Eight Great Tips - A Guide to Telephone Interviews
By Chris Alfe, thingamajob.com Staff Writer
As companies look to reduce interview costs and decrease the amount of time it takes them to select candidates, more candidates are finding themselves subject to the dreaded telephone interview.
While it is true that telephone interviews do have their drawbacks and they certainly require special preparation and care, they also come with some advantages that job seekers should recognize and exploit.
Many employers use telephone interviews as an intermediate level screening tool between the initial resume review and an eventual in-person meeting or meetings. They use telephone interviews to eliminate a percentage of candidates before the costly rounds of in-person interviews begin.
In larger organizations, phone interviews are often coordinated and sometimes conducted by representatives of the human resources department; in other cases, they are run by department managers. If you will be participating in a phone interview, be sure to ask with whom you?ll be speaking so that you may tailor your answers accordingly. HR representatives generally look for general professional and behavioral characteristics such as problem solving, professionalism, assertiveness and various ethical traits since they are not qualified to assess your actual work expertise.
Some companies utilize telephone interviews to screen for basic technical acumen. Candidates for skilled service-sector positions such as software developer, accountant and quality assurance engineer may expect a telephone interview so that the hiring manager can get a basic validation of the skills claimed on resumes. Again, if you are invited to participate in a telephone interview be sure to ask specifically with whom you'll be speaking and what the objective of the interview will be. This is always an appropriate question!
Telephone Interview Tips
u Avoid distractions. If you are currently employed, try to arrange your telephone interviews for the early evening or at a time when you may speak openly and freely. When interviewing from home, be sure to be in a quiet place free from background noise and interruptions. Be sure to disable call waiting and turn off any other telephones or pagers.
u Use a landline. The sound quality is far better on a landline, especially a corded landline, and clarity is vital to communication during telephone interviews. In addition, cell phone signals may drop causing an annoying interruption to the conservation.
u Prepare notes! The single biggest advantage a candidate has during a telephone interview is the ability to rely more heavily on notes compared to an in-person interview. Prepare notes for questions you anticipate being asked, as well as for questions you plan on asking. Do not write complete sentences; the interviewer will know you are reading them. Instead, jot down keywords that will jog your memory.
u Speak slowly and lively. A frequent side-effect of nervousness is rapid speech. Deliberately moderate the pace of your words and speak markedly louder than you would normally, with the telephone handset at least two inches away from your mouth. Always pause after each thought or idea to give the interviewer an opportunity to respond. Also remember that the interviewer is probably taking notes on your responses so give him/her a chance to record your answers!
u Address the interviewer(s) by name. One of the drawbacks inherent in conducting any business over the telephone is the overall impersonality of the medium. One of the best ways to overcome this hurdle is to recognize and address any and all voices on the other end of the line by name. If you?re ever unsure who is speaking to you, it is always okay to ask; they will appreciate that you care enough to know who is addressing you.
u Exaggerate your vocal patterns. Non-verbal signals are an important part of overall communication and you will be without them during a telephone interview; you need to compensate by making your intentions crystal clear using your voice. If you have a question, for example, the interviewer will not be able to see your facial expressions, hand gestures or expressive movements. The only method you can employ to make it clear that certain words or phrases are inquisitive is to exaggerate the rising intonation of your voice.
u Do Your Homework. Too often job seekers fail to properly prepare for telephone interviews because they feel as if they can 'wing' certain common questions. In fact, answers that lack detail or depth may come across as more hollow on the phone than they might in-person despite the confidence of the job seeker! A good rule of thumb- spend at least 3X more time preparing for an interview than the interview itself is scheduled to take.
u Finish strongly. Your parting words will linger with the interviewer more than your opening words will, so choice them wisely. If you have remained interested in the job opportunity as the telephone interview winds down, be certain to ask what the next steps in the hiring process are. You may even ask when you can meet in-person with the interviewer and suggest a date and time. Never hang up without thanking each person with which you spoke; thank them for their time and reiterate your interest in the position.
Chris Alfe is a staff writer for thingamajob.com. He has ten years of experience in staffing and human resources and currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland.
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