The Phone Interview
Many employers are now implementing a type of interview used to filter and weed out unwanted candidates, and with its increase of use comes the necessity for job candidates to have the know-how necessary to take on whatever an interview committee has to throw at them. Although the phone interview may seem daunting and intimidating because it is not the normal medium for interviews, having a successful phone interview is far from impossible. With basic preparation and a positive outlook, any capable interviewer should be more than able to tackle the phone interview with precision and professionalism.
The logic behind phone interviews
Employers have a number of reasons for using a phone call as the format for a pre-interview (a.k.a. the interview for the interview). For instance, the primary reason that employers use the phone interview is to cut down on the number of applicants, thus allowing for a speedier interview process and a speedier filling of the open position. For the employer that means money saved and time saved, simply by implementing a pre-interview. Another reason that employers use phone the interview is that is saves the interviewer time and trouble. The applicants that would have failed to meet the employer’s requirements during a face-to-face interview would be spared the experience of being turned down after taking the time and trouble of scheduling the interview; instead, those individuals are simply weeded out during the phone interviews, and thus allowed to continue on with their job search elsewhere. Therefore, the phone interviews save time and money for everyone involved.
What to expect during a phone interview
Just as a face-to-face interview would be made up of questions for the interviewee concerning their work history, experience, skills, accomplishments and education/training, so too does the phone interview cover these same basics. In addition, interviewers usually ask about strengths, weaknesses, and a statement on why the candidate would be a good choice for the position.
How to prepare
One of the best benefits of having a phone interview is that the interviewer cannot see the interviewee. That means that the candidate has access to their pre-written notes filled with the answers to the possible questions from the interviewer, instead of having to memorize the answers for a face-to-face session. This means that the candidate should feel well prepared with all necessary resources directly in front of their eyes. Along with having well-organized notes, the interviewee should also practice interviewing on the phone. Asking a friend, spouse or family member to run through a mock interview a few times before the actual call should give the candidate a thorough feel of phone interviewing.
What to do during the phone interview
Finally, during the phone interview it’s important to be in a quiet environment with all of your resources ready in front on you, instead of in the living room with the TV on, or in your local Starbucks with patrons and noisy beverage machines. Be sure not to speak too quickly, and keep your answers brief. And most importantly, don’t interrupt the interviewer—no matter what!
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