Physical therapist screening questions for rehab staffing recruiters

Physical therapist screening questions should confirm, early in the call, that the therapist can legally practice in the job's state (by license or PT Compact privilege), has recent experience in the same setting, and can meet the setting's productivity and documentation expectations. After that, cover caseload, systems, schedule and contract terms. The questions below come with strong answers, red flags and a knockout list for travel, per diem and permanent PT roles.

For the general structure of any screen, see phone screen questions for recruiters. This page covers what is specific to physical therapy.

Start with the setting, because it changes every other answer

A strong outpatient orthopedic PT and a strong skilled nursing facility PT are doing different jobs, measured in different ways, in different software. Ask the client which setting this is and ask the candidate the same question about their last two years before anything else.

License and PT Compact questions

The PT Compact is not a multistate license. According to the PT Compact Commission, a PT or PTA needs a valid license in a home state that is a compact member, a driver's license showing residency there, no active encumbrance or disciplinary action in the past two years, and a job in another member state. They then buy a privilege for that state, and many states require their jurisprudence exam first.

As of September 2026, the PT Compact map shows 38 jurisdictions (including the District of Columbia) actively issuing and accepting compact privileges. Maine, Michigan and Rhode Island are shown as having enacted legislation but not yet issuing or accepting privileges, and California, Florida and New York are among the non-members. Check the map on the day you screen; it changes as states implement.

Verify before you submit. The FSBPT's Verify a PT/PTA License page links to each state's lookup, and the PT Compact Commission has a public privilege verification tool.

Supervising PTAs

If the role supervises physical therapist assistants, ask how supervision worked at their last job. CMS's CY 2025 physician fee schedule final rule finalized general supervision of PTAs by PTs in private practice for Medicare, but state practice acts and payer rules can still be stricter. A good candidate knows the rules of the state they practice in and does not assume the Medicare rule settles it.

Caseload and clinical depth

PT resumes tend to list every diagnosis the therapist has ever seen. Ask about the caseload they carried last month, not their career.

1. "Describe your caseload last week: diagnoses, ages, and roughly what share were post-surgical."
   • Strong answer: "Mostly post-op knees and shoulders, some lumbar, a few vestibular patients each week. Ages mostly 40 to 70."
   • Red flags: a list of every specialty with no sense of proportion.
2. "Which surgeons' protocols did you follow, and what do you do when a patient is behind protocol?"
   • Strong answer: knows the protocol phases for ACL reconstruction or rotator cuff repair, and describes calling the surgeon's office when range of motion stalls.
   • Red flags: never communicates with referring providers.
3. "Acute or SNF: tell me about a patient you decided was not safe to discharge home. What did you document and who did you tell?"
   • Strong answer: the objective measures they used (for example, a gait speed or balance test), the recommendation, and the conversation with case management.
   • Red flags: "the doctor decides that". PT discharge recommendations are part of the job.
4. "Which board certifications or post-graduate training do you hold?"
   • Strong answer: names the credential and the issuer, such as an OCS or NCS from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, or a residency or fellowship and where.
   • Red flags: lists "OCS" while still preparing for the exam. The APTA's certified specialist directory lets you check.
5. "Which specialized techniques do you use that the client asked for?"
   • Strong answer: specific to the requisition: vestibular rehab, pelvic health, lymphedema, dry needling, with where they trained. Dry needling rules differ by state, so note the job state.
   • Red flags: a weekend course presented as a specialty.

Productivity questions that get real numbers

Productivity is the most common reason a PT placement goes sour, and "I always hit my numbers" tells you nothing. Ask for the number, in the way their employer measured it, and then translate it into the client's terms.

Documentation and home health specifics

Ask about the documentation that drives payment in the setting, not only the software brand.

• Outpatient: "How do you document the plan of care and progress notes so they meet the payer's requirements, and how do you track visits against the authorization?" Strong candidates mention plan of care certification by the referring provider for Medicare patients and tracking authorized visits.
• Inpatient rehab: "Which parts of the IRF-PAI did you complete?" Strong candidates know the functional items they scored and when.
• Home health: "Have you done start-of-care OASIS assessments on therapy-only cases?" Under 42 CFR 484.55, when rehabilitation therapy is the only service ordered, the initial assessment and the comprehensive assessment may be done by the appropriate therapist, and the comprehensive assessment must include current OASIS items and be completed within five calendar days after the start of care. A home health PT who has only done follow-up visits will need training.
• Any setting: "Which system did you document in last, and for how long?" Current daily use of the client's system shortens orientation; a system used years ago is not current.

Travel, per diem and permanent: schedule and terms

As with any travel role, do not advise on stipends, tax home or taxes. Refer those questions to payroll or the therapist's own tax adviser.

Knockout checklist and scoring

Lawful phrasing for PT screens

Physical therapy is physical work, and screens slide into health questions easily. The EEOC's guidance on pre-employment disability-related questions allows questions about ability to perform job functions, not about medical conditions before an offer.

Rehab screens produce a lot of numbers in a short call: license states, privilege states, productivity, visits, caseload mix. Interview Signal transcribes the call and keeps the must-ask license and productivity questions on screen, so the numbers in your submittal are the ones the therapist actually gave. For the client write-up, the candidate submittal template has a logistics block that fits these details.