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| Success with Telephone Interviews |
by Leslie Stevens-Huffman - November 8, 2007
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Telephone interviews can be trying. There are no visual cues from the interviewer, no body language to read and, in some cases, you've got to answer questions posed by a panel of voices over conference lines or speaker phones. Here's some tips on engaging successfully - long-distance or local. Under pressure to do more with less and straining to discern candidate differences from a stream of online resumes, managers are conducting more initial interviews over the telephone instead of face-to-face.
"Employers are looking to assess a candidate's basic requirements when they conduct a telephone interview," says Omayra Cruz, recruitment manager with Total Recruiting Solutions, a contract and full-time placement staffing firm based in Woodland Hills, Calif. "In smaller companies, the accountants have to wear many hats, so accounting and finance professionals who have gained experience in larger organizations may have more specialized experience and they may not match-up well to the job specs in a smaller firm."
"We really turn to telephone interviews when we have a large number of candidates who all look the same on paper, or if we are trying to ascertain whether we want to spend the money to bring a candidate in from out of town," says Karen Kerr, assistant director for recruitment at California State University, Long Beach. "We're really testing the candidate's credibility. We want to quickly get a handle on their knowledge and validate their skills and abilities."
"Remember that a telephone interview is an interaction, not an inquisition. It's not necessary for the interviewer to drive the entire conversation," says Cruz. "To be a good (interview) it's important to be a good story teller. This morning I interviewed a tax manager over the telephone and she relayed her experience to me through a series of vignettes that were very interesting. It really made me listen to her. She demonstrated her skills and experience through example."
Remember: It's an Interview
The key to having a successful phone interview might be to remember - it's an interview. Treat it as you would any important business call, wherever you happen to be.
- Be on time: Phone interviews are scheduled by appointment, so don't treat it any differently than an in-person interview.
- Select a quiet place: No barking dogs, no kids in the background. You want silence and privacy. Close the door to the room, answer the phone yourself and wear a headset if possible so your hands are free to take notes. Shut down your e-mail or anything else that will distract you.
- Prepare some crib sheets: One advantage to phone interviews is you can have information in front of you. If you don't know the names of the interviewers in advance, write them down as they are given to you and make a note to help you recognize their voice. For example, Mr. Jones has a high pitched voice, or sounds like your Uncle Bill. Have a print-out of your resume and your experienced-based vignettes in front of you in large type, so you can refer to them.
- Do your homework: Study the job description and the company's Web site. By doing so, you can anticipate some of the questions you'll be asked, and you'll be able to customize your examples and vignettes.
- Smile: Okay, it's corny, but there's a reason everyone suggests it: It works. Stand-up if it will help you transfer more energy into your voice, and try putting a mirror on the wall in front of you. To prepare, role play with a friend or your spouse and try recording your voice to see how you sound.
- Speak clearly and not too quickly: Remember that on most conference lines, one person cuts out if two people speak at once. So always wait a second before you start speaking to make certain the other person has finished.
- Listen: Connections can be challenging and the interviewer who's the furthest away from the speaker phone can be hard to hear. Focus on what you're being asked and request clarification if you're uncertain. It's always good to start your response by addressing the questioning interviewer by first name. If you're not sure who asked the question, identify them first before responding.
- Prepare some questions: Don't focus on compensation and benefits. Ask about the company, its performance expectations, and the culture. In other words, show interest! Also be sure to close by saying you're interested in taking the next step and asking if there's anything else you can provide.
- Obtain the contact information and titles for the interviewers and send each a follow-up note or e-mail as soon as the interview concludes.
"Because most phone interviews focus on screening a candidate for their knowledge, it's important to be ready to articulate your expertise clearly and succinctly, but not curtly," says Kerr. "Avoid 'ums' and 'ahs' because those bad speech habits have a tendency to magnify when you're speaking over the telephone." And, she adds, "Although many candidates don't like phone interviews, in some respects they're fairer than in-person meetings because the candidates aren't judged on their appearance, just their competency. So in that sense phone interviews are truly equal."
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| Josh |
on 21 Oct 2009 at 11:19 pm |
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| Very nice article. This is very helpful for telephone interview concerns that I had. |
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| kathy (pensacola) |
on 21 Jul 2009 at 12:00 am |
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| I'll have a phone interview tomorrow for a baniki teller position. And i don't have any idea what their question would be for this is my first phone interview and I don't have a bank teller experience though I have customers service experience, I just don't know what would it be like or what to answer. Help... |
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| Vicki (Virginia Beach) |
on 18 Mar 2009 at 6:44 am |
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| I too have had to and am right now enduring the telephone interview process. I initially interviewed with the CEO of a corportaion "in person" over a week ago for the comptroller position. Now I am being told that two of his management team will be calling me to interview me as well, because I am in competition with one other candidate. The kicker is, no one can tell me when I will get those calls, just that it will be sometime this week. If I impressed the CEO in the in-person interview, his two management individuals will not get the same impressions as they will only hear my voice. It seems the only person in the hiring process that has to follow rules is the candidate. |
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| Jan (San Marcos, CA) |
on 17 Mar 2009 at 4:41 pm |
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| It seems the recruiters I have come across exhibit no real work experience as they are excessively dependent on culling resumes for key words and any resume that exhibits a deeper understanding of the subject is totally lost in them. There is also an excessive need for duplicating experience for new job opportunities instead of evaluating transferable skills that might result in a more challenging work environment for the employee instead of a play it safe/do not grow your skills mentality. Instead all potential employees should be able openly suggest which aspects of the job description can be remedied by self directed training and exhibit a understanding of how and when this will be accomplished. Finally, if sticking with the current highly idiotic screening techniques are doing the job for employers one has to consider why the rapid turnover of employees and the complete meltdown of the economy illustrates the benefits of sticking with the status quo in other words if it is not working someone has to fix it. However, if you expect the current batch of recruiters to fix it you will get even more disillusioned. |
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| ML (Columbus, OH) |
on 09 Jul 2008 at 11:31 am |
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Currently I have been receiving phone screening interviews. You will have to pass the phone screen interview in order to reach the face-to-face interview. One disadvantage of the phone screen interview is not being able to see the person's physical appearance. I agree also with Martha, that it takes sometimes 30 minutes to complete the job application on-line. Some companies even ask you complete a skills assessment
(for example: Intermediate microsoft excel and uses currently ) This takes up additional time on-line and I feel should be asked at face-to-face interview at how would you rate yourself.
At the end of each phone interview, I ask the human resource manager - What is the timeframe in selecting candidates for the face-to-face interview ? I get the same answer each time. I will forward your resume and info to the hiring manager and it will take up to 1-2 weeks. Most of them don't bother calling/e-mailing to let you know what they have decided.
Best of luck !! |
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| Deb (Indy) |
on 08 Jul 2008 at 11:18 am |
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| They shouldn't be allowed to call,spening $10 or $15 dollars of cell time to chat you up, request a change in resume, what a waste of time, money and energy. Do recruiters get paid for air time, or results. Haven't they heard of e-mail? Why is it that they want to get more applicants than should be allowed, just to find one or two employees. It's amazing that those very employers who had you jump through all the processes, hire for the same positions over and over. Only the very rich can afford to look for work. Costs of internet, clothes, phones, hair, nails, expensive colleges, cars, credit, and backgrounds are out of reach for the very people who need work the most. Interviewing HR professionals in highly paid jobs appear ignorant to the fact that it costs alot just to show up. Of course, younger applicants have their parents footing the entire process, so they don't care, and often get the jobs. Very skilled at passing the test...how about completing the work? Isn't that what it's about? |
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| anna (Charlotte, NC) |
on 13 Nov 2007 at 8:13 pm |
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| I have had a few phone interviews lately. I have done research on the companies and positions, and I show to be well prepared for the interview. Although I meet the qualifications, I never get a face to face interview. When I have had the pre-screening interview person-to-person, I have always gotten a second interview and very often I have gotten an offer. Obviously, something goes wrong with the phone interview. I believe that the interviewer often times focuses on my accent over the phone. Is this something common, and how can I overcome this? |
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| Martha (New York, NY) |
on 13 Nov 2007 at 3:29 pm |
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As much as I can understand how important phone interviews can be in leveling the playing field to be fairer, some companies of high repute have taken the task too far. I applied for an entry-level position right out college and recall I had to endure several phone interviews over the course of a few weeks.
All said, most companies who do this to applicants waste both the company and applicants time and energy by dragging out the process longer than neccessary. I argue if instead of going through a pre-screening call, the post-screening call, the first phone interview, and then a second phone interview...we could've knocked that out in under 2 hours in an in-person interview. Instead I reserved an hour of my time, each time partly because the interviewer that had the nerve to be consistently at least 40 minutes late for each appointment. Signalling to me a) he wasn't really interested in hiring me b) he is highly disorganized and has no respect for underlings time or c) this was just part of the process he had to endure because his company policy insists they interview at least three people for one job for the sake of fairness.
Before that I had to fill out an entire application online which took me at least a half hour to complete. In the pre-online application filtering era that would never have happened. Not too long ago I would send in one resume along with a sometimes personalized cover letter, spend one day for two hours max interviewing in person, and know that my investment was only a quarter of what is required of applicants now. And I would know within the week of my in person interview if I did not receive a phone call I could call to follow up or decide to move on.
Today the saying, "Looking for a job is a full-time job" certainly lends a different meaning to its' initial intention. It makes me angry that corporate america doesn't have any consideration for society. There are people who may not be able to afford to be out of work for three or more weeks that is required to navigate a target companys' hiring procedures. The new system allows companies too much leway and no accountability.
The thing is, this goes on everyday and almost every applicant has a similar story. The company puts the applicant through the ringer and afterward decides not to hire you. But don't wait for that call, because that one would be the rare courtesy call -highly uncommon these days. |
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