The recruiter screen
Phone screen and phone interview questions
A phone screen, or recruiter screen, is a short first call with a recruiter before you meet the hiring manager. Expect questions about your background, why you're leaving, what you want next, your salary expectations and your timing, then a chance to ask your own.
The recruiter phone screen comes before the hiring manager
The recruiter screens first and passes notes to the hiring manager. A good call gets you to the longer interviews. After the application itself, these early interviews are where the most candidates stop.
8%
of applicants got to an early interview, like a recruiter screen, a hiring manager screen or an assessment.
19%
of those candidates went on to the onsite round.
Figures for June 2024 to May 2025, from Gem's 2026 Recruiting Benchmarks Report, which covers 165 million applicants in its customers' hiring systems since June 2021. Gem sells recruiting software.
Recruiter screen questions: ten common ones, and what to say
Recruiters and HR screeners use the same list for every candidate, so these come up in almost every phone screen. Each one is a quiet check.
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QUESTION 1
“Tell me about yourself.”
They're checking: Whether your story points at this job, told in about a minute.
SayNow, with one result. Before, with one highlight that fits the posting. Next, and why this role is it.
Don't sayYour life story, every job in order, or “it's all on my résumé.”
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QUESTION 2
“Are you actively looking?”
They're checking: How interested and available you really are.
SayYour honest status, what you're focused on, and why this role fits it.
Don't say“I'll take anything at this point,” or how many jobs you've applied to.
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QUESTION 3
“What have you been up to?”
They're checking: Whether a gap or a change has a simple explanation.
SayWhat happened, what you did with the time, and that you're ready. Three sentences.
Don't say“It's a long story,” or private detail you'd rather not discuss.
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QUESTION 4
“Why are you leaving your current job?”
They're checking: How you talk about employers. Nearly half of hiring managers call badmouthing one a deal breaker.
SayWhat you're moving toward, and that this role has it.
Don't say“My manager is terrible.” Name a process, never a person.
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QUESTION 5
“What are you looking for in your next role?”
They're checking: Fit. Anything the role can't offer can rule you out.
SayTwo or three things you want, each of which this role offers.
Don't say“I'm open to anything,” or a wish list the job can't meet.
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QUESTION 6
“What interests you about this role?”
They're checking: Whether you read the posting and know what the company does.
SayOne detail from the posting, one fact about the company, and your link to both.
Don't say“It seems like a great company.”
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QUESTION 7
“What are your salary expectations?”
They're checking: Whether you fit the budget, and how much room there is later.
SayAsk for their range first. If pressed, give a researched range for this role.
Don't sayOne low number, or “whatever you think is fair.”
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QUESTION 8
“What are you making now?”
They're checking: How much room they have to negotiate with you.
Say“I keep my current pay private, but for this role I'm targeting [your range].”
Don't sayYour current pay. It becomes the anchor for the offer.
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QUESTION 9
“When could you start, and are you interviewing elsewhere?”
They're checking: Timing, and whether you're likely to accept.
SayA clear notice period, and a short, honest status on other processes.
Don't sayA bluff about offers you don't have.
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QUESTION 10
“Do you have any questions for me?”
They're checking: Real interest in the job.
SayAsk about the team, the next steps, and the budgeted range.
Don't say“No, I think you covered everything.”
What recruiters look for, and what not to tell them
Indeed's guide for hiring managers lists three red flags on a screening call: a negative attitude, a lack of questions, and signs you aren't listening. It says nerves are normal, but sounding indifferent can read as low motivation.
Answer the question they asked, have two questions ready, and keep complaints about your current job off the call. If you took a career break, say what you did with it and don't undersell yourself: in a LinkedIn survey, 48% of people who hire said the biggest mistake candidates make about a break is undervaluing their pay or level.
Questions to ask the recruiter
The screen ends with “Do you have any questions for me?” Recruiters notice who asks and who doesn't. Pick two or three of these.
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“What's the budgeted range for this role?”
Why ask: If the recruiter hasn't shared it, ask. Knowing their range keeps you from pricing yourself low later.
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“What does the rest of the process look like?”
Why ask: You'll know how many rounds are left, who you'll meet and when, so you can prepare for each one.
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“What does the hiring manager care about most in this hire?”
Why ask: The recruiter usually hears this from the hiring manager. It tells you what to lead with in the next interview.
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“What would success look like in the first six months?”
Why ask: It shows what the job really is, and gives you something concrete to talk about with the hiring manager.
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“Why is this role open?”
Why ask: A new role and a replacement mean different things. Either answer tells you what to ask later.
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“Is it remote, hybrid or on-site, and how firm is that?”
Why ask: Settle a deal breaker now, before you spend three rounds on a job you can't take.
You've read the answer. Now say it.
The words come out differently when someone is waiting for them. An AI recruiter asks these questions, presses on the salary, and scores what it heard: your search story, the money, fit, logistics and delivery. Any red flag it heard is listed on your scorecard, with the words that raised it.
Your free mocks show the score. The Interview-Ready plan shows you how to raise it.
- As many scored mocks as you want, in every round
- Why you lost points on each skill
- Your weakest answers rewritten, with why the new version scores higher
$29 a month if you join by October 31, and you keep it while you stay (regular $49). 14-day refund from your account. See the plan
More in interview questions
- Phone interview tips How to sound clear and ready when they can only hear you.
- Hiring manager interview questions Questions about the work itself, from the person you'd report to.
- Second interview questions More specific, more behavioral, and often more people in the room.
- Internal interview questions Applying inside your own company: what they ask and what to say.