An applicant has to go through many tests and interviews to bag a job position. Only applicants who successfully pass all the tests and interviews are selected for the coveted job position.
A crucial part of the recruitment process is the pre-screening interview for applicants. Just like you prepare for a technical interview, you also need to prepare for a pre-screening interview.
As an ideal applicant, one should be aware of the commonly asked questions in such interviews. To that end, we have compiled a list of popular questions asked in a pre-screening interview. But first, let’s understand what these interviews entail.
Understanding a Pre-Screening Interview
A pre-screening interview is usually conducted before an in-person interview by the recruiter. The main motive is to find whether the applicant is the right fit for the company or not.
It may not include technical questions, but it does include questions related to the applicant’s personal life and past experiences.
Most recruiters prefer to conduct a pre-screening interview over the phone. Telephonic pre-screening interviews can last for around 15-20 minutes. Similarly, many recruiters prefer conducting a pre-screening interview over a video call.
At the end of the pre-screening interview, the recruiter will transfer the capable applicants to the technical or in-person interview round. A pre-screening interview is thus essential for recruiters to judge applicants’ soft skills and personality.
Top 10 Pre-Screening Questions in 2022
Pre-screening questions can be of several types. The major types of pre-screening questions are as follows:
1. Questions about past working experience
Experience is highly regarded by recruiters. Many job openings have a criterion for minimum working experience. Recruiters prefer candidates having a working experience in the same field or sector.
When you have prior experience, you can quickly adapt to a new work environment. The most common question asked in a pre-screening interview regarding past working experience is:
- State some of your past working experiences and what you learned over time?
2. Questions about personal development
Interviewers want to know how the candidate feels about their personal growth. A candidate having some professional goals will try to learn from superiors rather than contradict them.
An ideal candidate should be willing to learn new skills, technologies, and industry practices. The most common question regarding the personal development of a candidate is:
- Has working in the industry brought changes in your personality? If so, how?
3. Questions related to the work environment
Recruiters prefer a flexible candidate with fewer working constraints. An ideal employee should be able to adapt to the new work environment and team up easily.
Recruiters also want to know the choices of candidates when it comes to the work environment. They test whether the candidate is a perfect fit for their company or not. The most common question related to the work environment in an interview is:
- Describe the ideal work environment that suits your personality.
4. Questions related to work culture or style
An interviewer always wants to know the working style of the candidate.
For example, consider a company hiring some project managers who will work together in small groups. The interviewer will be looking for candidates that prefer working in teams. A candidate that believes they are better at working by themselves may not be hired as a project manager.
Contrastingly, many jobs might require working alone or remotely. Before going to an interview, make sure you know the job description and the suitable work style needed.
The most common question asked in interviews related to work style or culture is:
- According to you, how should or can teamwork be in unison?
5. Questions related to deadline management
Corporate jobs can get challenging at times. Based on market conditions and customer demand, the pressure on employees may increase.
Companies prefer hiring employees that can take the pressure instead of crumbling under it. Interviewers want to know whether the candidate can manage high-pressure tasks or not.
Hence, they ask questions related to deadline management. The most common question asked in interviews related to deadline management is:
- Tell us about any past incident(s) where you had to meet an urgent deadline. How did you manage to do it?
6. Questions related to core responsibilities
An interviewer wants to know whether you can handle the responsibility or not. Integrity is always tested during a pre-screening interview. An employee should do the right thing or work even when no one is watching.
If a deadline-driven responsibility is given to the employees, they should be able to handle it. Interviews also want to know about the candidate’s expectations regarding the job. A common interview question related to core responsibilities is:
- What responsibilities do you think are associated with the job opening?
7. Questions related to the choice of company for working
The interviewer needs to know why a candidate has selected their company.
Make sure you express enthusiasm and passion for working at the company during an interview. A common question related to this that can be asked is:
- Of all the choices you had, why did you choose our company?
8. Questions about pay expectations
Interviewers want to know whether your salary expectations are within their range or not. They may ask a question like:
- What do you think is the ideal pay structure for you?
9. Questions about team collaboration
Apart from working with your team, you should be willing to collaborate with individuals from different departments or industries whenever needed. A common question to test collaborative skills is:
- Tell us about a time when you collaborated with your coworkers on a complex task.
10. Questions regarding the personal lives of applicants
To get to know you better, the interviewer may ask a couple of personal questions. One of the common personal questions asked in interviews is:
- What drives you, and how do you keep yourself motivated in adverse scenarios?
Conclusion
Apart from preparing for an in-person or technical interview, one should also prepare well for a pre-screening interview since it is a popular method through which interviewers tend to narrow down the number of applicants for the final interview.
Go on and start preparing for your pre-screening interview today!
