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Guide - Preparing for Telephone Interviews

Telephone interviews are used as a first stage in many companies. There are number of reasons for using this method; it can act as a hassle free interview to narrow the pool of candidates, it can be an effective first stage when the candidate and employer are at different ends of the country and it can be used when the hiring company feel it’s important to assess the candidate’s telephone style.

Although the telephone interview may seem less formal, and may be a forerunner to a more in-depth face to face discussion, it’s still important to be thoroughly prepared for a phone interview:

Practicalities (many are basics that we tend to forget about):

  • Have your CV in view
  • Have the details of the post your being interviewed for fresh in your mind
  • Clear the room – ensure the stereo and TV are off, any children or pets are not nearby, and that you don’t have anything distracting in front of you.
  • Have a glass of water, pen, and pad of paper to hand
  • Ensure your phone doesn’t have call waiting, and that no other phone lines will ring.
  • Ensure your handset is fully charged.
  • Ensure you have a full signal if using a mobile – ideally you should provide them with a land line number for the interview.
  • Have some questions of your own prepared – just a few.

 

Prior to the interview:

  • As you would with any other interview, thoroughly read the job specification, and whilst considering this, create a short list of your relevant accomplishments and experience. See the preparation points below.

 

During the Phone Interview:

  • Smile! It sounds funny but smiling will actually project a positive perception to the listener and will alter the tone of your voice for the better.
  • Use the person's title / name as it has been given to you – for example if they’re Jennifer, don’t call them Jenny.
  • Take your time - it's perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two to collect your thoughts.
  • Speak clearly.
  • Don't interrupt the interviewer.
  • Sound interesting/interested, energetic and enthusiastic
  • Be succinct, don’t waffle.
  • Ask open-ended questions (beginning with who, what, when, why, where, how: these all ask for information, and keep the ball in the other person's court). Be prepared for them to use the same style of questioning with you!

 

Closing:

  1. When it seems appropriate at the end of the conversation, ask when you would be likely to hear about the next stage, and what the next stage may be.

 

After the Interview:

  • Take notes about what you were asked and how you answered – you might want to refer to these in any subsequent face to face interview.

 

Preparation points and questions:

These points and questions may arise; think through them and consider what your answers could be.

  • Tell me about yourself!
  • What do you know about our company?
  • What are you looking for? (Be wary about saying things which the manager might not want to hear: 'I want to get into marketing' unless you know for sure that this possibility exists. Keep your answer general, but demonstrate a genuine interest in the role which you’re being considered for).
  • What would you like to know about us? (A good opportunity to ask your prepared questions. Don't be afraid to ask the tough questions, but do be prepared to LISTEN carefully. Don’t ask questions which have already been answered in the interview).
  • What are your strengths? If you know for sure what the manager is looking for, you can use this to identify what strengths will be of interest. Don’t overdo it though – be prepared to support your claims with examples, e.g.;, I’m great in front of clients and leading meetings; for example I had a client meeting where my company specifically wanted to discuss our other capabilities in addition to the work we were already doing for them, and I was able to meet with the client, discuss what they wanted to discuss as a priority, but steer the conversation so that I could deliver 5 key points about x y & z and found out who the relevant person to speak with about those would be.’
  • What are your weaknesses? This question may be exploring which areas you consider yourself to need training and support in, or it might be assessing your personality traits – you could ask whether they want to know on a professional level or a personal level. E.g., ‘I’m very experienced in analysing needs and coming up with a solution for clients internally and externally, but a weakness is that I normally do this individually rather than in a team environment.’ You could also follow up with a question such as – do you have any training/ development programmes’ or – ‘how do you normally do that (task)?’
  • What else would you like to know? (An ideal opportunity to 'close' - see above)

GOOD LUCK!