A pre-screening interview is done before a regular interview to determine whether to pursue a further relationship with a candidate. The interview process is often done by an outside agency as a way to whittle out any unqualified or dishonest candidates. In some circumstances, the business will also do them themselves.
Key Takeaways:
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Pre-screening interviews are a way to determine whether or not to invest any more time in the hiring process with a candidate.
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The interviews are short, usually between 15 and 20 minutes.
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The questions are generally focused on work experience and other qualifications but can also venture into the candidate’s goals and how well they’d fit into the company culture.
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Interviews of this type should be done over the phone or via video chat rather than in person.
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Candidates should be given at least 24 hours of notice before the interview is scheduled.
What Is a Pre-Screening Interview?
A pre-screening interview is, in many ways, exactly what it sounds like. It’s a pre-interview to determine whether or not to move forward with a particular candidate. They can also be an excellent tool to pare down to the candidate that you choose to ask to work for your company.
Unlike a traditional job interview, pre-screening interviews don’t take place at the workplace. They are conducted either over the phone or via video chat. This is partly due to the fact that these interviews aren’t as formal and should be short, meaning that the candidate coming to the office is unnecessary.
Questions to Ask In a Pre-Screening Interview
The majority of the questions in a pre-screening interview are going to be more generic. It’s just a way to feel the candidate out a bit and determine whether or not they’re going to fit in at the organization. Unlike a traditional interview, the answers aren’t expected to be long. However, they can determine the accuracy of the experience reported on their resume.
Here are some example questions to ask in a pre-screening interview.
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What’s your ideal work environment? This will give you an idea of what the employee prioritizes in a work environment. It can give you a feel as to whether or not you think they’ll fit in well in the organization.
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Why are you interested in this position? Generally speaking, candidates don’t apply for a position that doesn’t interest them. And even if they did, they should be prepared to answer this question in a reasonable manner. It can also test to see if they know anything about the company or its accomplishments.
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What were some of your responsibilities in your previous position? This can expand a bit beyond their resume and give you a better idea as to what they did on a daily basis in their previous job. Depending on how similar their responsibilities are to the position they’ve applied for, it can show that they have direct experience.
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What are your professional goals? Everyone has an idea of where they want to end up professionally. If they mention something unrelated to the position that they applied for (unless they’re being humorous), you may want to consider whether or not they intend to stay with your company long-term.
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Do you prefer to work as part of a team or independently? There isn’t necessarily a right answer to this question. That being said, depending on the work environment, one can be better suited than the other. If group projects are the norm and the candidate answers that they prefer to work alone, they may not mesh with the team well.
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How do you prioritize tasks? This can give you some insight into how they operate at work. Which tasks do they pick to do first, and what’s their reasoning behind it? It should also give you a glimpse into how organized they are. For instance, do they actually have a method or does it just depend on circumstances?
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Are you interviewing with other companies? If the candidate is highly qualified, the answer is likely to be yes, meaning that you’ll need to be aware that they may get another offer from someone else. You may decide that that adds further complications you’d rather avoid, or that it’s a sign of the employee’s desirability.
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How do you hear about this position? A question of this sort is less an insight into the candidate and more a review of your recruitment process. Did they find it on a job board, hear about it from a coworker, or bump into it at a job fair? Whatever the case, you’ll know that at least one recruitment strategy worked.
Unlike traditional interviews, pre-screening interviews are short, usually about 15-20 minutes. That means that you have to prioritize what it is that you want to ask the candidate. This isn’t a detailed way to get to know them, just a way to get a sense of the kind of person and worker that they are.
Whether or not they’re prepped for a pre-screening interview will also tell you something. Everyone knows about interviews and should have done some preparation for them. But pre-screening interviews are more likely to catch people off guard. If they’re prepared for this, then they’re likely highly organized and diligent – or experienced.
How to Conduct a Pre-Screening Interview
Many pre-screening interviews are done by an outside agency. The idea is to spare the company from having to do the preliminary work of determining the truthfulness of the potential employee and if they have the requisite experience. However, you can also do them yourself.
As with most business interactions, there is a formula for how to go about them. Pre-screening interviews are done over the phone or via video chat, as they’re a less formal interviewing process. Not that it isn’t immensely important to the hiring process, but it’s less of an investment than a typical interview.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan your pre-screening interview.
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Keep it short. Due to the fact that they’re preliminary, pre-screening interviews should be kept short. 15-20 minutes is the accepted standard length. It’s more or less just a way to ascertain that they are who they say they are and that they’re actually interested in the position that they applied for.
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Notify them in advance. Don’t spring an interview on the candidate. It’s proper to give them at least a day’s notice before the interview. They should know whether it’s over the phone or on Zoom. For the latter, give them information on what they need to do and how to deal with any potential issues.
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Select a time that works for both of you. Schedule the interview. This is to make sure that you don’t call the candidate at a time when they can’t set aside the time to talk to you. Not only does this waste everyone’s time, but it’s also unprofessional.
As with all business interactions, it should be planned in advance and during business hours, if possible. The employee should be willing to make time for it; however, you should be aware that they do have other obligations and plans.
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Keep the interview on track. It’s a short conversation, so it’s important to cover what you want to say within the time limit. It’s recommended to keep a list of questions to ask so that you don’t forget anything and are sure to cover everything that’s important.
You may not get a chance to ask everything due to time constraints, so focus on the most important first.
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Give them information about what happens going forward. Make sure that the candidate is aware of what the next steps will be. If they pass the pre-screening interview, then it’s a good idea to let them know when the next step is expected.
If you decide not to pursue the relationship further, then be sure that they know in a reasonable amount of time.
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Take notes. Note-taking is an excellent way to reinforce your memory. It’ll also back you up if there is any dispute, such as if the employee recalls you saying something you don’t remember saying.
It’ll also make it easier to compare different pre-screening interviews if you’re still unsure of which candidate to move forward with. And as most pre-screening interviews are done by something other than the primary interviewer, it’ll allow for continuity should the process continue.
What Are the Benefits of Conducting a Pre-Screening Interview?
Pre-screening interviews allow you to look a bit more closely at candidates than you could from just a resume. It’s a further narrowing of the candidate pool. Once you sort through the resumes, then you have to look at the person as an individual. This is in terms of how they’ll fit into the company culture, as well as how directly their experience relates to the current position.
Benefits include:
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Gauging enthusiasm. Talking to the candidate on the phone or over video chat gives you a much better idea as to how excited they are about the position. Applications are, by their nature, devoid of many feelings, meaning it’s almost impossible to determine a candidate’s true interest in a position just from their resume and cover letter.
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Lets you see beyond what’s on their resume. Resumes are, by their nature, a simplified list. They won’t go into detail about particular projects or interpersonal skills that the candidate picked up along the way. Speaking to them directly will allow them to share further information and showcase communication and interpersonal skills.
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Helps to pick which candidates to spend time on. Sometimes a candidate looks excellent on paper, but speaking to them makes it clear that they’re a poor fit for the job. This may not be through any fault of their own.
Nonetheless, it prevents both of you from wasting time in interviews and follow-ups when it’s clear that they aren’t the right person for the job.
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Lets you answer questions about your organization. It’s likely that the candidate has questions and will want further information and clarification about your organization. A pre-screening interview will give you a chance to answer some of their questions, as well as see what they’re curious about and interested in.
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See-through falsifications. If something on the candidate’s resume catches your eye, then you can ask them directly about it. It’s usually easy enough to tell if they exaggerated or outright lied about something on their resume once you question them about it.
Finding out that someone has misrepresented their history on their application is a strong sign not to hire the candidate. An exaggeration might end up being an accident, but it’s not necessarily a behavior that you want to reward. An outright lie or falsification, on the other hand, says nothing good about their character.
Pre-Screening Interview Questions FAQ
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How long should a pre-screening interview be?
A pre-screening interview should be no longer than 20 minutes. It’s just a way to ascertain that the candidate is who they say they are and wouldn’t be a terrible fit for the company.
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How much warning should a candidate have before the pre-screening interview?
It’s considered standard to give a candidate at least 24 hours of notice before a pre-screening interview. This will give both of you time to prepare as well as make sure that they can rearrange any plans if they need to.
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Should I take notes during an interview?
Taking notes is generally an excellent idea in an interview. It makes it clear that you’re paying attention during the interview, as well as creating a record of what happened. In the unlikely event of a dispute or complaint, the person who has detailed notes is more likely to be believed.
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What types of questions do you ask in a pre-screening interview?
The questions to focus on in a pre-screening interview are typically related to work experience and resume. However, depending on the job and circumstances, you can also ask about their interest in the job and what they’re looking for in the future of their career.
Author
Di Doherty
Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
