If you’ve recently applied for a role, there’s a chance that a recruiter will be calling you for a phone interview. What are they looking for? Our quick guide explains all.

In the early days of a shortlisting process, recruiters will probably reach out to some candidates to conduct a phone screen. Sometimes these are scheduled, sometimes they can catch you out of the blue. 

Here’s everything you need to know about their purpose, the 5 common phone interview questions you’ll be asked, and our expert tips to help you prepare.

What’s a recruiter looking for during a phone screen interview?

Typically, recruiters use this initial phone screen interview to verify your skills, qualifications and experiences, professionalism, and communication. Their main aim is to narrow down a wide pool of candidates, where the best candidates can be progressed for further assessment. 

Recruiters are thinking about volume and speed here, so you really want to be on your A-game to make a strong impression. You’ll need to emphasize the most important parts of your job and experience, so it may be helpful to first consider – ‘What do I need to get across that gives the best chance of progressing to the next stage?’ 

5 common phone interview questions and how to answer them

Let’s get into the specifics of each question and why it’s asked.

1. “What are you doing now?” and, “Tell me about yourself”

Ugh. No one likes talking about themselves, which is why most people fall into the trap of rattling off their current role responsibilities. The key is structure. 

1. Explain your role title, the company you’ve been working for and tenure
2. Add two or three key responsibilities and achievements – the things that got you promoted, the things that earned public kudos, or the things that you ran home to tell your partner about!
3. Add numbers where possible. For example, “I managed 10 accounts during my time at XXX company, where I grew the company account by $XXX%.”

2. “Why do you want to leave your current role?”

Insider secret – it’s likely that the recruiter isn’t as interested in your reason as they are your reaction. Generally, this question is used to test your professionalism and to gauge your interest and enthusiasm to join the new company. 

However, they could also pick up on any flags leading to unsuitability – for example, you’re leaving because you’re stressed by the long hours and the new job requires long hours (best to know this upfront, yes?).

3. “When could you start in the new job?”

There’s no trap here. Answer this question as directly and honestly as possible – it’s purely for logistics.

4. “What are your salary expectations?”

Here’s the thing you need to remember – recruiters are trained to push you for a number first. 

In our experience, we find candidates more comfortable talking about a salary range (totally fine). It’s also OK to deflect and throw that question back to the employer to lead. Whatever your preference, you’ll perform better (unruffled) if you already have a line ready to go. 

That could be, “I’m still learning about the responsibilities of this position, so I haven’t determined what an appropriate salary might be just yet. What’s been budgeted for the role?”

5. Your knowledge of the job description and company

It’s surprising how much this line of questioning catches people out (and it never lands well when there’s no answer!). Your recruiter might ask, “What most excites you about this role/employer?” or “Where do you see your skills having the most impact in this role?” or simply, “Do you know what the company offers its consumers?”

Our best tip to impress when answering this line of interview questioning is to quickly share your knowledge and then turn it back around to the recruiter, by asking them to share more information, so you can position yourself accordingly. 

Bonus tip: Tap into your recruiter’s knowledge

Recruiters should be a valuable resource for you. Use us to gather information and take notes along the way. You could ask us informative questions like, “What has made successful candidates stand out in the past? Is there anything about my skills and experience that stand out to you?” 

You can then use this information to position your responses to stand out.

Preparing for a phone interview right now?

Reach out to your consultant for more tips to help you stand out.