Mastering the Screening Interview

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The interview process for most companies consists of 4 or more interviews over the course of 4–6 weeks. That’s a lot of time for your team members — and your candidates — to invest.

That’s why the screening interview is so important. These initial conversations serve as a powerful tool to identify top performers, align expectations, and create a great first impression of your company. Focusing on the most promising candidates early in the hiring process allows you to streamline your recruitment efforts while increasing your chances of making an exceptional hire.

In this article, we’ll explore what you need to know about screening interviews, from their purpose and benefits to best practices and KPIs.

What is a screening interview?

A screening interview is an initial conversation with a job candidate to determine whether they meet the basic qualifications for your position. Screening interviews are typically 15-30 minutes, conducted over the phone or via video call by a talent acquisition professional or hiring manager to narrow down the pool of applicants. This ensures that only the most promising candidates progress to more in-depth interviews and assessments.

Screening interviews are also an opportunity for your candidates to gauge whether your company and role match their career goals, interests, and needs. It’s important to learn their motivation for finding a new role and provide a realistic preview of what you can offer if they join your team.

Why are screening interviews important?

Screening interviews play a crucial role in the hiring process for several reasons:

Identify qualified candidates: Screening interviews provide an initial opportunity to assess a candidate’s background, skills, and enthusiasm so you can move forward with the best candidates.
Save time: Screening interviews help you quickly identify candidates who don’t meet the basic requirements, saving time for both the employer and the candidate.
Lower recruiting costs: Screening interviews are typically shorter and require fewer resources than in-person interviews, helping you reduce overall recruiting costs.
Improve candidate experience: Brief initial interviews allow candidates to learn more about the role and company culture early on, improving their overall experience with your organization.

Planning and preparing for screening interviews

Proper planning and preparation are essential to get the most out of your screening interviews.

Here are some key steps to take before you start scheduling interviews:

Define your ideal candidate profile

Before you can effectively screen candidates, you need to know exactly what you’re looking for.

Work with the hiring team to create a detailed profile of your ideal candidate, including:

Essential skills and qualifications
Desirable experience levels
Key personality traits and cultural fit indicators
Deal-breakers or red flags

Having a clear picture of your ideal candidate will help you craft targeted interview questions and evaluate responses more effectively.

Create a structured interview guide

Use your ideal candidate profiles to develop a structured interview to help you evaluate each candidate against your hiring criteria.

Your interview guide might cover:

Basic qualifications and experience
Technical skills or job-specific knowledge
Soft skills and behavioral traits
Career goals and motivations
Logistical considerations (e.g., salary expectations, start date, work arrangements)

While it’s important to have a structure, remember to keep the conversation flowing naturally and be prepared to ask follow-up questions based on the candidate’s responses.

Prepare your elevator pitch

Screening interviews are a two-way street. Candidates are also evaluating your company as much as you’re evaluating them, so be ready to give a concise, compelling overview of the role and your organization.

Your elevator pitch should highlight:

The company’s mission and values
Key responsibilities of the position
Opportunities for growth and development
Unique aspects of your company culture

A well-crafted elevator pitch can help you attract top talent and ensure that candidates who progress are genuinely interested in the opportunity.

Conducting an effective screening interview

Now that you’re prepared, it’s time to start interviewing.

Here are some best practices to ensure your screening interviews are productive and informative:

Set the tone

Begin the interview by introducing yourself, confirming it’s still a good time to chat, and explaining the purpose of the conversation. Let your candidate know how long the screening interview will take and what they can expect. A friendly, professional tone can help put nervous candidates at ease and encourage more open communication.

Ask the right questions

Your prepared interview guide will be your roadmap, but remember to engage your active listening skills and ask follow-up questions when necessary.

Some effective screening interview questions include:

“Can you walk me through your resume and highlight your most relevant experience for this role?”
“What interests you most about this position and our company?”
“Describe a successful project you worked on in your previous role and how you handled it.”
“Can you tell me about your experience with [software category] and how you’ve used it in a past role.”
“Do you have any questions about the role or our company?”
“The salary range for this role is [$X-$XX]. Does that align with your expectations?”
“What are you looking for in your next opportunity?”

Take detailed notes

Use your interview scorecard during the interview to rate the candidate’s responses, your impressions, and any areas you’d like to explore further if they progress to the next stage. These notes will be invaluable when deciding which candidates to advance to the next stage of your interview process.

Answer candidate questions

Answer candidate questions throughout the interview, and leave 5-10 extra minutes at the end to make sure they can ask any additional questions.

It can be helpful to give candidates parameters about the types of questions you can answer. For example, recruiters often have more insight about the company culture while hiring managers have a deeper understanding of team culture and day-to-day responsibilities. Offer to answer questions around the topics you feel confident answering.

If your candidate asks a question you’re unsure how to answer, let them know you’ll find out and get back to them.

End on a positive note

Conclude the interview by thanking the candidate for their time and explaining the next steps in the hiring process. Let them know when they can expect to hear back from you, even if they’re not moving forward.

Evaluating and moving candidates forward

After conducting your screening interviews, it’s time to evaluate candidates and decide who moves on to the next stage.

Here’s how to approach this crucial step:

Use a scoring system

Develop a simple scoring system based on your ideal candidate profile and the key criteria for the role.

Rate each candidate on factors like:

Relevant experience and skills
Cultural fit and alignment with company values
Enthusiasm and interest in the role

This systematic approach will help you compare candidates objectively and identify top contenders more easily.

Collaborate with your hiring team

Share your interview notes and assessments with your hiring team to get their input. This collaboration ensures that you’re aligned on what qualities are most important for the role and helps you calibrate candidates when multiple interviewers are involved with screening.

Make timely decisions

Aim to evaluate candidates and make decisions quickly after the screening interviews. Top talent often has multiple opportunities, so a swift and efficient process can give you a competitive edge.

Provide feedback

Provide timely and constructive feedback whether a candidate is moving forward or not.

For those not progressing, offer brief, general feedback on why they weren’t selected. This can leave them with a positive impression of your company.

For candidates moving to the next stage, share any areas you’d like them to elaborate on or prepare for in subsequent interviews.

Measuring and improving your screening process

It’s important to track key metrics and gather feedback to ensure your screening interviews are effective and continuously improving.

Consider monitoring:

Time to hire: Are screening interviews helping you fill positions more quickly?
Quality of hire: Are candidates who perform well in screening interviews also succeeding in their roles?
Candidate feedback: What do candidates say about their experience with your screening process?
Hiring manager satisfaction: Are hiring managers pleased with the quality of candidates reaching the later interview stages?
Screen to interview to offer ratio: Are the right candidates progressing through your hiring process?

Regularly review these metrics and use the insights to refine your screening process. This might involve adjusting your interview questions, moving some screening questions to the job application, incorporating new assessment techniques, or providing additional training for your hiring team.

Final thoughts on screening interviews

Screening interviews are a powerful technique to use in your recruitment process, enabling you to efficiently identify top talent while saving time and resources. By following the best practices outlined in this guide – from thorough preparation and structured questioning to fair evaluation and continuous improvement – you’ll be well-equipped to streamline your hiring process and consistently find the best candidates for your organization.

Remember, the key to successful screening interviews lies in balancing efficiency with a positive candidate experience. Strive to create a process that not only helps you identify the right talent but also leaves all candidates with a favorable impression of your company.

Learn how JobScore can help you create an engaging screening interview.

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