Phone interviews here to stay

In today’s busy, busy world phone interviews are being used increasingly – even by the most meticulous and professional consultants.

Sometimes, this is a technique that’s put into play to assess a candidate’s suitability for a certain role. It streamlines things and saves a wasted trip for candidates who don’t quite fit the bill. Winning what is now often seen as ‘Round One’ can also be a great boost to your confidence.

Increasingly, phone interviews can catapult you to the short list if you happen to be a candidate living in a regional or remote area – and the job is close by where you live. In that instance, a Recruitment Consultant will carry out an in-depth interview by phone.

It’s not unusual for there to be two or three phone calls. You may even be asked to provide additional material in writing. The result will be an assessment that may move you forward to the shortlist of candidates recommended for client interviews.

Either way, it’s important to put your best foot forward – and not into your mouth.

Here’s how.

Be ready.
Although some phone interviews are conducted by pre-arranged appointment, screening calls most often come out of the blue. So don’t wait. As soon as you’ve sent your resume, start preparing for a phone interview in much the same way as you’d ready yourself for a face-to-face meeting.

Know your resume
Read your resume through and through. Be ready to answer ‘Tell me about …’ questions on the roles you’ve held, your achievements, your career moves and your handling of different situations. You will find a checklist of interview FAQ’s on this Windsor website.

Practice makes perfect
Find yourself a partner and practise your interview technique over and over until you’re 100% confident. As you rehearse, work at avoiding straight ‘yes/no’ answers. A single sentence or two will often serve to expand your answer.

Choose your place
For a pre-arranged interview, closing yourself away from family and friends should not be so hard. If it’s one of those bolt from the blue phone calls, explain that you need to go to a quieter place and settle yourself comfortably in your pre-chosen spot.  You’ll find Windsor Consultants are very understanding.

Use your resume as a prop
Print it out in big print, add a few self reminders in red pen – and stick it to the wall at eye level. That way, the information is right where you want it, when the time comes.

You can speak clearly and confidently without bending down to scrabble through your papers. Make sure you have some water to drink in case you get dry.

Smile your way through
Be even more animated than you would in a face to face interview. Smile. Speak a bit slower and more clearly than usual. Call the interviewer by name. Walk the phone if it helps. Be friendly but not effusive.  And, never, never interrupt the interviewer.

Make one word jogger notes
You wouldn’t normally do this in an in-situ interview.
But no-one can see you and these little reminders could come in very handy in your preparation for a later client interview. Just be careful not to spend your interview hunched over a notepad: it will cramp your voice.

Show your enthusiasm for the company
You may or may not know the identity of the company prior to a phone interview.
If you do, then your way is clear to check the website and have a few pertinent questions ready. If the corporate name is only revealed at interview, you need to feel free to ask whatever it is you’d like to know about the company and its culture. Listen carefully to what you are told.

Ask what happens next
If the Consultant doesn’t explain the rest of the procedure, you should ask what the next steps will be.

You may want a timeline, to know what is likely to be expected of you and when you can anticipate an outcome. Ask what you need to know. Then, thank the interviewer for his/her time and consideration and depart gracefully.

Follow through
You should send a thank-you note. This can be in the form of a handwritten note or an email but never an SMS.