1. The Strategy: How to Prepare

The screening call is often shorter than a full interview, but it is the gatekeeper to the rest of the process. If you don’t prepare properly, you’re going to reduce your chance of success. That said, remember that you only have a limited amount of time to chat with the hiring manager. You might not get to ask all your questions, so highlight ones that you think are most important to discuss or have answered in the call.

The golden rules:

Treat it like a face-to-face: Research the company deeply. Know their products, their recent news, and their mission.
Enunciate & Be Concise: It is harder to build rapport over the phone. Avoid rambling. Speak clearly and get to the point.
Know the Logistics: Have your numbers ready. Know your current gross/net salary, your expected salary, your notice period, and any blockers for the interview process (e.g., planned holidays).

The "Elevator Pitch" (Your Self-Introduction)

You will almost certainly be asked, "Tell me about yourself."

KISS (Keep It Simple and Sweet): You have limited time. Don't recount your whole life story.
The Executive Summary: Highlight your most impressive achievement(s) immediately and include some numbers if possible.
Connect the Dots (Why do they want you?): Explicitly state why your specific skills make you a safe and exciting hire for this company. Why your experience is relevant to the company; how you’ve used a similar tech stack as the company or how you’ve helped build relevant products, and the unique talents that you have that’ll make them confident to bring you in.

2. What They Will Ask You (The Recruiter’s Checklist)

Be prepared to answer these specific questions.

General & Logistics (All Roles)

The "Why": Reason for looking for a new position right now? (Frame this as running toward growth, not running away from a bad boss).
Gaps: Be ready to explain any job-hopping patterns or gaps in your CV.
Work Policy: Remote vs. Office preference. (e.g., "Is 5 days in the office okay for you?")
Current Status: Are you interviewing elsewhere? How far along are you?
Availability: When could you start? (Notice period or other obligations).
Interview availability: Do you have any blockers (e.g., equipment, travel)?

The "Money Talk" (Salary Expectations)

Do not guess these numbers during the call. Know them beforehand:

Current Gross: Your total monthly salary before tax.
Current Benefits: Medical aid subsidy, pension/provident fund (employer contribution), and gap cover.
Current Bonuses: 13th cheque or performance-based percentages.
Next Increase: When are you expecting an increase from your current employer
Current Nett: What actually hits your bank account after all deductions.
Expected CTC: The total "Cost to Company" (CTC) you are looking for.
Expected Nett: What you want to hit your bank account after all deductions

Role-Specific Screening Questions

For Developers/Engineers:

Tech Stack: What are your top 3 technologies (languages/frameworks)? If you started a fresh project today, what would you choose?
Role Seniority: Are you junior, intermediate, or senior? Do you mentor others?
The "Complex" Project: Tell me about the most complex project you have built (be ready to discuss the architecture).
Specific Skills: Example: Do you have experience with X? Example: Have you worked with .NET Core for high-volume transactions?
The Learning Curve: Tell me about a time you got stuck on a technical problem. How did you solve it?

For Leadership/Management:

Team Composition: What is the size and seniority mix of the teams you have managed?
Conflict: Tell me about a time you disagreed with a Product Manager or Stakeholder on a technical requirement. What was the outcome?
Mentorship: Do you currently mentor anyone? How do you handle upskilling your team?

3. What YOU Should Ask

Asking questions is the best way to show intelligence and interest. Select questions based on the role you are applying for, but don’t be afraid to read through all the questions if they’re relevant to you in some way.

For Junior to Mid-Level Roles

Focus: Growth, support, and daily execution.

Mentorship: "Are there opportunities to be mentored by senior engineers? How does the company support learning new technologies?"
Day-to-Day: "What would my day-to-day look like? Who will I be working with most closely?"
Progression: "What does career progression typically look like for a developer in this team?"
Feedback: "How is feedback typically given and received? Is there a formal review cycle?"

For Senior & Specialist Roles

Focus: Autonomy, architecture, and impact.

Technical Ownership: "Will I have ownership over technical decisions or design? How does the team handle code reviews and technical decision-making?"
Stack Strategy: "Can you describe the current tech stack? Are there upcoming plans for migration (e.g., Monolith to Microservices) or modernisation?"
Engineering Practices: "What does your CI/CD pipeline look like? How do you balance delivery speed with code quality?"
Collaboration: "Is there room to contribute beyond coding, such as solution design or architecture?"

For Product Managers & Leads

Focus: Strategy, stakeholders, and success metrics.

Success Metrics: "What does success look like in this role over the first 3–6 months? What problems do you want this person to solve immediately?"
Stakeholder Management: "How often do the product/engineering teams interact directly with internal stakeholders or clients?"
Roadmap: "How does this role contribute to the broader product roadmap? What are the biggest challenges the team is facing right now?"
Culture: "Is the team culture more independent or highly collaborative? How do you handle working under pressure or multiple deadlines?"

4. Real-World Question Sets

If you relate to any of these scenarios, use these specific questions to vet the role.

Candidate 1: The "Growth Seeker"

Focus: Long-term internal mobility, mentorship, and avoiding a "dead-end" role.

"What does the career path for this role look like? Are there examples of developers who’ve transitioned into senior or lead positions here?" (This looks for proof of internal mobility).
"How does the company invest in its people? Is there a formal budget for training, certifications, or attending tech conferences?"
"Is there a structured mentorship program, or how do junior/intermediate devs get guidance from senior leadership?"
"How is performance measured, and how often are promotion or salary reviews conducted?"
"Would I be working on the same product long-term, or is there a chance to rotate onto different projects/stacks to broaden my skills?"

Candidate 2: The "Hybrid" Consultant

Focus: Bridging the gap between pure coding and business strategy.

"Is there room to contribute beyond coding, such as solution design, architecture, or client engagement?"
"How often do developers interact directly with internal stakeholders?"
"Are there examples of developers here who have transitioned into more hybrid or leadership roles?"

Candidate 3: The "Cloud & Infrastructure" Pivot

Focus: Stability, cloud-native work, and professional development.

"Is this a defined role, or an exploratory conversation based on my cloud profile?"
"How has the company evolved over the past year? (Checking for stability/workforce reductions)."
"How does the company support growth—is there a budget for AWS/Azure certifications or conferences?"

Candidate 4: The "Hands-on Optimizer"

Focus: Owning projects from start to finish and improving systems.

"Are there specific projects or migrations that need to be tackled immediately?"
"How much flexibility would I have to introduce or propose new technologies?"
"Is this more of a feature-building role, or will I be involved in system design and upgrades?”

Closing the Call

Never hang up without doing these two things:

The Sweep: "Is there anything in my background you’d like me to clarify?" (This gives you a chance to fix any doubts they might have).
The Growth Sweep: "Based on our chat, do you see my current skills aligning with the growth trajectory of this team over the next 18 months?"
The Next Steps: "What does the rest of the interview process look like?" (Shows you are keen and organised).