Phone Screen Script Template (2026)

A word-for-word recruiter call outline with job-related questions, a notes sheet, and the topics to keep off the phone.

A good phone screen is short, the same for every candidate, and built only on what the job needs. This phone screen script gives recruiters a 20-minute call outline with word-for-word prompts, a phone screening template for your notes, and a technical add-on. It's free to copy and edit, and every question in it is tied to the job.

Phone screen script template

The call script

Role: [Role] Length: [20 to 25] minutes Must-haves to check: [2 or 3 from the intake meeting, e.g. [skill] in a [setting], a [license], the [schedule]]

1. Open (2 minutes)

"Hi [First name], this is [Your name] from [Company]. Is now still a good time? Great. I have about [20] minutes. I'll give you a quick picture of the role, ask about your experience, cover a few practical details, and save time for your questions. I'll take notes so I can give the hiring manager an accurate summary."

2. The role in one minute (2 minutes)

"[Company] [what you do] for [who]. This [Role] joins the [team name] team and reports to the [manager title]. In the first six months the main goals are [goal 1] and [goal 2]. Most days you'd be working on [task] and [task] with [teams or customers]."

3. Experience (10 minutes)

"What made you open to a conversation about this role?"
"Walk me through your current or most recent job. What do you own, and who do you work with most?"
"This role needs [must-have 1]. Tell me about a recent time you did that. What happened, and what was your part?"
"Tell me about a result from the past year you're proud of. How did you measure it?"
"We work with [tool, system or method]. How have you used it, or something close to it?"

4. Practical details (4 minutes)

"The role is [onsite in [City] / hybrid [X] days a week / remote within [time zones]]. Does that work for you?"
"The schedule is [hours or shifts, including any weekend, evening or on-call work]. Can you work that schedule?"
"The job involves [travel of about [X]% / lifting up to [X] pounds / driving with a valid license]. Can you do that, with or without a reasonable accommodation?"
"The pay range for this role is [range]. Does that fit what you're looking for?"
"If this goes well, when could you start? Is there a notice period?"
"Are you in other processes with a timeline I should plan around?"

5. Their turn (4 minutes)

"What would you like to know about the role, the team or how we hire?"

6. Close (2 minutes)

"Thanks, [First name]. I'll share my notes with [hiring manager name] by [day]. If we move ahead, the next step is [a [45]-minute interview with [name] / a short work sample]. Either way, you'll hear from me by [date]. If you need any adjustment for later steps, just tell me."

Screen notes sheet

Candidate: [Name] Role: [Role] Screener: [Name] Date: [Date]

Must-have 1, [name]: [Met / Partly / Not shown]. Evidence: [what they said, in one line]
Must-have 2, [name]: [Met / Partly / Not shown]. Evidence: [one line]
Location, schedule and physical requirements: [Yes / No / Needs follow-up]
Pay range fit: [Yes / No / Discuss]
Start timing: [Date or notice period]
Why they're interested, in their words: [quote]
Their questions: [list]

Recommendation: [Advance / Hold / Decline]. Reason tied to the job: [one sentence]

When to use it

Use it after the resume review and before any hiring manager time. The screen has one job: confirm the two or three must-haves and the practical fit, so the manager only meets people who could actually take the role. Deeper work belongs in the next round.

Run the same script, in the same order, for every candidate for the role. A consistent phone screen is a small structured interview, and it makes your notes comparable across candidates and across recruiters.

What not to ask on a phone screen

Federal law bars hiring decisions based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Keep these topics off the call, even as small talk:

Family: pregnancy, marriage or plans to marry, number or ages of children, child care, or a spouse's name or job.
Health: any disability-related or medical question before an offer. You may ask whether the candidate can do the job's functions, with or without reasonable accommodation, and state attendance needs.
Citizenship and origin: most employers should not ask about citizenship before an offer. Instead, say that every new hire verifies identity and work eligibility after hire.
Religion: place or days of worship and religious holidays. State the schedule and ask whether they can work it.
Age: age, birth date, or a stand-in for it such as the year someone finished school.
Arrests and records: an arrest alone isn't proof of anything, and some states bar criminal history questions early in the process.

Many states and cities also limit questions about pay history, which is why the script shares the range and asks about fit instead. Check your state and local rules before you finalize the script. This is not legal advice.

How to customize it

Pull the must-haves straight from the hiring manager intake, and cap them at three. A screen that checks eight things checks none of them well.
Swap the experience prompts for ones that match the must-haves. For a nurse that may be a recent patient handoff; for an analyst, a report someone acted on.
Decide your advance rule before the first call, for example "both must-haves met or partly met, and the schedule works."

Variations

Technical role add-on

Replace two prompts in step 3 with:

"Tell me about a system or feature you built in [language or stack]. What was the hardest decision, and what would you change now?"
"How do you test or review your work before it ships?"
"Describe a production problem you helped fix. How did you find the cause?"

Listen for reasoning and ownership. Leave code depth to the [technical interview].

Mistakes to avoid

Turning the screen into a full interview. A 50-minute screen wears out candidates and still leaves the manager to redo it.
Changing the questions from call to call, then comparing candidates as if they answered the same thing.
Writing "good vibe" or "not a fit" as the reason. Tie every decision to a must-have from the job.
Ending without a date. Say when they'll hear back, then keep that promise.

Automating this with Carolina

Carolina, NTRVSTA's agent, scores and ranks every resume against the job and explains each ranking, so your screens go to the people most likely to meet the must-haves. It also schedules the calls with your calendar. Carolina can also run the first round as a live AI interview, by audio or video avatar, using the same structured questions for every candidate. Our independent NYC Local Law 144 bias audit covers those AI interviews, and the details are on our compliance page.

Guardrails are set per action (suggest, ask first, or auto), and offers and compensation changes always wait for a person. The free Starter plan covers one open role and 10 AI interviews, with no card required.

Questions

How long should a recruiter phone screen be?

Plan for 20 to 25 minutes for most professional roles and 10 to 15 minutes for shift or hourly roles. That's enough to confirm two or three must-haves, cover location, schedule and pay, and answer the candidate's questions. Longer calls usually mean the screen is doing the next round's job.

Can I ask about salary expectations on a phone screen?

Yes, asking what pay a candidate is looking for is common. Many states and cities restrict asking about pay history, so share your range and ask whether it fits instead of asking what they earn now. Rules vary by location, so check yours. This is not legal advice.

What should a phone screen never cover?

Skip anything about family plans, pregnancy, marital status, children, health or disability, religion, age, citizenship or national origin, and arrests. Stick to the job's must-haves and practical needs, such as the schedule and location, and ask every candidate the same questions.

Want a first round that runs the same way every time? Book a 20-minute demo, or try a sample interview yourself. For deeper question sets, see our phone interview questions, the interview scorecard guide, the interview invitation email and all recruiting templates.

Sources

NTRVSTA

Phone Screen Script Template (2026)