A pre-screening interview refers to a discussion that takes place before a job candidate qualifies for the actual interview. Most of the times, human resource officials and recruiters conduct the pre-screening interview. They ask questions according to the minimum requirement of the position. Through this process, the candidates who appear to be suitable, they advance.
Resumes Don’t Convey the Full Details
Instead of solely relying on the resumes, the interviewing panel wants to know about the candidate through a short assessment. Therefore, a screening process enables screeners to know the capabilities of the candidates relevant to the position. Screeners do not want unqualified people making it to the interview.
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Applicant Tracking System
Established organizations often use computers to complete the initial round of pre-screening. Before the student/job applicants communicate with the human, a software program runs the job applications. It checks whether the candidate’s qualification or experience matches the job requirement.
Getting Help from Recruiters
At times, even the small organizations hire the services of job recruiters for their open positions. They are professionals and play an important role. They search and then screen the capable candidates mostly via phone.
After conducting the pre-screening interview, they give green signals to potential hires. They facilitate managers in the hiring organization to concentrate on their work and wait for suitable candidates before organizing actual interviews.
The Written Test
Another component in the pre-screening interview is a written test. For instance, an IT student may claim to have extraordinary troubleshooting skills. To judge them, a pre-screener might ask to solve some IT problem.
Besides, the candidate may have to provide a link to published material on the instruction of a pre-screener. Psychological test and personality-related questions are also part of some pre-screening interviews. The main purpose of these tests is to check if a candidate can adjust to an organization’s environment and culture.
Advantages of Pre-screening
Pre-screening serves as an information-gathering object. The hiring managers are likely to recruit those who perform well in pre-screening sessions. Also, recruiters get an opportunity to know about the abilities other than those listed in the resumes.
Even if some students underperform in pre-screening, they get an idea about their shortcomings, and they can prepare themselves for the future. Importantly, Pre-screening enables candidates to understand the job requirements. Sometimes, candidates themselves decide if the position is suitable for them.
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What is the Procedure of Pre-screening?
Pre-screening sessions usually take place over the phone for almost 15 to 20 minutes. If your preparation is not up to the mark, you may ask the interviewer to reschedule the call or the interview.
What Type of Questions Do Interviewers Ask in the Pre-screening?
Interview questions depend upon the type of job and industry. However, the following are some typical questions that are part of many pre-screening sessions.
1.Your Background
Usually, the first question is about your background. This means you have to let them know about your professional background briefly. Through this question, interviewers want to evaluate your qualities and suitability for the position. In other words, they want to know what is the main motivation for you to apply for this job.
2. What Do You Know About Our Company?
Through this question, interviewers want to know if you have put some effort to research the company. Your knowledge about the organization reflects your professionalism and preparation. If you effectively express the information you gathered about the company, you will end up impressing the interviewers.
3. Why You Applied for this Position?
This question allows you to highlight the areas of your interest. The interviewer wants to know why you take an interest in this job. In reply, you should discuss your qualification, relevant experience and your future ambitions.
It’s better that you keep the job description in your mind while answering this question. Relate your skills, qualification and experience with the overall job requirements. Your confident tone would leave a good impression about you.
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4. Your Soft Skills
The interviewer may ask you about your leadership, team management and interpersonal skills. They might ask: Tell us the time when you handled a tough situation while working in the team. You may quote the example from your college or university when you have worked in a team.
5. Your Hard Skills
If the job requires project management, programming or social media experience, expect questions about your knowledge level and practical experience. Ideally, you should describe the situation when you have effectively used your skill to solve a particular problem.
6. Your Salary Expectations
Expect this question at the pre-screening stage. The question is a bit tricky; adopt a moderate approach. Do not tell them the amount that will be lower than your real capabilities. At the same time, do not tell that amount that is way too much. Come up with some reasonable salary range. You will be able to answer this question effectively if you have an idea about the average salary of the relevant industry.
7. Do You Have Any Questions?
Usually, this is the last question that interviewers or the HR officials ask. You may ask your interviewers the general question about the organization. Your question would demonstrate your interest in the industry and the organization.
Your main purpose is to impress the interviewers. Keep your question brief and concise. In the end, thank the interviewer for providing you with the opportunity of a pre-screening interview.
Read More: How to Prepare for Top Questions for a Job Interview?
How to Prepare for the pre-screening Interview?
Tip 1: Research and Rehearse
Research the organization and review the job description in detail. Once you have the relevant information, you can practice the answers before the pre-screening process. Be mindful about your volume and way of talking on the phone. Get one of your friends or family members who could provide you with feedback.
Tip 2: Phone & Location
There must be no distraction around you when you are on the phone with the interviewer. The calm and quiet environment will enable you to focus on the questions during the session.
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