Screen candidates in five questions before the call: a WhatsApp checklist for Indian recruiters

The short version

A WhatsApp screen is a short set of written questions sent before the early call. It helps you see who fits the role, who is free when you need them and who has the skills the job asks for. Done well, it saves time for you and for the candidate. Done carelessly, it becomes a long interrogation on a small screen, with no fair way to compare answers.

The method below uses five questions, a score and a few rules. The rules matter as much as the questions. They keep the screen fair, legal and easy to explain.

Why WhatsApp works for screening

Many candidates reply faster on WhatsApp than they do to email. They can answer between work shifts, and a written answer gives you something to read and compare. A screen on WhatsApp also keeps the candidate thread in the same place as the interview messages, so the whole journey is easy to follow.

The limit is that a text screen can feel cold if it is just questions. Start with one warm line about the role, then ask.

The five questions

Write these for your role, then send them in the same order to every candidate for that role. Replace the examples in brackets with your own job details.

1. Your current role. What do you do in your current or most recent role, in two lines? Look for clear scope, not a long list of tasks.
2. One piece of work you are proud of. Describe one result you helped create, what you did and how you checked it. Look for a specific action and a way of checking.
3. The tools you use. Which tools do you use for [the main task of this role], and how often? Look for real use, not a list of names.
4. Notice period and start date. When could you start, and what is your notice period? Look for a clear date you can plan around.
5. Expectation as a range. What salary range are you looking for, in rupees per month or year, and is it fixed or flexible? Look for a clear range and a willingness to talk.

Five questions is enough. A sixth question usually means you have not decided what matters most, so take a minute to decide before you send.

A worked example, illustrative

This example uses a made up role. A talent lead is hiring a customer success associate for an online course business. The team gets forty applications. The lead sends the five questions on WhatsApp to the twelve who pass the resume check.

The opening answer gives scope, a result with a check, named tools, a clear start and a range. The second gives no scope, no result and no way to check. Neither answer decides the hire alone, but the scoring sheet makes the difference visible.

A scoring sheet you can keep

Score each answer from zero to two on three points: clear, specific and relevant to the role. That gives a maximum of six per answer and thirty across five answers. Decide the threshold for a call before you read any answer, and write it on the sheet. A common approach is to call everyone above the threshold and to log the reasons for anyone below it.

Write one line of reason next to each score. Reasons make the decision easier to defend and to review later, when you compare how the screen worked across a season of hiring.

Questions to avoid

Keep every question to the job. Do not ask about religion, caste, marital status, family plans, age beyond what a lawful requirement needs, health or where a person is from when it has no link to the role. Do not ask for bank details or an identity number at the screening stage. If a candidate shares something personal, do not write it into the score. A simple rule helps: if the question would not be asked in a formal interview room, do not ask it on WhatsApp.

Check the rules that apply to your hiring with a qualified adviser, especially for regulated roles or when you hire at scale.

Running the screen in one day

Send the five questions in the morning, to the whole shortlist at once. Set a reply window of one or two days. When answers arrive, score them in one sitting, so you judge each candidate against the same mood and the same scale. Mark the ones above the threshold and book calls for them within the week. Send the kind closing line to the rest the same day. A screen that runs this way takes about an hour of your attention, spread over two short sittings, and it leaves a clean record for the next round.

If the answers are too few, do not lower the threshold quietly. Reopen the search, or ask the team whether the role description is pulling the right people.

Consent and records

Tell the candidate, in the opening message, what you will do with their answers. A single line works: we will keep your answers just for this role and delete them after the hiring round, unless you ask us to keep them for future roles. Store the answers in one place with limited access. Delete them when the round ends, or keep them just when the candidate agreed.

Never share a candidate's answers in a group chat with people outside the hiring team. A forwarded screenshot is a record you cannot take back.

Mistakes to avoid

• Too many questions. A ten question screen on a phone gets short, tired answers. Keep it to five.
• Changing questions for some candidates. If the questions differ, the scores do not compare, and the screen is unfair.
• No written scale. Scoring by feel makes the decision hard to explain.
• Asking for documents too early. Keep the early screen light. Ask for documents after the shortlist.
• Ghosting the candidates below the threshold. A one line kind reply is enough. It protects your brand and their time.
• Using the screen as a sales pitch. Give a short description of the role in one line, then ask questions.

Frequently asked questions

Is it fair to screen on WhatsApp?

It is fair when every candidate gets the same questions, has time to answer, and knows what happens to their answers. Offer a call or email reply for anyone who prefers that.

Should I ask for salary expectations on WhatsApp?

You can ask for a range. Keep it as one question, and do not use the answer to decide anything before the role's pay band is set.

How long should candidates have to answer?

Give a clear time, such as one or two days, and say you will follow up if they need more time.

Can candidates send voice notes?

Yes, and you can transcribe them with your own tools. Score the content, not the accent or the speed of speech.

What if a candidate sends a long answer?

Score the parts that answer the question. Length is not quality.

Can you check my five questions?

Yes. Send the role and your five questions on WhatsApp, and we will tighten them together.

Your next step

Write your five role specific questions this week. Test them on three past candidates, or on a colleague who plays the candidate. Adjust the wording until each question asks for one thing. Then use the sheet for your next round.

Written by Madhur Tyagi, founder of The Human Algorithm. 8+ years, 25+ brands, since 2017.

Scope note: Examples are illustrative, not client results. Numbers are marked with their source or as unverified. Nothing on this page is sent unless you press the WhatsApp button.