The recruiter screen

The recruiter screen is usually your first conversation with a company, and it is easy to underrate. It's often short and friendly, so candidates treat it as a formality. It isn't. The recruiter decides whether you move forward, often shapes which level you are considered for, and becomes your main contact for the rest of the process. Done well, it's also your best source of information for the loop map described in How interview loops differ.

Many companies describe this step on their own careers pages. Meta says that for most roles the first step in the interview process is a call with a recruiter. Google says you'll typically have one or two shorter conversations with your recruiter before in-depth interviews, which assess key skills for the role and give you a chance to ask questions.