Use this phone screening script template when you have a stack of hourly applicants and need to sort them quickly. It works for retail, warehouse, food service, front desk and other shift-based roles. Each script keeps the call short, covers the must-haves early, and ends with a booked next step. If you are new to the format, here is what a phone screen usually covers.
How the call flows
| Section | Goal | Move on when |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Confirm it is a good time and set expectations | The candidate agrees to talk now or books a callback |
| Availability, pay and requirements | Check schedule fit, start date, transport and posted pay | Every answer is recorded |
| Knockout questions | Rule out hard mismatches early | All must-haves are a yes, or you close politely |
| Candidate questions and closing | Answer common questions and book the next step | A day, time and place are confirmed |
| Voicemail | Get a callback without oversharing | Message left and follow-up text sent |
The five scripts
Script 1: Opening and setting expectations
Hi [Candidate first name], this is [Your name] with [Company name]. You applied for the [Job title] role at our [Location or branch name] location. Is now still a good time to talk for a few minutes? [If no] No problem. When is a better time today or tomorrow? [Book callback time] [If yes] Great. Here is how this works. I will ask a few quick questions about your availability and the basics of the role. Then you can ask me anything. If it looks like a fit, we will book your next step before we hang up.
Say the job title and location up front. Hourly applicants often apply to several openings at once.
Script 2: Availability, schedule, pay and requirements check
1. The [Job title] role works [shift pattern, e.g. early mornings / overnights / weekends]. Which days and times can you work each week? 2. Are there any days or times you cannot work? 3. When could you start? 4. How will you get to [Location]? Is that reliable for a [shift start time] start? 5. This role pays [pay rate or range exactly as posted]. Does that work for you? 6. The role requires [requirement, e.g. standing for a full shift / lifting / valid driver's license / certification]. Are you able to meet that? 7. Are you looking for full-time, part-time, or either?
Read the posted pay wording word for word on every call. Do not round, estimate or add extras that are not in the posting.
Script 3: Role-specific knockout questions
Before we go further, there are a few must-haves for this role. - [Knockout 1, e.g. Do you hold a current [certification]?] - [Knockout 2, e.g. Can you work [required weekend or holiday coverage]?] - [Knockout 3, e.g. Are you comfortable working in [environment, e.g. a cold storage area / a busy kitchen]?] [If any answer is no] Thanks for being straight with me. This role needs [requirement], so it is not the right match right now. [Optional: We also have openings for [other role] at [Location]. Would you like me to keep your application on file for those?] [If all yes] Great, that covers the must-haves. Tell me about a recent job or situation where you [core task, e.g. handled a busy rush / dealt with an upset customer / worked to a tight deadline].
Keep knockouts to genuine job requirements. If most candidates fail the same question, move this script ahead of Script 2.
Script 4: Answering candidate questions and booking the next step
What questions do you have for me? [Prepared answers. Fill these in before calling.] - Pay schedule: [How often and how employees are paid] - Scheduling: [How far ahead schedules are posted, how shift swaps work] - Training: [What the first week looks like] - Uniform or dress code: [What to wear, what is provided] - Parking or transit: [Details for Location] [If you do not know] Good question. I will find out and include it in my follow-up text. [Closing] Based on what you have told me, I would like to move you to [next step, e.g. an in-person interview / a working interview / a call with the hiring manager] with [Hiring manager name]. I have [Option 1 day and time] or [Option 2 day and time]. Which works better? [Confirm] You are set for [day and time] at [address]. Ask for [name] when you arrive. Please bring [items, or nothing]. I will text you a confirmation from this number now. If anything changes, just reply to that text. [If not moving forward] Thanks for your time today. We will follow up by [text or email] about next steps.
Offer two specific times instead of asking when they are free. It closes the booking faster.
Script 5: Voicemail
Hi [Candidate first name], this is [Your name] from [Company name], calling about your application for the [Job title] role at [Location]. I would like to set up a quick phone screen. You can call or text me back at [phone number]. I will also send you a text so you can reply when it suits you. Again, that is [Your name] at [phone number]. Thanks.
Keep it short and say your number twice. Send the follow-up text right after you hang up.
Customization tips
- Build one version per role family, such as warehouse, front of house and customer service, rather than one script for everything.
- Prefill the answers in Script 4 for each location. Parking, uniform and shift start times change from branch to branch.
- Record answers in the same fields every time so you can compare candidates side by side instead of rereading free-text notes.
- Trim questions you already ask in the application. Confirm them quickly instead of asking them fresh.
- Save your finished versions in a shared library of recruiting templates so every recruiter starts from the same script.
- When a candidate passes, move fast. These offer messages for hourly roles help you close before they accept elsewhere.
What to avoid
- Quoting pay, bonuses or perks from memory. Use the posted wording only.
- Promising a job or a start date on the screening call.
- Questions unrelated to the job, such as personal life or family plans. Check with your HR or legal team on what to leave out of your script.
- Long, open-ended questions before the knockouts. Rule out mismatches first.
- Ending the call without a booked time, a confirmed location and a follow-up text.
- Voicemails that try to explain the whole role. Their only job is a callback.
Running the same script at higher volume
When your applicant list outgrows the hours your team can spend dialing, ATS Mako has an AI voice agent for screening calls. You set the questions, such as availability, role interest, location and basic qualifications, and the agent asks them the same way every time. Each call becomes a structured result in your hiring pipeline, and your team still owns every hiring decision. To screen a whole candidate segment in one move, use AI call campaigns, with each outcome tracked per applicant. Book a demo to see them in action.
Screen more hourly applicants without more dialing
Book a demo to see ATS Mako's white-label ATS and AI voice screening in action.