What should I expect during a 15-minute job interview screening? It’s so short! (2024)

Jobs

Elaine Varelas advises on how to make a good impression during a 15-minute screening interview.

What should I expect during a 15-minute job interview screening? It’s so short! (1)

By Elaine Varelas

Q. What is an employer looking for in a 15-minute screening interview?

A. A short screening interview allows employers to quickly assess your basic qualifications, such as relevant experience, skills, and education, to determine if you are an actual candidate for the position as opposed to a paper fit. Before an interviewer commits to investing an hour or more of their time and potentially organizational leader’s time, they want to ensure that the candidate meets the basic qualifications required for the role. They will check for baseline hard skills. They want to know that you meet the basic requirements for the job, whatever those job-specific skills (aka technical skills) might be. If you’re a finance person, you may say that you did something on your resume, but a few questions can highlight what you did, or if someone else did that work. If you’re in the Human Resources field, they want to know if you are a strategic leader, a manager, or an expert in a specific area – compensation and benefits, or employee relations, or HRIS.

Great resumes can get through the applicant tracking system, but they may not meet the level of skill required to succeed in the role. Interviewers can assess the basic competencies and technical skills of candidates through just a few questions during interviews. They may have three or four questions to determine if the experiences and technical skills listed on your resume are in fact at the level required for the role.

During those 15 minutes, it’s also important to demonstrate soft skills. They will be paying close attention to your personality style during this short meeting. Can you develop rapport with the person doing the screening? Can you make eye contact on a Zoom call? Do you show an interest in the organization by asking questions, in addition to answering questions quickly? They will pay close attention to your response time to questions and how clearly you answer questions to gauge your understanding.

Every interviewer wants to know that you have prepared for the interview and that you can think quickly on your feet. Before the screening, be sure to read over the job posting, have your Resume handy, and do some background research to learn more about the organization. They may ask you what attracted you to apply for the role. Make sure you are able to communicate how your qualifications would make you a good fit for the role and an excellent team member and contributor. They want to gauge a candidate’s communications skills before moving on to the next step in the interviewing process. Their goal is going to be to narrow down the list of candidates that will move on to the next step in the interviewing process.

When a screening interview winds down, be sure to express appreciation to the interviewer for their time in talking to you about the position. One of the most important closing questions you can ask is, “I’m very interested in the position. Could you please let me know if you will be recommending that I move forward in the interview process?” Don’t leave yourself in the dark not knowing how you did. If you need to develop your interview skills for screening interviews, you need to find that out as soon as possible, or you’ll be eliminated from being able to go into more depth about what you can bring to an organization. Overall, a 15-minute job screening can be worth your time as it allows you both to determine if you might be a good fit for the position, and if the organization is right for you which can save you time and emotional resources in the hiring process.

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What should I expect during a 15-minute job interview screening? It’s so short! (2024)

FAQs

What should I expect during a 15-minute job interview screening? It’s so short!? ›

During a 15-minute phone interview, candidates are likely to be asked about their background, job experience, skills and why they want to work for the company. They may also be asked about salary expectations and when they could start working in the role.

What happens during a 15-minute interview? ›

During a 15-minute interview, candidates are often evaluated on their communication skills, professionalism, and ability to concisely articulate their qualifications.

Are short answers good in an interview? ›

Interview answers should be 30 seconds to four minutes, depending on the context of the questions. Your response may be short (30 seconds to two minutes) if the question is simple. For example, if the hiring manager asks you to describe your strengths, you might speak for 90 seconds to explain where you're proficient.

Is a 15-minute interview good or bad? ›

While there is an average number of minutes that represents a good interview, it's not a set-in-stone timeframe. Interviews can last anywhere between 15 minutes to three hours. Though, if you have an interview that only lasts 15 minutes, that's probably not a good sign.

What is the difference between screening interview and interview? ›

Screening vs interview

Unlike actual job interviews, screening interviews are short and straightforward, typically concentrating on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, availability, salary expectations, and interest in the job.

What is the pass rate for screening interview? ›

What Is a Reasonable Screening Interview Pass Rate? A pass rate indicates how often you move candidates to the next step in the hiring process. A pass rate of 30 to 50% is ideal, but it also depends on the recruiter and the role.

How to end tell me about yourself? ›

Highlight your previous work experience related to the job, powerful examples, and situations aligned with the job description requirements. End by talking about the future. Make it clear why you are choosing to apply for this company now and how your career path aligns with that.

What to say when an interviewer asks tell me about yourself? ›

Present: Talk a little bit about what your current role is, the scope of it, and perhaps a big recent accomplishment. Past: Tell the interviewer how you got there and/or mention previous experience that's relevant to the job and company you're applying for.

Can you tell me about yourself in a few words sample answer? ›

Sample answers:

I am a hard-working and driven individual who isn't afraid to face a challenge. I'm passionate about my work and I know how to get the job done. I would describe myself as an open and honest person who doesn't believe in misleading other people and tries to be fair in everything I do.

How long is a typical screening interview? ›

At the end of a phone screen interview, you want to be confident a candidate can do the job and also mesh well with your organizational culture. Open-ended or technical questions aren't necessary at this stage of the hiring process. A phone screen interview is typically a 15- to 30-minute phone call.

What is 15 min call after interview? ›

Ever been contacted by a recruiter to schedule a 15-minute phone call? It's a good sign to be selected for a phone screening. With the hundreds of applicants that they receive daily, recruiters will utilize their limited time and prioritize candidates who have the best chance to be considered for a particular job.

Is it good to be 15 minutes early for interview? ›

As a general rule, experts recommend that you plan to arrive at a job interview 15 minutes early. On top of that time, they also recommended that you build a 15- to 20-minute cushion into your commute, to ensure that factors like traffic or construction don't keep you from arriving when you should.

What is the 15-minute family interview? ›

The 15-minute family interview is a condensed form of the Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Models (CFAM and CFIM) that aims to contribute to the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between nurses and family and to implement interventions to promote health and suffering relief, even during brief ...

How many pages is a 15-minute interview transcript? ›

A good rule of thumb: the proportion of pages to minutes is just a smidgen over one to two. In other words, a 20-minute presentation should be nine to ten pagels long, while a 15-minute presentation should be seven to eight pages long.

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