Phone Interview Questions Quiz: 10 Questions With the Best Answers

Phone Interview Questions Quiz · jobquix.sbs

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1. A recruiter calls at the scheduled time for your phone screen. What is the best way to answer?
   • A. Hello?
   • B. Hi, this is Jordan Lee.
   • C. Good morning, thank you so much for calling, I've been looking forward to this all week and I'm so excited to talk.
   • D. Let it go to voicemail, then call back a few minutes later once you feel ready
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   B. Answering with your name confirms the recruiter reached the right person and shows you were expecting the call. A plain 'Hello?' sounds unprepared, an over-the-top greeting can come across as nervous, and letting a scheduled call go to voicemail can read as unreliable.

2. The recruiter asks, 'What are your salary expectations?' Which answer is strongest?
   • A. I'm flexible on pay, so I'll take whatever you think is fair for someone with my background and experience.
   • B. I need at least $85,000, and I won't consider anything below that, no matter what the benefits look like.
   • C. I'd rather not talk about pay until we get to the offer stage.
   • D. Based on research for similar roles here, I'm targeting $68,000 to $75,000. Does that fit your budget?
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   D. A researched range shows you know your market value while leaving room to talk, and asking about their budget keeps the conversation two-way. Deferring to 'whatever is fair' can anchor you low, a hard floor can end things early, and refusing to discuss pay can stall a call whose job is to confirm basic fit.

3. 'Why are you looking for a new job?' Which answer works best on a phone screen?
   • A. I've learned a lot in my current role, and now I want to manage larger accounts, which this position offers.
   • B. My manager is hard to work with, and the company has been pretty disorganized since the last round of layoffs.
   • C. Honestly, the main reason is that I need a higher salary, and my current employer won't budge on raises.
   • D. I'm not really looking. A friend sent me the posting, so I figured I'd apply.
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   A. Recruiters want a forward-looking reason that connects to their role. Criticizing your employer raises concerns about how you will talk about them later, money alone suggests you will leave for the next raise, and sounding uninterested gives them no reason to move you forward.

4. 'What do you know about our company?' Which answer shows the right preparation?
   • A. Not much yet, honestly. I was hoping you could tell me more about it.
   • B. You're a big company with a great reputation, and it seems like everyone in the industry has heard of you.
   • C. I read that you opened a second distribution center this spring and are growing the account team, which fits my background.
   • D. I saw that your company has good reviews on job sites, and people say the culture is friendly, so it seems like a nice place to work.
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   C. Specific, recent details show you did real research and thought about where you fit. Generic praise could apply to any employer, and admitting you have not looked suggests low interest. A few minutes on the company's website and news page is enough to give an answer like the strongest one.

5. Which setup is best for a scheduled phone interview?
   • A. Taking the call during your commute so you do not lose any time in your day
   • B. A quiet room, a charged phone with good signal, and your resume and notes in front of you
   • C. A busy coffee shop with good Wi-Fi so you can look up details about the company during the call
   • D. Speakerphone on the kitchen counter so both hands are free for taking notes
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   B. Phone interviews depend entirely on audio, so a quiet space and a strong signal matter most. Having your resume and notes in view lets you answer specifics without fumbling. Commutes, coffee shops and speakerphone all add background noise, echo or dropped calls.

6. You are currently employed. The recruiter asks, 'When could you start?' What is the best answer?
   • A. Tomorrow, if you need me. I can let my current job know tonight and wrap things up by phone.
   • B. I'm not sure yet. I'd have to think about it and get back to you.
   • C. Let me check with my current manager about timing first, and then I'll get back to you on a date.
   • D. About two weeks after accepting an offer, since I'd give my current employer two weeks' notice.
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   D. Two weeks' notice is the common professional courtesy in the US, and offering it signals that you will treat your next employer with the same respect. Promising to walk out immediately can make a recruiter wonder how you would leave them, an unsure answer slows scheduling, and telling your manager before you have an offer is risky.

7. Near the end, the recruiter asks if you have any questions. Which is best for a phone screen?
   • A. What does success look like in the first 90 days, and what are the next steps in your process?
   • B. How much vacation time do I get, and how soon can I start using it?
   • C. No, I think you covered everything I wanted to know.
   • D. What does your company do, exactly? I want to make sure I understand the business before we go further.
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   A. Asking about success in the role shows you are already thinking about doing the job well, and asking about next steps tells you what to expect. Leading with time off can seem premature on a first call, having no questions suggests low interest, and asking what the company does reveals you skipped basic research.

8. How should you end a phone interview?
   • A. Say a quick 'Okay, thanks, bye' as soon as the recruiter finishes their last question
   • B. Ask the recruiter directly whether you made it to the next round so you know where you stand
   • C. Thank them, briefly restate your interest, and confirm the next step and timeline
   • D. Keep sharing more about your experience so the call runs longer than planned
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   C. A strong close leaves a clear, positive last impression and gives you a timeline to plan around. Ending abruptly wastes that moment, asking for an on-the-spot decision puts the recruiter in an awkward position, and stretching the call suggests you are not reading the room.

9. When should you send a thank-you note after a phone interview?
   • A. Only after you are invited to the next round
   • B. The same day or within 24 hours, by email
   • C. About a week later, so it arrives as a reminder right when they are making decisions
   • D. Not at all, since thank-you notes are really only expected after in-person interviews
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   B. A short email the same day or the next morning keeps you fresh in the recruiter's mind while they decide who moves forward. Waiting a week can mean the decision is already made, and phone screens deserve the same courtesy as in-person interviews.

10. The recruiter said you would hear back within a week. It has been nine business days with no word. What should you do?
    • A. Call the recruiter every day until someone picks up
    • B. Assume you were rejected and stop checking in
    • C. Look up the hiring manager's email and contact them directly instead of the recruiter
    • D. Send one polite email that restates your interest and asks about the timeline
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    D. One brief, friendly email is appropriate once the promised timeline has passed, since hiring often runs late for reasons that have nothing to do with you. Daily calls feel like pressure, going around the recruiter can damage the relationship, and giving up early means you miss out if they are simply behind schedule.