Screen 100% of applicants
Every candidate gets the same fair, structured interview within minutes of applying, so strong people never slip through because the queue was too long to call them.
Phone Screening Automation
Replace hours of manual screening calls with AI interviews that talk to every candidate, score their answers, and hand you a ranked shortlist the same day.
What is phone screening automation?
Phone screening automation uses AI to conduct the first-round screening interview for you: every applicant gets a structured voice or chat conversation on demand, their answers are transcribed and scored against your criteria, and recruiters review a ranked shortlist instead of dialing candidates one by one.
Traditional phone screens force recruiters to schedule, dial, and repeat the same questions dozens of times, which throttles how many applicants ever get a fair first conversation. Criba automates that first round. Candidates complete a structured interview whenever it suits them, the AI asks consistent role-specific questions and intelligent follow-ups, and every response is transcribed and scored the moment it is finished. You keep the human judgment for the people who actually clear the bar, and you reclaim the hours that used to disappear into voicemail tag.
Why automate phone screening with Criba
No scheduling, no phone tag
Candidates complete their screen on their own time across time zones. There are no calendar invites, no missed calls, and no back-and-forth to coordinate a 15-minute conversation.
Consistent, bias-aware scoring
The same role-specific questions and rubric apply to everyone. Answers are scored against your criteria, giving you defensible, apples-to-apples comparisons instead of gut feel.
Voice or chat, candidate's choice
Run screens as a natural voice conversation or a typed chat. Candidates pick what they are comfortable with while you get the same structured, scored output.
Full transcripts and recordings
Read or listen to any answer in seconds. Every screen is transcribed and timestamped, so hiring managers can review the substance without sitting through a live call.
Faster, cheaper top of funnel
Cut first-round screening time from days to hours and free your recruiters to spend their calls on shortlisted candidates who are genuinely worth their attention.
How automated phone screening works
Build the screen in minutes
Pick a role, choose your must-have questions, and set the scoring rubric. Criba turns your requirements into a structured interview with smart follow-up prompts.
Invite every applicant instantly
Share a single link or trigger invites from your ATS. Candidates start the AI screen on demand, by voice or chat, on any device, without booking a slot.
AI interviews and scores in real time
The assistant asks your questions, probes vague answers with follow-ups, then transcribes and scores each response against your criteria automatically.
Review a ranked shortlist
Open your dashboard to see candidates ranked by fit, with transcripts, recordings, and per-question scores. Advance the best people to a human interview in one click.
Phone screening automation FAQs
Can AI really replace a recruiter phone screen?
For the first round, yes. Criba handles the repeatable part of a phone screen: asking consistent role-specific questions, capturing answers, and scoring them against your rubric. Recruiters then spend their live calls only on the shortlisted candidates who pass, which is where human judgment adds the most value.
Do candidates have to take a live call at a set time?
No. That is the point of automation. Candidates complete the AI screen on demand, whenever it suits them, by voice or chat. There is no scheduling, no time-zone coordination, and no missed-call follow-up.
How does Criba keep screening fair and consistent?
Every applicant answers the same structured, role-specific questions and is scored against the same rubric. Because the process is identical for everyone and fully transcribed, you get defensible, apples-to-apples comparisons rather than impressions that vary call to call.
How fast can I screen applicants?
Screens go out the moment someone applies and candidates can finish in minutes, so a backlog that used to take days of calls is typically screened and ranked within hours.
Can I review what candidates actually said?
Yes. Every screen is transcribed and, for voice interviews, recorded. You and your hiring managers can read or listen to any answer and see the per-question scores without rejoining a live call.
Does automated phone screening work with my ATS?
Criba runs as a standalone screening step you can share by link or trigger from your workflow, then pass the ranked shortlist and transcripts back into your hiring process. See the pricing page for current integration details.