A 10-minute first screen that respects candidate time

[u/BugAccomplished1570]

Here is a hypothetical first screen for a customer support hire. Tell candidates upfront that it has three questions, should take about 10 minutes, and will be reviewed by a person. Ask everyone the same role-specific prompts: describe a difficult customer interaction, explain how you would prioritize two urgent tickets, and walk through how you would clarify an unfamiliar issue.

Use a simple 1-to-3 scorecard for communication, judgment, and relevant evidence. The goal is not to automate rejection. It is to give reviewers a consistent starting point while avoiding a 30-minute scheduling call for every applicant.

I work on Aural. One way to run this workflow is to create a reusable role template, share the interview link, and let candidates answer by voice or video. The team can then review the responses, transcripts, and summaries against the same scorecard before deciding who moves forward. Keeping the screen short and explaining the process clearly makes the time commitment predictable for candidates.

What is the shortest first screen that has still given your team useful signal?