Let's cut the BS: most phone screens are bloated time-wasters where recruiters ask the same boring questions that tell them nothing useful. Research shows the average phone screen takes 35-45 minutes, and half of that time is completely wasted on pleasantries and redundant questions you could've answered by reading the resume.

I've done thousands of phone screens, and I can tell you exactly what you need to know in 15 minutes. Here are the only five questions that matter.

Question 1: "Walk me through why you're looking to leave your current role."

Why it works: This question immediately reveals motivation, red flags, and whether they're actually serious about making a move.

What to listen for:

• Vague answers = not actually looking, just testing the market
• Trash-talking current employer = will do the same to you in a year
• Clear, specific reasons (growth, new challenges, comp, location) = legitimate candidate
• Enthusiasm about your opportunity specifically = strong signal

Red flag answers: "Just seeing what's out there" or "My boss is terrible" or anything that suggests they haven't really thought through why they'd leave.

Question 2: "What's your salary expectation for this role?"

Why it works: No point dancing around compensation. If you're not aligned here, nothing else matters.

How to ask it: Be direct. "This role is budgeted at $X-Y range. Does that work for you?" If they deflect or say "I'm flexible," push for a number. Candidates who won't name a range are either wildly outside your budget or playing games.

What to listen for:

• Clear range that overlaps with yours = proceed
• Way above your budget = politely end the call
• "I need to know more about the role first" = fair, but circle back to this before ending

Question 3: "What's your timeline for making a move? Are you interviewing anywhere else?"

Why it works: This tells you urgency and competitive pressure.

What to listen for:

• "I'm in final rounds at 2 other companies" = move fast or lose them
• "Just starting to look" = longer timeline, less urgency
• "I have an offer pending" = you're probably too late unless you can move immediately
• "Not interviewing anywhere else yet" = good position, but verify why (are they selective or are they not getting responses?)

Pro move: If they're in process elsewhere, ask what companies and what roles. This gives you competitive intelligence and helps you position your opportunity.

Question 4: "Tell me about a time you [insert key skill for the role]. What was the situation and what did you do?"

Why it works: Generic "tell me about yourself" questions are useless. Behavioral questions about specific skills give you real signal.

How to customize it:

• Engineering role: "Tell me about a technically complex project you've led"
• Sales role: "Walk me through your process for closing a difficult deal"
• Management role: "Describe a time you had to deliver tough feedback to a direct report"

What to listen for:

• Specific examples with details = they actually did the thing
• Vague generalities = they're bullshitting or lack depth
• Can't think of an example = major red flag for a "required" skill

Question 5: "What questions do you have for me about the role or company?"

Why it works: The questions candidates ask tell you everything about their priorities and how seriously they're taking this opportunity.

What to listen for:

• Thoughtful questions about team structure, growth, challenges = engaged and strategic
• Only asking about PTO, hours, remote policy = priorities are questionable
• No questions at all = not interested or not prepared
• Questions that show they researched the company = strong signal

Red flag questions: "So, what does your company do?" (they didn't even look at your website) or "What's the salary range?" when you already covered it.

The Structure That Works

Here's how to run this in 15 minutes:

Minutes 0-2: Quick intro, set expectations. "I've got about 15 minutes to give you an overview and ask a few questions. Sound good?"

Minutes 2-5: Question 1 (motivation) + Question 2 (salary). If either of these is a dealbreaker, you can end here and save everyone time.

Minutes 5-8: Question 3 (timeline) + Question 4 (skill validation).

Minutes 8-12: Quick pitch on your role and company. Keep it tight—highlight what makes this opportunity compelling for their specific situation.

Minutes 12-15: Question 5 (their questions) + next steps.

What You Don't Need To Ask

Stop wasting time on these questions that tell you nothing:

❌ "Tell me about yourself" - You can read their resume. Ask specific things.

❌ "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" - Nobody knows and this isn't 1987.

❌ "What's your greatest weakness?" - Everyone's practiced the fake-weakness answer. It's useless.

❌ "Why do you want to work here?" - You haven't even sold them on the opportunity yet. Save this for later rounds.

The Bottom Line

Phone screens should be quick qualification conversations, not mini-interviews. You need to know: Are they actually looking? Is comp aligned? What's their timeline? Can they do the job? Are they interested?

These five questions get you all of that in 15 minutes. Everything else is noise that belongs in later interview rounds.

Stop scheduling hour-long phone screens. Respect your time and the candidate's time. Get the information you need efficiently and move strong candidates to the next stage quickly.

That's the tip. Use it.

The 5 Questions:

1. Why are you looking to leave your current role?
2. What's your salary expectation for this role?
3. What's your timeline? Are you interviewing elsewhere?
4. Tell me about a time you [key skill for role]
5. What questions do you have for me?

Time allocation: 15 minutes total. Motivation + salary first (dealbreakers). Skill validation middle. Candidate questions + close at the end. That's it.