basics of conducting a phone screen interview, including how to prepare for one and what questions to ask. Below, we’ll provide some tips for conducting amazing phone screen interviews. 

What is a phone screen?

A phone screen is a brief job interview that occurs over the phone, between a recruiter or hiring manager on a company’s talent acquisition team and a potential employee. Usually, it lasts between 15 and 30 minutes. 

Understanding a phone screen

A phone screen interview is one of the first steps in the hiring process. Its main role is to determine if a candidate is a good fit for a posted job. If deemed to be well-suited to the role, the interviewee will then progress through to the remaining interview steps, including a lengthier and more in-depth phone interview.

During a phone screening interview, the recruiter will ask the candidate questions relating to their background, including their qualifications, availability, and salary requirements. By doing so, they are able to “screen” each job candidate and quickly narrow down the most suitable group of applicants worthy of their time and attention as an employer.

A phone screening interview may take the form of a standard, voice-only phone call or a video call, where the recruiter and applicant can see each other face-to-face.

Conducting a phone screen interview offers the following advantages to employers:

• Convenience in scheduling. It’s a lot easier for both interviewers and interviewees to find the time for a phone call, rather than an in-person interview, particularly when travel is involved.

• Higher-volume screening. By starting the interview process with a phone interview, you are able to filter through a higher volume of candidates in less time, as you can call each one in quick succession.

• Decreased travel expenses. If members of your organization are based across several different locations, a phone interview is the most convenient solution.

What is a pre-screening interview?

A pre-screening interview takes place before the phone screen interview questions. It is the very first step in the recruitment process and is the interview a candidate must “pass” in order to move on to the phone screening phase.

Think of the pre-screening interview as a questionnaire that allows a recruiter to ask follow-up questions in relation to a candidate’s application or résumé. It focuses on the applicant’s career goals, job preferences, abilities, knowledge, and more.

Here are some types of questions to ask beyond the traditional “Tell me about yourself”:

1. What work tasks are you best at?

2. What are your weaknesses? How can you overcome these?

3. What are your biggest goals on a professional level?

4. Where do you see yourself in three years?

5. How would you describe your work style?

6. What’s one thing you wish you could have done differently in your previous/current role?

7. Can you provide samples of your recent work?

Typically, you or your hiring team will only give the pre-screening questionnaire to candidates they are highly interested in. It helps you to screen out job seekers who may not be a good fit for the job posting you’re looking to fill.

How does a phone screen interview works

The phone screening process first requires you, or the person acting on your behalf for the recruitment process, to contact the candidate and organize an interview time. 

Remember, this screening interview will take place over the phone, so simply ask the candidate to set aside 15 to 30 minutes for the call, depending on how many questions you plan to ask.

Typically, the phone screen interview will then take the following format:

1. Prepare for the interview

Unlike a face-to-face interview, you must rely solely on the verbal cues of your interviewee, rather than body language when conducting a phone screen interview. 

This is why planning ahead is key. Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to ensure you’re prepared, each of which we’ve outlined below.

First, think about the needs of this role:

• Do you require someone to fill the position immediately, or are you looking to hire within the coming weeks or months? 

• How many hours, and when, will they have to work? 

• What specifics do you require for this role, or are you more flexible and willing to adapt the requirements to the right candidate?

These questions will help you clarify which candidates are worth pursuing.

Familiarizing yourself with the candidate’s résumé allows you to learn about their background. Additionally, it’s the only way to verify their information or ask about gaps in their employment, plus it makes you look more professional. Print out a copy too so it’s on hand to refer to.

Before you begin interviewing potential candidates, remind yourself that the purpose of this phone screening is to determine whether that person is suitable for the next round of interviews. Therefore, you’ll want to clear your mind of any bias beforehand. 

2. Ask the candidate to tell you about themselves

This is a great ice-breaker and allows you to instantly gain a better idea about the person you’re interviewing. Ideally, a candidate’s personality should shine through their answer, giving you an insight into whether they would be a good fit for the position and company culture.

3. Gather more information about their work history

This next part of the phone screen interview process involves you asking the candidate to reveal more about their previous work history. This allows you to fact-check their résumé, as well as to determine how their prior jobs may contribute to any valuable skills and experience needed for the position.

4. Inquire about their salary requirements

No one wants to go through the entire recruitment process thinking a candidate is a perfect fit for the role, only for them to turn it down due to different salary expectations. While this question can be difficult for job applicants to answer, allow them to provide you with a required salary range, rather than a single figure if it makes them more comfortable.

💡TIP: Put a salary range in the job description so candidates have a good idea of what to expect. 

5. Ask the candidate why they want this position specifically

The phone screening interview is the perfect place to find out what it is about this position and your workplace in particular that a candidate desires. Prompt them to be as specific as possible so you can determine if they will share the same passion and commitment to the company and role.

6. Focus on skill-based questions

At the end of this process, you will also ask the candidate more skill-based questions to determine if they have the experience and knowledge required to succeed in this role. 

You’ll want to be as specific to the position as possible. For example, for a candidate being screened for a virtual assistant role, you might ask the following:

• What’s your process for prioritizing work?

• If you receive a task you don’t know how to do, what would you do?

• How do you proactively address client needs?

How to conduct a phone screen interview

Once you’re ready to start conducting phone screening interviews, follow these steps:

1. Prepare your questions. Draw on what is most important for this role, then base your questions around these factors.

2. Schedule the interview. Reach out to each applicant you wish to screen and ask them to schedule an interview session. To make this easier, use scheduling software such as Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, or HubSpot Meetings.

3. Start with a polite and brief introduction. Introduce yourself to the candidate, including your role within the company and hiring process, then begin with your interview questions, starting with the easier questions and leading to the more technical or in-depth questions.

4. Ask the same main questions for each candidate. This helps you to assess each candidate on a level playing field and makes a comparison between interviews much easier. By sticking to a group of core questions, you can branch off with related follow-up questions, if necessary.

5. Take notes. During the phone screen interviews, take notes of any notable responses or information that will later help you determine if the candidate is worthy of a follow-up interview for the role.

6. Ask the candidate if they have any questions. This is one of the last, vital steps in the phone interview process and allows a candidate to clarify any information or showcase further knowledge about the company or role.

7. Tell interviewees what to expect next. End each phone interview with a reasonable timeline of when the candidate can expect an outcome, as well as how you will contact them.

8. Follow up with interviewees. Regardless of whether a candidate has made it through to the next round of the recruitment process or not, it is professional to reach out to them about the outcome of their interview.

9. Arrange the next interview with successful candidates. Finally, reach out to the best candidates and ask them to schedule the next interview. You should also give them an indication of what this next interview will entail.

Phone screening interview questions to ask

One of the most important aspects of any phone interview is choosing the questions you have prepared for the applicant. To help you out, we’ve listed all of the common questions you might consider, including those you should avoid.

The basic questions

• Please tell me about your background?

• Why are you looking for a new job?

• How is your job search progressing?

• When would you be available to start work, if selected?

Salary expectations

• How much would you like to earn in this role?

• Are there specific benefits that are important to you?

• If we are unable to offer [specified salary or benefit], would this be a deal-breaker for you?

Desire for the job

• Why are you thinking about leaving your current job?

• What attracted you most to this position?

• Describe your current role’s responsibilities?

• What motivates you within a role?

During their responses, pay special attention to any mention of:

• Workplace cultural preferences

• Interpersonal skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Leadership qualities

• Initiative

• Emotional intelligence

• Other soft skills

Knowledge of the organization

• What do you know about our products or services?

• What is it about our company that attracted you to this job?

• Do you have any experience using our products or services?

Résumé details

• How are your skills a good match for this role?

• What skill areas have you recently improved or gained?

• Why did you leave your last employer?

• What were you doing during this gap in employment/study?

• Did your internship/previous role give you specific experience that you can apply to this job?

• Your résumé mentions that you were responsible for [specific accomplishment] at your last company. How did you achieve that?

The final question you should ask an applicant during their phone screening interview is whether they have any questions for you. 

Although it might sound like a formality, this question actually provides plenty of value to both you and the candidate you’re interviewing. It allows them the chance to clarify information regarding the role or company to ensure they’re also on the same page. 

Phone screen interview tips

When done correctly, a phone interview can provide greater insight into a candidate and offer more depth of information than a résumé or cover letter can.

Here are several phone interview tips to help you perfect your own phone screen process.

1. Schedule phone interviews on the same day. You should determine how many candidates you will be screening, along with how much time you will spend with each. Then, work out if you can fit all of these interviews into a single day. Doing so will provide you with an advantage, as it allows you to evaluate each candidate on a more equal footing. 

2. Know who you are interviewing. It’s really helpful for you to familiarize yourself with each applicant’s résumé, portfolio and/or LinkedIn page before you speak to them. Again, this allows each candidate to become more individualized within your mind, plus you can draw on this information to refer back to during the interview, where relevant.

3. Interview in a quiet place. It probably goes without saying, but you’ll need to hear each candidate clearly during their interviews, so you should choose a quiet place free of distractions when interviewing over the phone. Be sure to take factors such as phone reception into account too.

4. Engage candidates in conversation. Don’t overlook the opportunity to create a connection with each candidate through engaging them in conversation. Initially, you’ll want to build rapport with interviewees by asking them simple icebreaker-type questions, whether it be about their hobbies, previous role, or what they know about your company. Then, you can move forward with the technical and in-depth questions about their experience.

5. Let the candidate do most of the talking. This ties in with our last point, but the aim of these phone screen interviews is for you to find out about the candidate. Therefore, they should do most of the talking. It’s your role to ask questions, including follow-up questions where necessary, and be a great listener.

6. Listen for voice cues. One disadvantage about a phone interview is that you can’t see the candidate in person, and therefore, can’t pick up on subtle body-language cues. Over the phone, however, you can pay attention to verbal cues, including hesitation, shakiness, confidence, and determination. These can give you clues about their demeanor and temperament.

Phone screen interviews FAQ

How do you conduct a good phone screening interview?

A good phone screening interview is one where you begin prepared. Familiarize yourself with the candidate beforehand by reading their résumé, cover letter, and any sample work they share with you. Additionally, print these out so you can have them in front of you for reference.

Start with simple, ice-breaker questions first, then move on to the more in-depth questions regarding their suitability to the role. Remain engaged and focused during the interview, and don’t hesitate to use the same body language you would use in an in-person setting, such as smiling or nodding in agreement, as these can enhance your tone of voice too.

How long do phone interviews last?

On average, a phone screen interview will last for approximately 30 minutes, although interviews between 15 to 45 minutes are not uncommon.

When should I conduct a phone interview?

There are numerous reasons for conducting a phone interview, including:

• Screening interviews

• Second interviews

• Interviews for remote jobs

• Executive interviews

What are some red flags I should be aware of?

During a phone interview, there are a number of warning signs to look out for. These can be strong signs that a candidate simply isn’t the right person for the job. They include:

• A lack of enthusiasm, indicating a candidate isn’t passionate about the role.

• Not asking any questions, which may hint at a lack of planning and interest.

• Sounding distracted, as though they’re scrolling through Facebook or texting their friends during the interview. 

• Negative comments about former employees, which demonstrates poor tact and diplomacy.

Close your job openings faster with good phone screening

Phone screen interviews are one of the most significant first steps in the recruitment process, especially when operating an online business with no office. They allow employers to narrow down their list of applicants to only those that may be most suitable, plus help companies save time and costs since travel and location are no longer a barrier.

Armed with knowledge about how to prepare for a phone screen interview—as well as how to conduct one successfully, the questions to ask and avoid, the follow-up process, and more—you’re now well on your way to reaping the immense benefits that phone interviews provide.

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