When you are hiring for software, embedded, electronics or wider engineering roles, applications can build up quickly. A well-run phone interview helps you screen candidates efficiently, reduce time-to-hire and focus your in-depth interviews on the people most likely to succeed in the role.
Benefits of Phone Interviews with Tech and Engineering Candidates
Phone interviews sit between CV review and a formal video or face-to-face interview.
What Should You Ask in a Phone Interview for Technical Candidates?
Start by looking at the fundamentals. Did the candidate join the call on time? Do they communicate clearly and professionally? In technical hiring, these early signals matter because many roles require collaboration across teams, documentation, stakeholder communication or explaining complex ideas to non-technical colleagues.
Keep the call concise and structured. Around five core questions is usually enough to understand whether a candidate is worth progressing. For example, you might ask: tell me about your current role? What technologies or tools do you use most? What type of projects have you delivered? What attracts you to this position? Or What are you looking for in your next move?
With engineering and software roles, you can also add one or two role-specific screening questions. For example, you could ask a software engineer about the languages, frameworks or development environment they use day to day. Ask embedded software engineers about real-time systems, debugging or low-level development. With an electronics engineer you could ask about product development, testing, schematic design or compliance experience.
What to Look for During Candidate Responses
As the candidate answers, listen for more than keywords. Strong technical candidates usually explain their work clearly, give specific examples and show ownership of projects or outcomes. If answers are vague, overly rehearsed or disconnected from the role, that can be a sign that the CV and real experience are not fully aligned.
Take notes during the call so you can compare candidates fairly later on.
At the end of the call, thank the candidate for their time and explain the next steps clearly. You do not need to make a decision on the spot, but you should leave them with a professional impression of your company and a realistic idea of what happens next in the process.
How Long Should a Phone Interview Be?
15–30 minutes is usually enough for an initial engineering phone interview. This gives you enough time to verify technical experience, understand the candidate’s motivations and discuss practical details such as salary expectations and notice period without turning the call into a full technical interview.
Why Phone Interviews Matter in Tech and Engineering Recruitment
Engineering recruitment often involves specialist skills, long shortlists and candidates who are already in demand. A strong phone screening process helps hiring managers identify relevant technical backgrounds quickly. It also highlights communication strengths and reduces time spent on interviews that are unlikely to progress.
For businesses hiring software engineers, electronics engineers, embedded developers or other technical professionals, phone interviews are a practical way to improve efficiency without lowering the quality of your assessment. Used properly, they can shorten the hiring process and create a better experience for both employers and candidates.
If you are hiring for permanent or contract tech and engineering roles, Hexwired can help you build a stronger interview process and connect with the right candidates. Our team supports employers hiring software engineers, embedded specialists and electronics professionals. We also assist with wider engineering recruitment projects.
About Hexwired Technology Recruitment
Hexwired Recruitment is a top tech recruitment agency, providing tailored and cost-effective services for our clients, helping employers to hire skilled professionals in software engineering who are suited to the business needs quickly. Our technical consultants’ knowledge and understanding of the sector, alongside their experience in the tech industry, are one of the reasons we excel at finding you the right candidates in software.
We provide both contract and permanent solutions to the technology sector, covering areas such as Embedded Software, Electronics (FPGA, Digital Design, RF, IC Design), Software Test, Mechanical Design, C++ software engineer, Python, Golang, Machine Learning and Data Science, Technical Sales and Project management, and more. Need help hiring permanent/contract talent or looking for a new job? Contact us today.
