Screening Interview – Pass the First Hurdle with Flying

Colours
 

Screening interviews help the recruiting managers with the first selection of job
applicants. Who will make the cut? Who will fail? Conducted typically over the phone, or in a
form of group interview, the interviewers try to get a good grasp of your personality, and
motivation–that is their primary goal at this stage. Do you really want the job? What are your
communication skills? Do you meet the basic job requirements in terms of education and
experience? What motivates you to apply for the job?

They try to find the answers to these questions while talking to you. Recruiting managers will
typically screen out more than fifty percent of all applicants during this stage of hiring process.
How to be the one who passes the screening interview, and progresses to the next round? The
answer is simple: you should prepare for the questions, and you should demonstrate your
motivation to work for them. Let’s analyse how you can do it…

How to prepare for a successful screening interview

Here are the steps you should use to fully prepare for your next screening interview:

1. Review the job description

Examine the required and preferred qualifications for the candidate as well as the main
responsibilities for the role. Take note of key responsibilities and consider how your own
education, skills and experience align with the role.

2. Research the company

You should be able to answer questions about the company’s products, market and other key
strategies and figures that can be uncovered through research. Expect some variation of the
question, “What do you know about us?” As part of your research, read through blog posts
and the posts on social media accounts. Check to see if you may know someone who is
employed at the organization who could give you additional insights.

3. Know your resume

Be prepared with descriptions of your previous positions as well as experiences that prove
your abilities. Be able to describe your three most relevant accomplishments and how they
demonstrate your ability to be successful in the role for which you’re applying.

4. Practice interviewing

Practice interviewing with a friend. Give them a list of common questions that are asked
during screening interviews and practice how you will respond to them. If the screening
interview is happening over the phone, have the friend call you for your practice interview. If
you plan to use notes during the interview, have them ready to use during your practice
interview. 
5. Prepare questions

Think of some thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer to show you’re interested in the
position

Same questions every time

Whether they interview you face to face, over the phone, on Skype, on Zoom, or even using a
virtual machine (pre-recorded interview questions you’d answer online), you will deal with
similar questions in every screening interview.

Most of the questions (not all) are relatively simple, because their goal is to hear you
talking. Every word you say, every gesture you make, tells something about you. The exact
questions are not so important at this stage of recruiting process–and that’s why many companies
will go with common interview questions. Your answers to these questions tell them enough
about your personality and motivation. They will keep the really tough questions for second,
and final interview with you…

Common questions for screening interviews

 Why did you apply for this job? Give them a clear reason, say what caught your
eye on their job description. Show them that you did not apply just because you
need any job, but because you really want the position they advertise.
 Can you tell us something about yourself? Focus on things that are relevant for
the employer–your experience, education, your present situation in terms of having
a job, your hobbies and interests that relate to the position you try to get with them.
 What do you consider your biggest achievement so far?
 What are your strengths? Try to pick something that matters for a job. This
changes from one position to another, but it is good to show the employer that you
are aware of your skills, and believe that you can do a great job at their company.
 What are your weaknesses? You should pick a weakness that is not central for the
job. And you should always emphasize that you work on improving your
weaknesses, in your pursuit of perfection…
 How do you cope with stress?
 Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Again, a good answer depends on
the job you apply for. In most cases it is good to connect your future with the
company–saying you’d be happy to work for them in five years’ time. In some
other cases it is better to focus on your personal goals.
 Tell us something about your past experience. Tell them not only what you did,
but also how your past roles prepared you for the job you try to get with them.
Focus on achievements, and how you helped your past employers. Try to avoid
negative remarks about your past colleagues.
 What motivates you in job? A good answer depends on the position you apply for.
Nevertheless, you should not talk about money as your primary motivation. Show
 them that you see a meaningful purpose in your work, and won’t lose your
motivation quickly.
 Why should we hire you?

Things recruiting manager observe in a screening

interview
An experienced and skilled recruiting manager can observe a lot of things while listening to your
interview answers:

 Your listening skills, whether you talk to the point, or answer a totally different question
(this happens quite often).
 Whether you are introverted or extroverted (we can see it from the way you talk, the
way you look at us, etc).
 What matters for you the most in job and in life (your answers to simple questions
about your education, experience and hobbies tell us a lot about the things that matter to
you).
 Whether you are a good fit for the position, considering your future colleagues and the
working environment.
 Whether we can count with you in a long run (the way you talk about your past jobs and
your career plans tells a lot about your loyalty and about other things that determine how
long you’d stay with us).
 Whether you are honest to yourself and to others. Are you humble, confident, over-
confident? (answers to the questions about your strengths and weaknesses indicate the
picture you have about yourself)

 Conclusion
 Screening interviews help the employers with the first selection of job candidates, they
help them to understand whether it makes sense to invite you for the second interview,
or it would be just a waste of time for them.
 Online, over the phone, or face to face–the questions will be similar in every screening
interview. Think about the most common questions, and prepare a good answer. Do not
forget to show enthusiasm and motivation while talking to the employer.