You schedule a 30-minute phone screen. You ask standard questions:

• "Tell me about your background."
• "Why are you interested in this role?"
• "What are your strengths?"

The candidate gives rehearsed answers. Everything sounds fine. You move them to the next round.

Then, during the hiring manager interview, you discover:

• They're only interested because of remote work (role is hybrid)
• They job-hop every 12 months (your role requires 2+ year commitment)
• Their salary expectations are 40% higher than your range
• They don't actually have the core skills required

You just wasted everyone's time because your phone screen didn't ask the right questions.

Here are 5 questions that reveal deal-breakers BEFORE you invest hours in interviews.

1. "What specific aspect of this role made you apply?"

What this reveals: Whether they actually read the job description and understand what the role involves.

Red flag responses:

• "I'm just looking for remote opportunities." (They don't care about the role—they care about work location.)
• "I saw your company was hiring and wanted to learn more." (Translation: They applied without reading the job description.)
• "I'm open to anything in [general field]." (No specific interest in YOUR role.)

Green flag responses:

• "I saw the role involves [specific responsibility], which aligns with what I've been doing at [current company] and what I want to grow into." (They read the job description and connected it to their experience.)
• "I'm particularly interested in [specific project/technology mentioned in the JD]—I've worked with [related experience] and want to deepen that expertise." (Specific, relevant, informed.)

Why it matters:

If they can't articulate why THIS role interests them, they're applying indiscriminately. They'll accept another offer tomorrow or lose interest once they learn more about the actual job.

Follow-up question if their answer is vague:

"What part of the job description stood out to you most?"

If they can't answer, they didn't read it. End the call.

2. "Walk me through your last 3 roles—what you did and why you left."

What this reveals: Job-hopping patterns, career trajectory, and whether they speak negatively about previous employers.

Red flag responses:

• Multiple jobs under 12 months with vague reasons for leaving. ("It wasn't the right fit" 3 times in a row = problem.)
• Blaming previous employers for everything. ("My manager was terrible, the company had no idea what they were doing, etc.")
• Can't clearly explain what they accomplished in each role. (Either they didn't accomplish anything or they're a poor communicator.)

Green flag responses:

• Clear progression in responsibility or skill development. ("I started in X, grew into Y, then sought out Z to develop [skill].")
• Reasonable explanations for job changes. (Company shut down, role was eliminated, career pivot, relocation, etc.)
• Speaks about previous roles professionally, even if they weren't great experiences. (No trash-talking.)

Why it matters:

Past behavior predicts future behavior. If someone job-hops every 12 months, they'll leave your company in 12 months too—regardless of what they say about "looking for stability."

What to listen for:

Tenure + reasons for leaving + how they talk about previous employers = pattern of behavior.

3. "What's your target salary range for this role?"

What this reveals: Whether you're in the same ballpark financially. If not, end the conversation now.

How to ask (in compliance with pay equity laws):

Don't ask: "What's your current salary?" (Illegal in many states.)

Do ask: "What's your target salary range for this role?" or "The range for this position is $X-$Y. Does that align with your expectations?"

Red flag responses:

• Their range is 30-40% higher than yours. (Don't try to convince them to take less—they'll leave when they find their target salary elsewhere.)
• They say "I'm flexible" but won't give a number. (Either they're avoiding the conversation or they don't know what they're worth—both problematic.)
• They give a range with a $50K+ spread. ("I'm looking for $80K-$150K" = they have no idea what they want.)

Green flag responses:

• Their range overlaps with yours. (You can negotiate within the overlap.)
• They're clear about their bottom line. ("I need at least $X to make a move, but I'm flexible within reason.")

Why it matters:

Salary misalignment kills offers. If you're not aligned early, you're wasting time. Better to know now than after 3 rounds of interviews.

Pro tip:

If they ask about salary first, share your range immediately. Pay transparency laws in many states require it anyway. Don't play games—just tell them.

4. "What does your ideal work setup look like—remote, hybrid, in-office?"

What this reveals: Whether their expectations match your actual work policy (not what they THINK your policy is).

Why this matters:

Candidates misunderstand job postings constantly. They see "hybrid" and assume "2 days in office per month." You mean "3 days in office per week."

How to ask:

You: "What does your ideal work setup look like?"

Candidate: "I'm looking for fully remote."

You: "Got it. Just to be clear, this role is hybrid—3 days per week in our [City] office. Is that something you're open to?"

If they hesitate or say "I thought it was remote," end the call politely. They won't accept an offer, and if they do, they'll be unhappy and leave.

Red flag responses:

• They say they're "flexible" but you can tell they're not. (Hesitation, tone shift, trying to negotiate before they've even interviewed.)
• They assumed the policy was different than it is. (Didn't read the job description carefully.)
• They're currently remote and "prefer to stay that way" for a hybrid role. (They'll accept remote offers over yours.)

Green flag responses:

• "I'm currently hybrid 3 days a week and that works well for me." (Perfect match.)
• "I've been fully remote but am open to hybrid depending on commute and flexibility." (Realistic and flexible.)

Why it matters:

Work location is a top-3 deal-breaker for candidates. If you're not aligned, they'll decline your offer or accept and quit within 6 months.

5. "What's your timeline—are you actively interviewing elsewhere, and when are you hoping to start a new role?"

What this reveals: How serious they are about making a move, whether you'll lose them to another offer, and if your timelines align.

Red flag responses:

• "I'm in final rounds with 3 other companies and expecting offers this week." (You're probably too late unless you fast-track.)
• "I'm just casually looking—not in a rush." (They'll drag out your process and may not accept an offer.)
• "I need to start within 2 weeks." (Either unemployed and desperate, or their current situation is bad enough they're willing to accept any offer quickly—both require more investigation.)

Green flag responses:

• "I'm actively interviewing with 2-3 companies. I'm hoping to have a decision made within the next 4-6 weeks." (Serious, realistic timeline.)
• "I'm employed but ready to make a move for the right opportunity. I'd need to give 2 weeks' notice." (Standard and reasonable.)
• "I'm early in my search—happy to move through your process at whatever pace works." (Flexible, no urgency issues.)

Why it matters:

Misaligned timelines kill deals. If they need a decision in 1 week and your process takes 4 weeks, you'll lose them. Better to know now.

Follow-up question:

"If you received an offer you were excited about, how soon would you be able to start?"

This reveals notice period requirements and any other constraints (relocation, finishing a project, etc.).

Bonus: The "Do You Have Any Questions For Me?" Test

End every phone screen with: "Do you have any questions for me?"

Red flag:

They have no questions. (Not interested, didn't prepare, or just applying everywhere.)

Green flag:

They ask 2-3 thoughtful questions about the role, team, or company. (Prepared, engaged, genuinely interested.)

The Bottom Line

Phone screens should filter OUT candidates who won't work, not just advance everyone who sounds decent.

The 5 questions that reveal deal-breakers:

1. "What specific aspect of this role made you apply?" (Tests whether they read the JD and care about THIS role.)
2. "Walk me through your last 3 roles—what you did and why you left." (Reveals job-hopping, career trajectory, and professionalism.)
3. "What's your target salary range?" (Eliminates salary mismatches early.)
4. "What does your ideal work setup look like?" (Uncovers remote/hybrid/in-office misalignments.)
5. "What's your timeline and are you interviewing elsewhere?" (Tests urgency and competitive offer risk.)

Ask these 5 questions in every phone screen. They take 10 minutes total and save hours of wasted interview time.

The goal of a phone screen isn't to advance candidates—it's to identify who's actually worth advancing.

Most recruiters advance 80% of phone screens. The best recruiters advance 30-40%—because they ask better questions.