Telephone Interviews – Dos and Don’ts
Telephone Interviews – 5 tips to help you succeed
Many multinational companies use telephone interviews as an initial screening tool when hiring candidates. From their point of view it’s a quick, cheap way of assessing candidate suitability and finding out if they’ll fit the company culture. It’s also a very common way of screening candidates for executive roles.
There are some crucial differences between telephone and face to face interviews and understanding these will help you get through to the next stage.
Make your voice work for you when interviewing over the phone
In a telephone interview, your whole personality is translated through your voice.
What you say and how you say it take on equal importance. You need to speak slowly and clearly and at the same time inject your answer with passion and warmth. A good way of energising your voice is to stand up during the telephone call and even walk around the room.
Using Notes
The one big advantage of a telephone interview is that you can have your CV and all your notes in front of you. Have a summary of key points you’d like to get across in the conversation, in particular why you’re a good fit for the role and what you’re bringing to the table to the new employer.
Prepare for Standard Interview Questions
Normally these interviews are conducted by Human Resource Professionals so are not hugely technical in nature. Often they’ll just want to verify the information you’ve provided on your CV and screen you out if you fall short.
Prepare for the usual top ten interview questions, know what competencies are being looked for and have strong examples to demonstrate your skills in these areas.
How to manage silence in a telephone interview
Don’t be afraid of silence. Be confident to stop when you feel you’ve given a good answer. Remember that the interviewer will probably be taking notes as you’re giving your answer so they may need a bit of time between questions. If in doubt, ask them if they’d like to you to expand furuther on your answer.
During the Interview
A few other things for you to consider. Try to take the call on a land line, the reception is always much better. Get rid of call waiting. Make sure there are no interruptions. Don’t smoke, chew gum, eat or drink. Never interrupt the interviewer and finally take your time – it’s perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two to collect your thoughts.
About the Author
Laura McGrath is a qualified executive coach, EMCC Certified with over 20 years’ experience in executive search and recruitment. She’s the owner of Interview Techniques, a leading provider of interview and career coaching services and has been a guest lecturer with Trinity College Dublin and TU Dublin. She’s given master interview classes with Institute of Certified Public Accountants. For a consultation, please call 087 669 1192 or go to https://interviewtechniques.ie/contact/.
