Telephone Interviews – Dos and Don’ts

Telephone Interviews – 5 tips to help you succeed

There are some crucial differences between telephone and face to face interviews and understanding these will help you get through to the next stage.

Why do companies use this type of interview? 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.

I’ve highlighted 5 tips below that will help you excel when interviewing over the phone.

Make your voice work for you when interviewing over the phone

In a telephone interview, your whole personality is transmitted 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 further 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 Chartered Accountants. For a consultation, please call 087 669 1192 or go to https://interviewtechniques.ie/contact/

Public Sector Experience: She’s been on public sector interview panel for the Civil Service interviewing Clerical Officers/Executive Officers/Higher Executive Officers/Administrative Officers and Assistant Principal Officers. She’s also been on Local Authority, County Council, HSE, Irish Prison Service, Garda Siochana and numerous semi-state boards, interviewing using both the Capability Framework and Competency Models.