The best phone interview questions to ask candidates are short, open questions that confirm four things fast: why they are looking, whether their real day-to-day experience matches the job, whether the logistics work (location, work authorization, salary, start date), and how interested they actually are. Everything else can wait for the in-person or panel interview.
It’s common to interview someone who looks like a great fit on paper, only to find out later that the role, the pay or the team was never a match. A good phone screen catches most of that in 20 to 30 minutes.
As technical recruiters, we run phone interviews and phone screens with engineering, IT and supply chain candidates almost every day. Below are the 15 questions we lean on most, what each one tells you, and what a strong answer sounds like.
What are the benefits of a phone interview?
A phone interview gives you a quick read on a candidate’s skill level, experience and career plans before anyone blocks out an afternoon for an on-site visit. It also lets you check how they communicate, whether they are polite and prepared, and whether they understand the role they applied for.
Most importantly, it screens out deal-breakers early. A candidate who needs sponsorship you can’t offer, wants $30k more than your budget, or won’t relocate is better found in minute ten of a phone call than after three rounds of interviews.
15 Best Phone Interview Questions to Ask Candidates
1. Tell me a bit about yourself
This question looks simple, but it does two jobs. It puts the candidate at ease with an easy opener, and it often reveals what they want most from their next job, which helps you steer the rest of the call.
Strong candidates have a short, prepared answer. They mention the skills they’ve built in previous roles and connect them to your job description. For example, someone who has worked in a busy restaurant might point out that they are used to high volumes of people in a fast-paced environment.
The best answers use language from the job description, which shows they read it and understand what the role requires.
2. Why are you looking for a new position?
Ask this of every candidate. Do they dislike their job? Is the commute too long? Is the work unfulfilling? Do they want more money or room to grow? Is their company struggling financially?
You may need to ask it a few different ways to get to the real reason. That reason matters: if your role doesn’t fix the problem that is pushing them out, they are likely to keep looking after they join.
3. What about this position made you want to apply?
The more specific the answer, the better. Do they like your industry, your products, or the technologies and equipment your company uses?
If the main reason is “it’s close to my house,” keep talking to other candidates. You are about to invest in this person, and you want them to be excited about the work itself.
4. Tell me about your current job responsibilities
Resumes rarely tell the whole story, and many strong candidates are not good resume writers. This question shows you what they actually do day to day.
Listen for how much of the work they own versus support, and how closely it lines up with your opening. “I was part of the team that designed the fixture” and “I designed the fixture” are very different answers.
5. How would your current skills be a match for this job?
The candidate should be able to explain how their skills carry over to the role you are hiring for. If they can’t name which of their skills fit, it usually means they haven’t researched the position or don’t fully understand it.
For engineering roles, this is also the moment to confirm any hard requirements, such as a degree, certification or license. If the job needs a PE, ask directly. Our guide to PE vs EIT vs no license covers when that distinction matters.
6. How many years of experience do you have with [X] software?
If you are hiring a mechanical engineer, you may want to know how many years they have with a CAD system such as SolidWorks. For a software developer, you might ask how many years of Java experience they have.
Years alone don’t tell you much, so follow up. Ask how they have used the software over the past few years and what the most complex thing they built or solved with it was. Make sure their experience matches what you need them to accomplish with it.
7. What is the most important skill you have learned recently?
This tells you whether the candidate is still growing. A good answer is specific and honest about where they still have room to improve, for example: “In my last role I learned a lot about JavaScript, and I’m looking for a team where I can keep building on it.”
Being skilled at something is great, but what matters more is whether the skill applies to your job. Ask follow-up questions if you are unsure how deep their knowledge goes.
8. Describe your style of work in a few sentences
Many people enjoy working on a team rather than on their own. Others do their best work heads-down. Neither is wrong, but you need to know whether this person can handle the amount of independent or collaborative work your role requires.
If a candidate has completed an Enneagram test, it can offer useful clues about how they naturally approach teamwork and independent tasks.
9. Describe the workplace culture you thrive in
Does the candidate prefer a laid-back atmosphere or a more structured one? Do they like doing activities with coworkers after work, or would they rather go home? Is a company that is active in the community important to them?
Whatever they say, see if it lines up with how your team really works, not how the careers page describes it. You want someone who will stick around and enjoy where they work.
10. What challenges are you looking for in your next position?
Great candidates are always looking for growth. A strong answer names a specific challenge that your role can actually offer, such as “I want to move from supporting designs to owning a product line” or “I want to lead a plant-wide automation project.”
Vague answers like “I want to be challenged” tell you very little. If the challenge they describe isn’t part of your job, say so now. It saves both sides time and heads off an early resignation.
11. Are you comfortable with the location and work arrangement for this role?
State the arrangement plainly (on-site, hybrid or remote, plus any travel or shift work) and ask whether it works for them. If the role requires relocation, ask whether they are open to it and what would need to happen for them to move.
Many candidates apply to on-site jobs hoping the work will turn out to be remote or hybrid. Clearing this up on the phone prevents a declined offer later.
12. Are you legally authorized to work in the U.S., and will you now or in the future require sponsorship?
If your company can’t sponsor visas, ask this early and ask every candidate the same way. Stick to these two yes-or-no questions. Don’t ask about a candidate’s citizenship, national origin or where they were born, which can expose you to discrimination claims.
13. What are your salary expectations?
You don’t have to ask this on the first call, but it can save everyone time. If the candidate wants $115k and your budget is $85k, an in-person interview is a waste of time for both of you.
Ask about expectations, not about what they earn today. A growing number of states and cities bar employers from asking about salary history, and several states now require a pay range in the job posting. The cleaner approach is to share your range and ask whether it works for them.
If you have a broad budget, you can hold the detailed conversation until you are ready to make an offer. Pay surprises late in the process are one of the main reasons engineers reject job offers.
14. If offered the position, how soon could you start?
Most candidates need to give their current employer at least two weeks’ notice. Some ask for more time if they are in the middle of a big project, are in a contract position, need to relocate or have other commitments.
Decide in advance how flexible you can be on the start date for the right candidate. In our experience, a request for more than four weeks without a clear reason deserves a follow-up question. It can signal lukewarm interest or an offer they are waiting on elsewhere, and far-out start dates are where last-minute backouts tend to happen.
15. Is there anything you would like to ask me?
Always leave time for this. Interviews are a two-way street, and the candidate’s questions tell you a lot about their interest and how much homework they did on your company.
Good questions are specific: about the team, the projects, how success is measured, or why the role is open. If they have no questions at all, it may mean they aren’t sure the job is right for them or aren’t very invested in the role.
Phone interview red flags to watch for
- They can’t explain what they do day to day, or their description doesn’t match their resume.
- They know nothing about your company or the role they applied for.
- Every answer is about pay, and none are about the work.
- They speak badly about every past employer.
- Answers sound read from a screen, with long pauses before polished, generic replies. See our guide on how to prevent AI cheating in interviews.
- They miss the scheduled call or show up somewhere they can’t talk, without letting you know.
Questions to avoid in a phone screen
Keep every question tied to the job. Avoid asking about age, marital status, children or plans to have them, pregnancy, religion, race, national origin, citizenship (beyond work authorization), disability or health conditions, and, where it is banned, salary history. Asking the same core questions of every candidate also makes it easier to compare them fairly.
How long is a phone screening interview?
A phone screening interview is usually a 15 to 30-minute call. That is enough to get a read on a candidate’s personality and skill set before committing time to a full interview. Use phone interviews to build your shortlist for in-person or video interviews.
How long should phone interview answers be?
Most answers should run one to two minutes. Factual questions, like years of experience or start date, should get short, direct answers. Keep the call moving so you can cover everything in 30 minutes or less.
What is the purpose of a screening interview?
Employers usually hold phone screens in the first round of hiring. They are designed to confirm that an applicant meets the basic qualifications, that the logistics work, and that they could be a good fit for the company.
What should I ask in the next interview?
Once a candidate passes the phone screen, the next round should go deeper into technical ability, problem solving and past results. Our list of questions to ask an interviewee covers what to ask in the in-person or panel interview.
As one of the leading engineering staffing agencies, we help employers recruit engineering, design and IT talent. Contact us about our engineering recruiting services or IT staffing services.
