18 Phone Interview Questions to Screen Your Candidates Effectively

Phone interviews are a common way to screen candidates before moving forward to the next stage, such as an in-person or video interview. This approach allows recruiters to quickly assess whether a candidate is a good fit for both the role and the company culture, without the need for a time-consuming face-to-face meeting.

How Phone Interviews Can Simplify Your Initial Hiring Process

1. Saves Time and Resources

Phone interviews make it easy to quickly sort through applicants and figure out who meets the basic qualifications. Instead of spending hours on scheduling and in-person meetings, you can focus on the most promising candidates, saving both time and resources. It’s a simple but effective way to speed up the initial screening.

2. Reduces Bias in Hiring

One of the big advantages of phone interviews is that they help reduce bias. Since you’re not meeting the candidate face-to-face, you can focus entirely on their answers, skills, and qualifications. This is especially helpful if your company is trying to minimize bias or uses a blind hiring process.

3. Gives You a First Look at Fit

A phone interview is a great opportunity to get an initial sense of whether the candidate is a good match for the role and your company’s culture. You can quickly assess their communication style, their enthusiasm for the role, and whether their experience aligns with what you need. It’s a low-pressure way to see if it’s worth taking things to the next level.

4. Perfect for Remote or Virtual Roles

If you’re hiring for remote or virtual positions, phone interviews are often the go-to method. In many cases, they might even replace in-person interviews altogether. They allow you to efficiently screen candidates who may be located anywhere, without the need for travel or time-consuming meetings.

18 Key Questions to Ask in a Phone Interview

1. Motivation-Related Questions

Understanding a candidate’s motivation is key to determining whether their goals align with your company’s values and the role itself. These questions help uncover why they are applying and whether they would be a good fit for your organization.

Questions to Ask:

• Tell me about yourself
  A broad question that gives them the chance to highlight the most important aspects of their background.
• What are you looking for in your next job?
  This helps you understand if the candidate’s expectations align with what your company can offer.
• What’s your biggest weakness?
  It’s a good way to find out how self-aware they are and how they deal with challenges.
• What’s your greatest strength?
  Let them showcase the skills they believe will make them successful in this role.
• How do you handle stress?
  This reveals how they cope with pressure, especially in fast-paced environments.
• What are your career goals?
  Find out if they’re looking for long-term growth and how they plan to develop in their career.
• What kind of work environment do you prefer?
  Helps you understand if they’ll fit into and thrive in your company culture.
• How do you measure success in your work?
  Gives insight into how they evaluate their own performance and define success.
• What skills do you have that will help you succeed in this role?
  A great way to confirm if they possess the specific skills you’re looking for in a candidate.

2. Background and Experience Questions

These questions dig deeper into the candidate’s previous work experiences, allowing you to evaluate whether their background matches the requirements of the position. It’s important to see if their past roles have prepared them for the responsibilities of your role.

Questions to Ask:

• What are your main responsibilities in your current role?
  This helps us get a clearer idea of the tasks you’re handling now and how they relate to the role we’re hiring for.
• What challenges have you faced, and how did you solve them?
  This gives insight into your problem-solving skills and how you manage difficult situations.
• Why are you leaving (or why did you leave) your last job?
  We’d like to understand your reasons for moving on and whether similar concerns could arise here.
• What salary are you expecting for this role?
  It’s important to discuss your salary expectations early to make sure we’re on the same page with what the company can offer.
• What were your responsibilities in your previous jobs?
  This helps us get a fuller picture of your past experiences and how they could be relevant to this position.

3. Questions About the Role and Your Company

These questions help you assess whether the candidate has done their research and truly understands the role they are applying for. They can also reveal how much they know about your company and their enthusiasm for joining your team.

Questions to Ask:

• Why do you want this job?
  This question gives you insight into how well the candidate understands the role and how genuinely interested they are in joining your company.
• What experience makes you a good fit for this position?
  Let the candidate walk you through their background, highlighting how their skills and experience match the requirements of the job.
• What challenges are you looking for in this role?
  Use this to see if the candidate is seeking the type of challenges and growth opportunities that align with what your company offers.
• How do you think you can contribute to our company’s goals?
  This helps you understand how the candidate envisions adding value to your organization and making a meaningful impact.

Read Related Article : 6 Key Recruitment Metrics Every HR Needs to Track

When to Use a Phone Interview and When It’s Best to Move Forward Without One

Phone interviews can be a great initial screening tool, but they’re not suitable for every situation. In some cases, a role might require deeper insights that are better gained through face-to-face or video interviews, where you can assess body language and more complex responses.

Additionally, certain candidates may not be available for a phone interview due to scheduling conflicts, time zone differences, or even technical limitations. Recognizing when a phone interview isn’t the best approach can help ensure a more effective and focused hiring process.

When a Phone Interview Might Be Helpful

High Volume of Applicants

When you’re dealing with a large number of applicants, phone interviews are a great way to narrow down the list. They help you quickly filter out candidates who don’t meet the basic requirements, saving time on in-person or video interviews.

Preliminary Candidate Screening

Use phone interviews when you need to verify basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit before moving forward. This step ensures you only spend time on in-depth interviews with qualified candidates.

Remote or Virtual Hiring

For remote roles, phone or video interviews might be the primary method of screening candidates. In some cases, they can even replace in-person interviews entirely.

Reducing Bias (Blind Hiring)
If reducing bias is a priority, phone interviews are helpful since they remove visual cues, allowing you to focus on the candidate’s qualifications and responses.

Verifying Fit for Specialized Roles

For senior or specialized roles, phone interviews help you ensure that candidates have the technical skills required before moving on to more detailed interviews.

When a Phone Interview May Not Be Necessary

Urgency to Fill the Role

If you need to fill the position quickly and have a small pool of candidates, skipping the phone interview and going straight to in-person or video interviews can speed up the process.

Short-Term or Temporary Roles

For roles that are short-term or temporary, phone interviews might not be necessary. A simple review of the candidate’s experience, followed by a brief in-person meeting or direct hire, may suffice.

Clear Cultural Misalignment

If you can already tell from the application that a candidate’s values or preferences don’t align with your company culture, skipping the phone interview can save time for both you and the candidate.

High-Level Executive Roles

For executive or senior leadership positions, it might be best to skip the phone interview and jump straight to more personal, in-depth interviews. This will give you a better sense of their leadership potential and fit for your company’s strategic needs.

Final Thoughts

Phone interviews are a good tool for speeding up the hiring process and screening candidates efficiently. By asking the right questions, you can quickly determine who is a good fit for your company and who should move on to the next stage of the interview process. Use these tips and questions as a starting point for your next round of phone interviews.

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