Went through BofA's recruiter phone screen last month. I'd prepped for technical questions, which was the wrong call. Sharing what actually happened because I think a lot of people waste energy preparing the wrong things for this stage.
The screen was 30 minutes with an internal recruiter, not a tech person. She did not ask a single technical question. Here's the actual agenda:
Walk me through your background. Classic 2-minute pitch. Have one ready.
Why are you interested in Bank of America? They genuinely care about this. BofA hears a lot of people who are just casting wide nets, and they seem to screen for people who chose them for a reason. I talked about their Consumer Technology division's growth and the scale of systems you get to work on. She responded positively.
What are your compensation expectations? She asked this pretty early. They have salary bands and want to know if you're in range before investing interview time. I asked her to share the band first, she gave me a range, and I confirmed I was aligned. Seemed like the right move.
Timeline and logistics: Are you interviewing elsewhere, what's your notice period, do you need sponsorship, would you be open to hybrid (Charlotte, Pennsville, or Addison, TX depending on team). These are not trick questions, just data collection.
What questions do you have? Have 2-3 substantive questions ready. I asked about the team structure and the tech stack. She couldn't answer the stack question well (recruiters usually can't) but appreciated that I asked.
Total time: 28 minutes. She sent feedback to the hiring team same day and I had an OA invitation the next morning. The phone screen feels like a calibration step, not a bar-raiser. Clear communication and knowing what you want are the main things that matter here.