9 Useful Questions to Ask a Recruiter During a Phone Screen

Key takeaways

• Speaking with a recruiter often occurs early in the interview process, before you meet with the hiring manager and other team members.

• You'll typically meet with a recruiter for a 30-minute phone screen to determine how well your background and experience fit the opening they're trying to fill.

• At this stage, it's a good idea to come prepared to ask a few questions that signal your interest and enthusiasm, while allowing you to gain clarity about job details and workplace culture.

Learn more about the different types of questions you may want to have on hand as you wrap up your recruiter phone screen. Afterward, prepare for interviews and practice responding to questions with the Google Accelerate Your Job Search with AI Specialization.

What's involved when you interview with a recruiter?

An interview with a recruiter (sometimes referred to as a phone screen or introductory call) is often the first interview you'll complete if your materials have made it past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and been flagged as a potentially strong fit.

At this stage, a recruiter will conduct 20- or 30-minute phone screens with a larger number of possible candidates to determine who should move forward into the formal interview process with the hiring manager and team.

An interview with a recruiter should be a conversation that:

• Enables a recruiter to gain a deeper understanding of you: They'll often ask about your background, experience, skills, career goals, and interest in working at the company.

• Enables you to gain clarity about the role and company: They'll often tell you about the job opportunity, including responsibilities, goals, and growth, as well as the company culture.

Learn more: How to Follow Up with a Recruiter

9 useful questions to ask recruiters

A recruiter should leave at least five minutes at the end of a phone screen for candidates to ask questions. Use this as an opportunity to learn more about work culture and gather additional details about the job. Remember: a good interview goes both ways, and you'll want to ensure it's a good career move.  

Explore examples of questions you can ask a recruiter to gather helpful information.

1. Can you tell me more about the company culture?

While a job description might provide a good picture of your daily job duties and tasks, work culture might be harder to pin down. Asking about it can give you a more comprehensive view of what life at the company might be like and whether it aligns with your wants and needs. 

2. What are some important qualities the ideal person in this role should have?

A job description might list requirements or desired qualifications, but this question can reveal more about the role’s priorities. The team might be looking for somebody who will execute tasks or a self-starter who will bring fresh ideas to the table.

This can help you determine if you’re a good fit for the position and provide clues about which skills to emphasize and which stories to prepare for a future interview.

3. Why is the team investing in this area?

Asking why an organization is hiring for a role by framing it as an investment can give you useful information about the organization’s direction and what situation you’ll be walking into should you accept a job offer.

The previous person in the role may have moved on to a different job, been fired, or been promoted to a new position. In any case, you’ll better understand the dynamics and opportunities in that role. If the position is entirely new, ask why it was created. You’ll have better insight into whether you’ll fill a role with clear definitions or one where flexibility will be an asset.

4. What does a typical day look like for this role? 

Although a recruiter may not be familiar with the team's day-to-day operations, this question can reveal important information about the organization’s culture, work hours, and work-life balance. They may also have some information on specific programs or projects you’ll be working on and enlighten you on who you’ll be working with.

5. What are the growth opportunities like for this role?

By knowing what people in the role have gone on to do, you’ll build context around the skills you’ll acquire in the role. You’ll know whether it seems like a temporary role and if the organization has a culture of promoting people from within. If this is a new role, you might ask about the expectations for somebody in the position for a year or more.

6. Can you tell me a bit about the team culture?

This question can shed some light on the specific team you’ll be working with on a day-to-day basis. Some teams within companies may have their own unique cultures, so it would be a good idea to inquire about both the team and the larger organization. Hopefully, you’ll walk away with an understanding of the team's size and how you’ll fit in, as well as some details like typical working hours and team direction. 

7. What do you like about working at this organization, and what’s one thing you would change?

Every organization faces challenges, but sometimes it’s difficult to ask about them directly. Framing a question like this can offer the recruiter a chance to be more frank about the challenges they face in the workplace without pushing them to badmouth their employer. You’ll also hear what the recruiter genuinely likes about the organization, which can be equally revealing.

8. What's the salary range for this role?

A phone screen provides an opportunity for both parties to discuss and clarify salary expectations. Organizations typically have a budget range for each role, and it’s fine to inquire about them if they're not included in the job posting.

Recruiters often ask about what you want to earn. Learn about different ways to navigate that question. Regardless, it's helpful to conduct research ahead of time to understand the typical salary range for a person in this role. Factor in your own experience, location, and expectations, and develop a range that seems fair for somebody in your position.

If a recruiter doesn’t bring up compensation in the interview and you want clarity, it's ok to ask about it. Though discussing salary might feel awkward, establishing expectations ensures you won’t feel undersold or that you wasted your time. The recruiter can also make sure your expectations are within their budget.

9. Can you tell me about the interview process and timeline?

This question clarifies expectations regarding when you can expect to hear back about the next steps and what you should anticipate in upcoming interviews. The recruiter may share the names or LinkedIn profiles of the people you will be interviewing with and lay out how many interviews the process typically includes.

This can also help determine if the process will fit into your timeline. If you’re looking for a job that requires you to undergo security clearance, which can take several months, this information will be crucial to have.

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