Phone Screen Template

30-minute phone call

For longer interviews, just increase 5 minute segments to 10, etc.

Agenda:

1. 2 minutes introduction, confirmation time is still convenient (any hard stop?), and sharing of agenda.
   1. If remote candidate, are they willing to relocate?
2. 5 minute intro to company and the position.
   1. Mission -- one-liner / elevator pitch goes here
   2. About the work and why we're hiring
   3. Position title and what success in this role looks like
3. 5 minutes for the candidate to relay their background
   1. why they think they’d be a good fit for our company and this role
   2. what are they looking for in their next role?
4. 5-7 minutes asking cultural questions (values to look for: communication, coordination, openness, empathy, flexibility)
   1. Tell me about a time when you had to explain a technical concept to a non-technical person.
   2. Tell me about a time when you had to coordinate with another team to accomplish a goal.
   3. Tell me about a time when you encountered a roadblock (not necessarily a technical one) and had to work around it?
   4. Do you engage with any programming meetups/blogs/groups? Which ones?
5. 5 minutes for the candidate to ask any questions they may have
6. 5 minutes explaining next steps
   1. For candidates that are not a sure yes, do not confirm/deny if they’ll move into those steps; use vague language “if we decide to move forward…”

Values

Things to keep in mind as you screen.

• Mission-driven
• Human-focused
• Good communicator
• Flexible
• Continuous learner
• Lack of dogma
• Fast-paced

Original template by Mike Wales, CC license, no attribution required, but nice-to-have.