# What to ask in a first-round screen, and what to leave out

> A first-round screen should confirm motivation, check each must-have with one evidence question, and settle location, notice period and pay expectations, all in about 25 minutes. Leave out questions about protected characteristics, and where salary history bans apply, as in California, New York State and New York City, ask what the candidate expects to earn rather than what they earn now.

Published by Emoti Research on 2026-11-01, updated 2026-11-01. Article. For recruiters. Canonical: https://emoti.ai/articles/first-round-screen-questions

## What is a first-round screen for?

A first-round screen decides whether both sides want a full interview: does the person want this job, do they meet the must-haves, and do the practical details work?

It is not the place to test depth. That belongs in later interviews, where people who know the work can probe it. A first screen that tries to do everything runs long, and the candidate leaves knowing less about the job than when they arrived.

Treat it as a short structured interview. Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order, and decide in advance what a good answer contains. That makes candidates comparable, and it is fairer to the people you speak to late in the week, when your memory of the first calls has faded.

## How long should each part take?

About 25 minutes covers it, if you plan the time:

| Part | Minutes | What you come away with |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open and set the agenda | 2 | A candidate who knows what is coming |
| Motivation | 4 | Why they are open to moving, in their own words |
| Must-have checks | 9 | One evidence answer for each must-have |
| Logistics | 5 | Location, notice period, pay expectations, other processes |
| Their questions | 3 | What matters to them |
| Close | 2 | Agreed next steps and a date |

If you run short of time, cut the motivation section, not the must-haves or the close.

## Which questions confirm motivation?

Ask why they are open to a move now and what would make this role a clear yes, then listen for specifics.

- "What made you open to a conversation now?"
- "What would make this role a clear yes for you?"
- "What would make you stay where you are?"

Specific answers tied to the work ("I want to own a product end to end") tell you more than general ones ("I'm looking for growth"). The last question is easy to skip and worth asking: it tells you what you would be competing with at offer time, including a counteroffer.

## How do you check must-haves in a short call?

Ask one evidence question per must-have, phrased to draw out a specific example, and compare the answer with the evidence you agreed counts.

| Must-have | Question | Evidence that counts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Has owned a production service | "Tell me about a service you were on call for. What broke last, and what did you do?" | A named service, a real incident, their own actions |
| Has managed people | "How many people report to you now, and what was the last hard conversation you had with one of them?" | A number and a specific situation |
| Enterprise sales | "Walk me through the largest deal you closed in the last two years." | Deal size, length, who they sold to, their part in it |

Don't grade delivery. Nerves, an accent and a quiet voice are not evidence about the must-haves. If an answer is thin, use the same neutral follow-up you would use with anyone: "Can you give me a specific example?"

## Which logistics belong in the first call?

Location and work pattern, the right to work where the job is, the notice period and earliest start date, pay expectations, and other processes and their timing.

- **Location:** state the requirement and ask whether it works. "The role is in Berlin with two office days a week. Does that work for you?"
- **Right to work:** if you can't sponsor a visa, say so and ask whether they would need sponsorship. Don't ask where they are from.
- **Notice period:** "How much notice do you need to give, and when could you start?"
- **Pay:** give the range first, then ask about expectations. "The base range is €95,000 to €115,000. How does that compare with what you're looking for?"
- **Other processes:** "Are you talking to other companies, and is there a date we should know about?"

Giving the pay range first saves both sides a second call when the numbers don't meet. In California, an employer must give an applicant the pay scale for the position on reasonable request.

## What should you leave out?

Anything about protected characteristics or obvious stand-ins for them, and in many places, the candidate's pay history.

In the US, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission advises that pre-employment questions be limited to what is essential for judging whether someone is qualified. It says questions that would reveal race, sex, national origin, age or religion should generally be avoided, because they may be used as evidence of intent to discriminate. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers may not ask applicants whether they have a disability, or about its nature or severity, before an offer, though they may ask about the ability to perform job-related functions. In Great Britain, the Equality Act 2010 restricts questions about an applicant's health before a job offer, with some exceptions.

So leave out questions such as:

- "Where are you from?" or "Is that accent from…?"
- "Do you have children?" or "Are you planning a family?"
- "When did you graduate?" asked as a way to estimate age.
- "Do you have any health conditions?"
- "What does your partner do?"

Salary history is the other big one. Several US states and cities ban asking about it. Three examples:

- **California** (Labor Code section 432.3): employers may not seek an applicant's salary history, personally or through an agent, or rely on it in deciding whether to make an offer or what salary to offer.
- **New York State** (Labor Law section 194-a, in effect since January 6, 2020): employers may not ask applicants about their current or past pay, or rely on it.
- **New York City** (in effect since October 31, 2017): employers may not ask about an applicant's salary history in job ads, on applications or in interviews.

Ask about expectations instead. Official guidance in both California and New York State says employers may ask what pay an applicant expects. The rules differ in other places, and this article is not legal advice, so check the rules where you and the candidate are.

## How do you close the call?

Play back what you heard, say exactly what happens next and when, and send a short written note the same day.

1. **Play back the logistics.** "So you'd need six weeks' notice, and the range works for you."
2. **Name the next step and a date.** "I'll share my notes with the hiring manager today, and you'll hear from me by Thursday either way."
3. **Ask what they need.** "Is there anything that would help you decide?"
4. **Write it down.** A short email with the next step and the date gives the candidate something to hold you to.

Then write your notes before the next call. Emoti's note template for recruiter screens has a similar shape: why they're looking, current role, fit with the brief, compensation and logistics, and next steps. The same structure can also run as an AI voice screen that candidates take when it suits them and a recruiter reviews; how that works, and its limits, is in [Designing first-round voice screens candidates can trust](https://emoti.ai/research/trustworthy-voice-screens).

## Key terms

- **Phone screen**: A short first conversation that checks a candidate's motivation, must-haves and logistics before a full interview. It can be run by a recruiter or as an AI voice screen.
- **Notice period**: The time a person must work, or be paid for, after resigning from their current job before they can start a new one, set by their contract or local law.
- **Counteroffer**: An offer a candidate's current employer makes to keep them after they receive or accept another offer, usually more pay or a new role.
- **Must-have criterion**: A requirement a team would turn down an otherwise excellent candidate for lacking. In Emoti, must-haves count double, and missing one caps a candidate's score at 54.
- **Structured interview**: An interview in which every candidate is asked the same job-related questions and every answer is rated against the same written standard.

## Questions

### What if a candidate volunteers their current salary?

In California and New York State, an employer may consider salary history that an applicant discloses voluntarily and without prompting. Rules elsewhere differ. A pay range set before the call makes the number less relevant anyway.

### Is it OK to record a screening call?

Tell the candidate before you record and ask whether that is all right; in some places you need everyone's consent. Interview notes that hold up in a debrief covers recording and consent in more detail.

### Who should run the first-round screen?

Usually the recruiter, or an AI voice screen that a recruiter reviews. Either way, the hiring manager should agree the must-haves and the evidence for each one beforehand.

### How soon should candidates hear back after a screen?

Give a date on the call and keep it, even when the answer is no. A quick, clear no is better for the candidate than silence.

## Sources

- US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices. US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/prohibited-employment-policiespractices
- United States Congress (1990). Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12112. United States Code, via govinfo.gov. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2010-title42/pdf/USCODE-2010-title42-chap126-subchapI-sec12112.pdf
- UK Parliament (2010). Equality Act 2010, section 60: Enquiries about disability and health. legislation.gov.uk. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/60
- Labor Commissioner's Office California Equal Pay Act and Pay Transparency Law (Labor Code sections 432.3 and 1197.5): Frequently Asked Questions. California Department of Industrial Relations. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/California_Equal_Pay_Act.htm
- New York State (2020). Salary History Ban - What You Need To Know. ny.gov. https://www.ny.gov/salary-history-ban/salary-history-ban-what-you-need-know
- NYC Commission on Human Rights (2017). NYC Law: Salary History Question Ban. City of New York. https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/media/salary-history.page