12 questions to ask in your next recruiter screen (and 4 to avoid)
Get intel, set expectations, collect information, and assess career risk.
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Okay! Let’s get onto today’s post.
This week, we’ll dive into the most useful questions to ask in a recruiter screen. As a bonus, I’ll include a few questions you should (probably) not ask.
1. Can you share why the team is looking to fill this role?
2. Was someone previously in this role? Why did they leave?
3. Are there other candidates in the pipeline? If so, how far along are they?
4. What reasons have the hiring manager or hiring committee mentioned when passing on candidates to date?
5. What does the overall process look like? What’s the typical timeline end to end?
6. If I move forward, what is the next step? When will it be scheduled?
7. What’s the average time to hear back at each step in the process? Who will reach out to me?
8. Does this role contribute to a prioritized strategic objective for the company? If so, how does it?
9. (for startups) What is the company’s current runway? (if less than 1.5 years) What can you share about the fundraising plans?
10. (for startups) Is the company currently profitable? If not, is there a defined path to profitability?
11. What is the compensation band for this role?
12. What are the elements of compensation? Base + bonus (?) + equity (?)
Recruiter screens. Most candidates don’t know how to extract the most value from these brief, dense conversations.
Many clients admit to me that they often throw strategy out the window. Instead, they focus on being liked and getting green-lit to move forward to real interviews. They admit that they just aren’t sure what else to do in these rapid-fire 20-minute calls.
Your goal could be much more strategic if you know what to ask (and why it’s important). Screening calls are the ideal time to collect unguarded information for eyes-wide-open success throughout the interview and negotiation process.
The recruiter is on your team; they want you to land this job. Their compensation is based on helping you land a job, as most recruiters are either on quota-based compensation programs or receive healthy incentives for landing people in jobs.
Here are my 11 go-to questions to ask recruiters in screening calls (and the whys behind each):
Get intel
The recruiter is your best line for candid intel on the role. The hiring manager isn’t likely to spill the tea on the role, nor will the three to seven other collaborators you’ll meet in the process. Now is your time to ask hard questions about why the role is vacant, how important this role is to the hiring manager, and who else you’re competing with for the spot.
Questions to ask
1. Can you share why the team is looking to fill this role?
2. Was someone previously in this role? Why did they leave?
3. Are there other candidates in the pipeline? If so, how far along are they?
4. What reasons have the hiring manager or hiring committee mentioned when passing on candidates to date?
Set (your) expectations
In a soft job market, employers are notorious for extending interview processes so they can search for the absolute best candidate available. They add extra steps like take-home assignments, panel discussions, and career conversations, which take extra time and effort for you.
It’s always better for you to know what the interview work will look like ahead of doing the work, and knowing approximate wait times between process steps will help temper your anxiety. If things are different (i.e., slower) as you move through the process, you can infer clues about where you stand and determine if you want to continue investing.
Questions to ask
5. What does the overall process look like? What’s the typical timeline end to end?
6. If I move forward, what is the next step? When will it be scheduled?
7. What’s the average time to hear back at each step in the process? Who will reach out to me?
Assess career risk
In the world of layoffs, it’s natural that job seekers fear that they will leave a good, solid (though boring) job and end up being first on the layoffs list at the new company. Unemployed job seekers who have already suffered the trauma of a layoff want to avoid a repeat of the pain and unknowns that come with unemployment.
The best way to assess the stability of a role is to understand how critical the role is to the short-term and long-term success of the company.
It’s your job to research and know the company's long-term goals (see how to conduct this research). The recruiter can share more about the company's financials (for startups) and how the role you’re interviewing for aligns with company priorities.
Questions to ask
8. Does this role contribute to a prioritized strategic objective for the company? If so, how?
9. (for startups) What is the company’s current runway? (if less than 1.5 years) What can you share about the fundraising plans?
10. (for startups) Is the company currently profitable? If not, is there a defined path to profitability? What can you share about that path?
Collect (comp) information
Knowing the compensation targets for the role puts you in a position to avoid wasting time interviewing (if it’s too low) and to be empowered with data for compensation negotiations (when and if the time comes). Gathering this information upfront averts the emotion that comes later in the process—on both sides.
Questions to ask
11. What is the compensation band for this role?**
12. What are the elements of the compensation package? Base + bonus (?) + equity (?)
**Even if the compensation band is posted on the job description, do yourself a favor and ask question #11 to understand the full compensation picture.
BONUS: questions to avoid
In general, I hazard against using recruiter calls to ask questions in any of these three categories: (1) hygiene factors like work hours, free lunch, and benefits; (2) intimate role details—because most recruiters simply won’t know; and (3) future career concerns—things like promotion processes and equity refreshes and management opportunities.
Some examples of questions that should wait until later in the process:
1. What are the typical hours? Will I ever need to work after X o’clock? (wait for an offer to ask about hygiene factors)
2. What’s the 401k match? Daycare discounts? Perks? (it’s essential information, but wait for an offer to ask specifics about benefits)
3. What’s the 90-day plan? (the recruiter is unlikely to have intimate details about the job, save scope and responsibilities questions for the hiring manager)
4. How does the promotion process work? (wait for the offer to get into specifics about internal growth opportunities and processes)
🎉 That’s a wrap!
PS: I’ve written this detailed primer on recruiter screens, which covers the goals on both sides, the four filters recruiters use, logistics and timing, and how to throw green flags rather than red flags. If you have questions about recruiter screens' who, what, when, and why, or if you have a screener coming up, please read that post.
PPS: I’d love your feedback on The Career Whispers: What’s one thing I could change about this post to make it the best/most helpful thing you read this week?
Because today’s post is aimed at helping you in your next job search, here’s a list of my top 5 job search-related categories (click for all the posts on each topic):
📄 Resumes
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