What is the purpose of a recruiter phone screen

(Photo credit @quinoal)

1. What is the purpose of a recruiter phone screen in the interview process?

   1. I have been getting so many questions on this topic lately! And I’ll admit - it can be confusing because there are multiple reasons that a recruiter may schedule a phone screen. Unless they are very clear about their goal for the call, you should prepare for each of these scenarios. 

   2. Here are 4 typical recruiter screen scenarios and how you can prepare for each. 

      1. Screen you OUT

         • Recruiter Goal: The recruiter likely already has many great potential candidates in their pipeline, and is not sure you should be included too. They did see something of interest in your resume so they are giving you the opportunity to prove you are worth moving forward to the next round.

         • How to prepare: Identify the major gaps in your background as compared with the role, and develop STAR stories to address those gaps. Ensure you have really good answers to the basic questions

      2. Screen you IN

         • Recruiter Goal: The recruiter is often trying to “sell” you in this scenario - either on a different role or team or on the company itself. Maybe you applied to Role A at the company and they are asking you to consider Role B instead. Maybe they got your resume from a resume book and reached out to invite you to apply. 

         • How to prepare: Aim to review the Role B description in advance of the call, so you know how it aligns with your career goals. 

      3. Doing a favor for someone internal

         • Recruiter Goal: This one can be tricky. If your referral is someone senior within the organization, many recruiters like to do a call to assess your fit. Sometimes you aren’t a fit at all - but the call placates the referral as referrals are a vital way for organizations to find talent. Sometimes, you’re a great fit, so the recruiter wants to speak with you to help give you additional guidance on how to be successful in the later process.

         • How to prepare: Again, tricky. I would advise assuming it’s a ‘screen you out’ call and do your best to impress the recruiter -- but keep your ear open to see if they are trying to sell you. Your strategy could flip instantly!

      4. The Slow Play

         • Recruiter Goal: The ‘slow play’ happens when a recruiter is interested in your profile but may not be quite ready to interview you. Sometimes that means you fall into a ‘good for company X’ bucket but aren’t aligned to a current open role. Or you are aligned to a role but the team is just a few weeks or months away from starting to interview. 

         • How to prepare: Treat this one like both the ‘Screen you in’ and the ‘Screen you out’ scenarios. You want to highlight your strengths and your overall fit for the organization. 

   3. Pro Tip: For all scenarios, ensure that you have really good answers to these 4 basic questions as recruiters love to ask all of them! 

      1. Tell me about yourself. 

      2. Why this role/team/department?

      3. Why this company?

      4. What is your salary expectation range?

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