This script keeps a recruiter screen to 20 minutes while covering the four things a screen must establish: mutual interest, baseline qualification, logistics, and compensation alignment. Say the scripted lines close to verbatim — consistency across candidates is what makes screens comparable. Adapt the probes, not the structure.

Preparation (before the call)

• Read the resume and note two specifics to reference — a project, an employer, a transition.
• Confirm the compensation range for {{Role title}} and whether it is shareable (share it; candidates who learn the range late and walk cost you a full loop).
• Have the next-step logistics ready: round format, interviewer, and target dates.

Opening — 2 minutes

Say: Hi {{Candidate name}}, this is {{Your name}} from {{Company name}} — thanks for making the time. Quick roadmap: I'll take two minutes to tell you about the role, then I'd love to hear about your background, we'll cover logistics and compensation so neither of us wastes the other's time, and I'll leave room for your questions. We'll be done in about twenty minutes. Sound good?

Then: give a three-sentence role pitch: the team, the problem, and why the role is open. Do not oversell — a screen that sounds like an ad produces polite candidates, not honest ones.

Motivation — 3 minutes

Say: What made you take this call? What are you looking for that your current situation doesn't give you?

Listen for: a specific answer. {{I saw the role touches X and I've wanted to go deeper there}} is signal. {{I'm open to opportunities}} is not disqualifying, but push once: Say: If you had two offers on the table, what would decide it?

Experience walkthrough — 7 minutes

Say: Walk me through your last role — what you owned, and one piece of work from the past year you're proud of.

Probe with:

• What was your individual part in that, versus the team's?
• What was the hardest decision inside that work?
• {{Role-specific screening question — the one must-have skill for this role}}

You are screening for baseline plausibility, not conducting the technical interview. If they clear the bar, move on; depth belongs to the loop.

Logistics — 3 minutes

Say: A few practical checks. The role is {{Location / remote policy}}. Working hours overlap we'd need is {{Overlap window and time zone}}. Our timeline is {{Hiring timeline}}. Does any of that create a problem? And is there a notice period or anything else that would shape your start date?

Compensation — 3 minutes

Say: I want to make sure we're in the same range before we take more of your time. The budgeted range for this role is {{Salary range}}. Does that work for what you're looking for?

If they ask before you offer it, share it — refusing to name a range while asking for their expectations is the fastest way to lose good candidates. If they are above range: Say: That's above what's budgeted. The honest options are that the gap closes on total package, or this isn't the right match — which would you like to explore?

Their questions and close — 2 minutes

Say: What questions do you have for me? (Answer honestly, including the uncomfortable ones.)

Close with: Here's what happens next: I'll share my notes with {{Hiring manager name}}, and you'll hear from us by {{Response deadline}} either way — including if the answer is no. The next step would be {{Next round format}}. Thanks, {{Candidate name}} — talk soon.

After the call — 5 minutes, same day

• Write the recommendation while it is fresh: advance / decline / discuss, with two sentences of evidence.
• Record compensation expectations and logistics constraints where the whole hiring team can see them, so the candidate is never asked twice.
• If declining, send the rejection within {{Rejection SLA}} — a screen you initiated deserves a prompt, kind no.