You've encountered a recruiter or the hiring manager. He says, "Come on in for an interview." But maybe you've got a lot of experience or you've met a number of people who don't share your vocabulary about the job you're looking for. Somehow, you want to make sure the hiring manager's expectations are similar to yours. A phone screen would solve this problem. But, how do you ask?
I recommend being truthful. Say, "I have a lot of experience, and want to make sure this job is what I think it is, and that our salary expectations are similar." If the manager asks about your salary first, explain that you need to know about the job first to make sure you are valuable enough for him to consider you. You are being honest, and that remark postpones the salary discussion.
Here are questions you might consider asking:
1. Tell me about the job.
2. Did the previous person leave? Do you know why?
3. Give me an example of a really great challenge in this role.
4. What would a successful candidate look like?
5. What's the normal salary range for this job?
You don't need a lot of questions, but you do need a few.
If the hiring manager doesn't want to phone screen you, that's data. Why would the hiring manager waste his, his teams or your time if there's not a good match?
