Unveiling Hidden Gems: What Is A Screening Interview and Why Is It Matter?

Okay, We know you’ve spent a significant amount of time reviewing resumes from candidates who meet at least the minimum requirements. Now, how do you identify the most talented individuals who also align with your company’s culture and goals? I lost you somewhere, right? 

Well, here’s the answer: Screening interviews are a quick way to gather essential information about a candidate without the formality of a full interview. In this article, I’ll explain what a screening interview is, how it works, the different types, and, most importantly, how to effectively conduct one within your company.

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What is a Screening Interview?

A screening interview, conducted via phone or video, confirms that a candidate’s qualifications are a good fit for the job and that they meet the basic requirements. This step typically occurs before a formal interview with the hiring team and serves as a preliminary check.

The primary goal is to narrow down the pool of applicants to ensure only the most qualified candidates move forward in the recruitment process. It’s also important for the team to assess whether the candidate meets their standards of professionalism. During the screening interview, employers ask questions about the applicant’s experience, education, training, skills, and knowledge relevant to the position.

The next round of interviews focuses more on how the candidate would integrate with the team and company culture. These questions examine values such as work ethic, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, questions about career goals might be revisited to ensure the candidate’s ambitions align with the role’s requirements.

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What is the Primary Purpose of a Screening Interview?

The screening interview serves two main purposes:

1. Identifying Potential Applicants: Recruiters can quickly determine if candidates have the necessary qualifications and experience based on their responses.
2. Saving Time: It helps avoid spending time on candidates who are not suitable for the next stage due to a lack of experience or qualifications.

While screening interviews are just one part of a larger recruitment process, they are highly effective in reducing the overall burden. Additionally, it’s crucial for employers to ensure they provide each candidate with a fair chance of success at all stages by maintaining equal opportunities throughout the selection process.

Types of screening interviews

One of the most common forms of screening interviews is the telephone interview. So, this type of interview is suitable when there are few candidates, as recruiters can quickly assess candidates without meeting them in person or spending too much time on video calls.

Another way to go about it could be video conference interviews. This has comparable advantages, except that top applicants have more freedom regarding interview requirements and questions. This is an ideal option for remote workers or those who live far from the office location you are considering.

Some companies prefer to conduct pre-selection tests, such as aptitude tests or written assessments, before inviting a person to a face-to-face interview. So, this method provides valuable insights to recruiters. It does not matter what type of business a company chooses, it is essential to ensure everyone is given equal opportunities in the recruitment process, regardless of external factors.

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How can you conduct an effective screening interview?

Ensure you develop an efficient selection process that details the interview questions and guidelines for grading answers. Hiring managers should also prepare adequately with tools and resources for screening, such as phone interviews or video.

To prepare for a phone interview, look into the profiles of candidates who seem most qualified, understand what job demands entail, and design questions that provide enough information to help you make the right decisions. However, knowing that this recruitment phase can be best accomplished through video interview software like BarRaiser is a must. Then, it is necessary to know about us and what we offer.

BarRaiser is an AI-powered video interview intelligence platform that saves time, conducts unbiased interviews, and provides a great candidate experience. Here are some of the many benefits this offers: 

Our company provides video screening interviews to employers as an affordable method of sourcing the right talent. Moreover, you do not have to travel for face-to-face interviews anymore. This enables employers to conduct screening interviews from anywhere, making interviewing a wider pool of candidates possible. Employers can also decide to screen their applicants through video chat, where they will be able to see the body language and facial expressions of qualified candidates, among other things that give them insights into various personalities and communication skills.

AI-powered Video interviews on BarRaiser are helpful because they can be scheduled, instantly recorded, and shared, making them more convenient to conduct. As discussed in this article,  video selection software like BarRaiser is ideal for running an effective and successful recruitment campaign.

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Conclusion 

The initial step in distinguishing great aspirants from a large candidate pool is screening interviews conducted by phone, video, or brief assessment. It saves time, enabling only the best-performing candidates to proceed to the next interview level. Consequently, these few-minute interviews aim to compare the candidate’s central skills and experience with those of the job. Equally, there is an opportunity for employers to glimpse their working attitude, flexibility, and compatibility with others within the organization. By posing specific questions and assessing their responses, employers can accurately point out applicants who possess not only appropriate qualifications but are also capable of managing in particular surroundings of a company. Basically, they are like entrance examinations that enable hiring managers to find the most suitable candidate and treat all eligible applicants fairly.

BarRaiser is the best video interview platform, and our team helps business owners, executives, startups, and small businesses recruit. Our transparent structured interview process and interviewers training program ensure that we recruit the best candidates for companies.