People and finance
A first round for a recruiter should answer three things: can they find people who aren’t applying, can they hold a hiring manager to a clear brief, and do candidates leave feeling well treated even when the answer is no. Recruiters talk for a living, so listen for specifics over polish.
AI-led follow-ups test whether a recruiter’s stories hold up past the first answer, which is exactly what they do to candidates.
What to screen for
The questions
Ask them in order. Listen for specifics: what happened, what they did, how it ended.
Strong answer
Names the role, the channels they tried, what didn’t work, and the specific search or referral that found the hire. Can say why that person said yes.
Weak answer
Posted the job and waited, or describes the search only as “I used my network”.
Strong answer
Asks which three matter most, what the person will actually do in their first months, and shows the manager how few people match the full list.
Weak answer
Takes the list as written and starts sourcing.
Strong answer
Asked for specific reasons, tied them back to the brief, and either adjusted the brief or made the case with evidence. Respects that the final call is the manager’s.
Weak answer
Complains about the manager, or accepted “not a fit” without asking what it meant.
Strong answer
Calls rather than emails, does it quickly, gives honest and useful reasons where they can, and keeps the door open when they mean it.
Weak answer
Sends a template email, or waits until the role is filled before telling anyone.
Strong answer
Finds out the real reason, checks whether anything is negotiable, and goes back to the runner-up the same day. Says what they’d ask earlier next time, like competing offers or a likely counteroffer.
Weak answer
Treats it as bad luck, with no thought about the signals they missed.
Strong answer
Describes a real system: pipeline reviews at set times, a follow-up date on every candidate, and a rule for how long anyone goes without hearing back.
Weak answer
“I’m very organized”, with no method behind it.
Strong answer
Declines clearly, explains why in plain terms, steers back to job-related criteria, and brings in HR or legal if it continues.
Weak answer
Goes along with it quietly, or hasn’t thought about it.
Strong answer
Describes a short, personal message that referenced the candidate’s actual work and gave a concrete reason to talk. Can say what they changed after messages that got no reply.
Weak answer
Describes a long template about the company, sent to everyone.
Before the interview
Quick facts to read alongside the interview. They aren’t scored.
Listen for
Avoid
Use this in LessRounds
Paste the questions into a scripted interview, add the scorecard skills, and share one link. Every recruiter candidate gets the same questions, and you get a score for each skill with the quote behind it.
It depends on what you need. Agency recruiters tend to be strong at fast sourcing and closing. In-house recruiters spend more time on hiring managers, process and employer brand. Ask candidates from either side about the part of the job they did less of.
Ask them how they’d find people for one of your real open roles: where they’d look, what they’d search for and what their first message would say. Specific answers beat talk of “networks”.
Start with 10 free interviews a month. No card, no sales call.