Template

Phone screen template

A short first call with a candidate: check the basics fit both ways — the role, the pay, the timing, the must-have skills — before anybody spends hours on interviews.

30 minutesFor A recruiter or the hiring manager, and the candidateAgenda room
Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

  1. Welcome and what this call is3 min
    • Do you have any questions before we start?
  2. The role, in two minutes4 min
    • Does this sound like the job you were expecting?
  3. Their background10 min
    • What have you done that is closest to this work?
  4. The must-haves6 min
    • Tell me about a time you did this.
  5. Practicalities4 min
    • What pay are you looking for, and when could you start?
  6. Their questions and next steps3 min
    • What would you like to know, and what happens next?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Background. Four years in customer support; led a team of three for a year.

Must-have. Gave a clear example of reducing a backlog by changing the rota.

Practicalities. Looking for $75k; one month's notice.

Next. Writing exercise sent today; decision by Friday.

Running it well

Ways to change it

VideoThe same questions on video, for roles where it matters how people come across on camera.
Volume hiringFifteen minutes and a short scorecard.

When to skip it. For internal candidates the hiring manager already knows.

Questions

What is a phone screen?

A short first call with a candidate to check that their experience, must-have skills, pay expectations and availability fit the role before full interviews.

How long should a phone screen be?

Usually 15 to 30 minutes.

What questions are asked in a phone screen?

Questions about the candidate's relevant experience, one or two examples of must-have skills, pay expectations, notice period and why they are interested.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

More templates

Panel interviewSeveral interviewers meet one candidate together, each covering a different part of the job, so the candidate tells their story once and the panel sees the same answers.Technical interviewCheck that a candidate can do the technical work of the role by working on a realistic problem together — and hear how they think, not just whether they get the answer.Reference callA call with someone who worked with your final candidate, to check what you heard in interviews and learn how best to support them if you hire them.Offer callTell the chosen candidate they have the job, walk through the offer clearly, answer their questions, and agree when they will decide — on a call, before the paperwork.Recruiting pipeline reviewRecruiters and hiring managers go through every open role: how many candidates are at each stage, where they get stuck, and what to change to fill the role in time.Campus recruiting debriefAfter a university hiring season or event: which schools and events found good candidates, how students experienced the process, who to make offers to, and what to change next year.Internship kickoffThe first proper meeting with a new intern: what they will work on, what they will learn, who helps them, and what a great summer looks like — so they can contribute from week one.Internship wrap-upAt the end of an internship: the intern shows what they did, gets honest feedback, gives theirs, and hears clearly what happens next — a return offer, a reference, or both.

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