A phone screen is usually short, and you need the same information from every candidate: motivation, relevant experience, availability, expectations. Then a candidate answers "tell me about yourself" for eight minutes, and the call is half over before you reach the questions that matter.
Taking back control of the conversation without sounding rude is a skill. It improves with practice, and role-play is the safest place to start.
The goal of a phone screen
Before the techniques, be clear about the purpose. A phone screen is not an interview. It exists to decide whether a conversation with the hiring team is worth everybody's time. That means you need:
- a rough understanding of the candidate's background against the role,
- their reason for looking, and what they want next,
- practical details such as location, notice period and compensation expectations, where your process asks for them,
- a fair impression of how they communicate.
If you leave with those, a talkative candidate has not hurt you. If you do not, a candidate who talks too much is a problem, as is one who says too little.
The three-move technique: acknowledge, redirect, move on
When a candidate keeps going, use three small moves.
- Acknowledge. Show you heard them. This is what keeps the interruption friendly.
- Redirect. Link what they said to your next question.
- Move on. Ask the next question clearly.
"That's really helpful, thank you. I want to make sure we cover your recent work, so can I ask about the last two years specifically?"
You are not stopping the candidate because they are boring. You are protecting a shared time limit, and you can say so.
Ways to interrupt politely
Interrupting is acceptable when it is warm and brief. Try these.
- "Can I jump in for a second? I want to be sure I understand, you moved into team lead in 2022, is that right?"
- "I'm conscious of time, and I want to hear about your last role. Could we go there?"
- "That's useful context. Let me ask you something more specific."
- "I'll stop you there so we have time for your questions at the end."
Say the person's name when it helps. Slow down your voice rather than speeding up; a calm interruption sounds more respectful.
Set expectations at the start
The best way to avoid a long answer is to say how the call will work at the beginning.
"Thanks for making time. This call takes about twenty minutes. I'll ask a few questions about your background and what you're looking for, then tell you about the role and leave time for yours. I may move us along occasionally so we cover everything. Is that all right?"
Candidates generally accept this and feel less offended later when you do move them on.
Use better questions
Talkative candidates tend to answer broad questions broadly. Make questions narrower.
- Instead of "Tell me about your experience", ask "What did your day-to-day look like in your last role?"
- Instead of "Why are you looking?", ask "What would you want to change in your next role?"
- Use a time frame: "In the last two years, what did you own?"
Closed follow-ups such as "Was that your decision, or the team's?" can also bring a long answer back to the point.
Three scenarios to rehearse
Scenario 1: The storyteller
The candidate answers every question with a long story, including details from many years ago. Practise acknowledging the story, then asking for the last two years.
Scenario 2: The self-promoter
The candidate talks about their strengths without ever answering the question. Practise asking for a concrete example: "Can you give me one project where that mattered?"
Scenario 3: The nervous talker
The candidate fills every pause out of nerves. Slow down, thank them for their openness and use shorter questions. Here, controlling the call means putting them at ease, not cutting them off.
A short example
Recruiter: Could you give me a quick overview of your last role?
Candidate: (speaks for several minutes about the company history, the previous manager, the office move...)
Recruiter: Thank you, that's helpful background. I want to be sure we reach your recent work. In the last two years, what were you responsible for?
Candidate: Mostly the onboarding programme, and then...
Recruiter: Great, tell me about the onboarding programme. What changed because of it?
The recruiter kept the tone friendly, and the questions became narrower.
A practice routine
- Write your standard opening, including how long the call lasts.
- Role-play each scenario above. Ask the other person to talk for too long on purpose.
- After each round, count how many times you interrupted and how it felt. Too few means the call ran away; too many can feel abrupt.
- Practise your closing: "That's all I need for now. Here is what happens next, and when you will hear from us."
Run this routine with a colleague who plays the talkative candidate, and ask them to give you feedback on the moments where you could have redirected sooner. DIRI AI is built for sales and client calls and does not offer recruiter phone-screen practice; for the call-handling skills used here, such as acknowledging and redirecting, see handling silence on phone calls.
Checklist for every phone screen
- Did I explain the format and the time at the start?
- Did I ask narrow questions with a time frame?
- Did I acknowledge before redirecting?
- Did I leave time for the candidate's questions?
- Did I say what happens next?
Related: Handling Silence on Phone Calls, Active Listening in Sales Calls, Talk-to-Listen Ratio and Pacing, Recruiter Candidate Sourcing Call Script for Passive Candidates.
FAQ
How do I stop a candidate talking without being rude?
Acknowledge what they said, link it to your next question and ask it clearly. Setting expectations at the start of the call makes later interruptions feel natural.
How long should a recruiter phone screen last?
It depends on your process. Say the planned length at the start and keep to it so candidates know what to expect.
What if the candidate says very little?
Use open but specific questions, give them a moment to think and ask for examples. Silence is often just a candidate thinking.