For HR teams hiring hourly and entry-level roles
Stop phone screening every applicant.
Got 50 applicants for one opening? Send them one link. Prelim interviews each one by chat and ranks them. You only call the top few.
Screen 10 applicants freeNo credit card. No sales call.
- applicants finish the screen
- 9 in 10
- applicants finish the screen
- typical screen length
- ~8 min
- typical screen length
- text chat on any phone
- No app
- text chat on any phone
What your applicants see
Caregiver
Screening Interview
Hi, I'm the screening interviewer for the Caregiver role. What caregiving work have you done?
2 years at a group home, nights
What you see
Example data. You decide who to call.
Built for teams hiring in
Pick a role and watch a real AI screen play out. No signup.
Plugs into the ATS you already use
- Ashby
- Zoho Recruit
Overview
What is Prelim?
Prelim is an AI-powered chat screening interview tool for recruiters and hiring managers. You paste a job posting, share a link with applicants, and get scored, structured interview results back in minutes. It replaces the 15-30 minute first-round phone screen for frontline and hourly roles.
- 01What it is
- A web app at app.prelim.chat that runs short async interviews with candidates in a web chat. The AI asks role-specific questions, follows up on vague answers, and scores each response 0-100 against criteria you define.
- 02Who it's for
- Staffing agencies, multi-location operators, and in-house recruiters hiring high-volume frontline roles: CNAs and caregivers in senior living, CDL drivers, warehouse staff, allied health, hospitality, restaurant.
- 03How it's different
- Applicants answer a short chat on their phone when it suits them. No video, scheduling, account, or app download. You read the answers and decide who to call.
Before & after
What 15 hours of phone screens is really costing you
The old way
- 15 hours a week on calls you will never bill for
- Good candidates go to faster recruiters while you screen
- Losing passive candidates who can not take calls at work
- Submitting based on gut feel, not data
With Prelim
- Candidates screened overnight while you sleep
- Scored shortlist ready by morning
- Passive candidates respond from their phone in 5 min
- Submit with data your clients trust
Why text
Why text, not video?
Prelim is not a video interview tool. It is a chat conversation. That changes everything.
No scheduling needed
Candidates do it on their own time. Even at midnight. No calendar gymnastics, no phone tag, no no-shows.
No camera anxiety
Text levels the playing field. You evaluate what candidates say, not how they look on camera. Better signal, more consistency.
Works from anywhere
Candidates respond from their phone during a lunch break. No quiet room, no webcam, no app download. A short chat, whenever it suits them.
How it works
From new req to shortlist in under 10 minutes
Paste your job posting
Drop in your job description and we'll generate screening questions automatically.
Share the interview link
Send applicants a link. They complete a short chat interview on their phone or computer.
Review scored candidates
Get scores, summaries, and red flags instantly. Call the top candidates and submit before your competition does.
Features
Built for recruiters who get paid on placement
Every feature is designed to get you from req to submittal faster.
AI Interviewer
The AI asks follow-up questions and digs into experience so you get real answers, not resume recitals. Know if a candidate is worth your time before you ever call them.
Structured Scoring
Every candidate gets a clear score with reasoning you can share with your client. Submit with confidence and back it up with data.
Instant Results
Results land the moment the candidate finishes. Move fast on strong candidates before another recruiter gets there first.
Works Everywhere
Send a link via email, text, or LinkedIn. Candidates complete it at midnight on their phone. No scheduling, no phone tag.
Custom Questions
Auto-generate questions from the job description or write your own. Tailor every screen to exactly what your client is looking for.
Candidate Comparison
Stack candidates side by side and send your client the top 3 in minutes. Faster submittals, more placements.
Roles
Roles Prelim screens
Built for high-volume frontline and hourly hiring. Pre-built screening templates and vertical playbooks for the roles you hire every week.
High-Volume Hiring
- Warehouse / Logistics Associate
- Customer Service / Call Center Agent
- CNA / Caregiver
Don't see your industry?
Prelim works for any role. Paste the job description and screening questions generate automatically.
The math
Do the math on your screening time
If one extra placement per month is worth $5,000 to $15,000 in commission, Prelim pays for itself before your first invoice.
Pricing
Pricing that fits your hiring volume
No sales calls, ever. Try the live product in 10 minutes.Annual billing saves you about 20%.
Small
Single recruiter or owner-operator
- 200 screens per month
- Up to 3 active jobs
- Unlimited users
- Shareable interview links
- Basic dashboards
- Email support
Pro
Most popularGrowing teams, mid-market hiring
- 2,000 screens per month + $0.15 overage
- Unlimited active jobs
- Ashby and Zoho Recruit integrations
- Custom logo and brand color
- API access
- Per-question scoring, transcripts, and CSV export
- Priority in-app support
Team
Larger teams with formal HR/IT
- 5,000 screens per month + $0.10 overage
- Everything in Pro
- MCP server for AI assistants
Need more? Enterprise.
Have a larger screening volume or specific integration needs? Contact us to discuss requirements and pricing.
How does the AI interview work?
Applicants receive a link and complete a short chat with an AI interviewer. It asks role-specific questions one at a time and follows up when answers are vague. The time depends on the questions and answers.
How is this different from video interviews?
Applicants type answers in a web chat on their phone or computer. There is no camera, video recording, or scheduling. A person at the company reviews the answers and decides who to call.
Is it really free?
Yes. The free plan includes 10 screens each calendar month and up to 3 active jobs, with no credit card and no time limit. Paid plans start at $49 a month when you need more screens.
Can candidates tell they're talking to AI?
Yes, and we are transparent about it. Candidates are told upfront that this is an AI-powered screening interview. Most candidates appreciate the convenience of completing it on their own schedule.
How long does each interview take?
The length depends on your questions and the applicant's responses. Prelim drafts 5 to 8 questions, and the AI follows up when needed. Applicants complete the chat on their own time.
Can I customize the questions?
Absolutely. You can paste a job posting and have questions generated automatically, then edit, reorder, add, or remove any question. You can also write questions entirely from scratch.
How is the scoring calculated?
Each response is scored 0-100 against the scoring criteria you define for each question. The overall score is a weighted average. The AI provides reasoning for each score so you can understand exactly why a candidate received their rating.
Can I embed interviews on my website?
Yes, on the Pro plan. We provide an embed snippet you can add to your career page, ATS, or job posting. Candidates complete the interview without leaving your site.
Will my candidates actually complete it?
Applicants can complete the chat on their phone on their own time, with no camera, scheduled appointment, or app download. Completion depends on your applicant pool and how you share the link.
Your next placement is one screen away
Set up your first screen in 2 minutes. No credit card required.