Friday, March 22, 2024

How To Have A Good Phone Interview

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Why Do You Want To Work Here

How To Do A Phone Interview Successfully – Phone Interview Tips

Interestingly enough, a lot of people dont have an answer to this question. Its designed to find out if youve actually done research on the company and if you are excited about this position.

When I ask this question, many people have told me something like because it looks like a good opportunity. I mean, can you be any more generic?

The key to answering this is to show youve done research on the company and that you are enthusiastic about the actual position. Companies want people that are excited to work there, not just someone that shows up for a paycheck.

Describe The Workplace Culture You Thrive In

Does the candidate prefer a laid-back atmosphere or something in between? Do they like doing activities with coworkers after work or just going home. Is a company that is active in the community important to them?

Whatever they say see if it lines up with your companys culture. You want an employee that will stick around and enjoy where they are working at.

Top 10 Common Phone Interview Questions With Example Answers

In many cases, phone interviews are screening tools. Hiring managers use them to identify the best and brightest candidates, determining who will move onto the next round.

The exact nature of the phone interview questions can vary depending on the job. However, certain ones are incredibly common, mainly because they serve as solid introductions to your general capabilities.

So, lets get down to it. Here are the top ten phone interview questions candidates commonly encounter, regardless of the role:

Read Also: What Are The Most Frequent Questions Asked In An Interview

Ask About The Next Steps

Asking your interviewer about the next steps in the interview process is a good way to express your continued interest in the role and the company. While some employers might be ready to offer you a job, others might have you come in for an in-person interview as they narrow down their candidate search. Knowing the answer to this question will give you an idea of what to expect so you can prepare for the next steps.

Whats Some Feedback That Youve Received That Was Difficult To Hear But Ultimately Has Proven Really Valuable

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It wont be easy for the candidate to relay some tough criticism to you, but its critical that she is mature and self-aware enough to show she can receive difficult feedback and use it constructively.

Look for a candidate who can be honest and non-judgmental about feedback she has received. You want a candidate to focus on how the criticism helped her improve — ideally, she will even say shes grateful that the criticism taught her skills that eventually helped her grow. Its not a good sign if applicants become defensive when asked this question, or blame the feedback-giver and refuse to take accountability. This could indicate a lack of maturity when it comes to receiving and using feedback to improve, and could be a problem for you down the road.

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What Are Your Salary Expectations

If a hiring manager is screening a lot of candidates, they may be fairly forward when it comes to pay expectations. Ultimately, its a quick and easy way to filter out candidates who have expectations beyond what the company will pay. When the hiring manager needs to shrink a massive pool of applicants fast, its definitely a way to do it.

Ideally, youll have done some research about the specific role before the interview. That way, you know whats reasonable in your area based on the job requirements and your skillset. Its also smart to present a salary range instead of a hard-and-fast number, as that makes you seem open to negotiation.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

After reviewing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, and Salary.com, Ive learned professionals with my level of experience performing duties such as those listed in your job ad typically earn $43,000 to $48,000 a year. Im comfortable with something in that range, suggesting that the total compensation package offered is also strong.

Successful Phone Interview Tips And Questions

Catching up with your mom on the phone every Sunday is one thing. But interviewing a prospective job candidate on the telephone is quite another. Youll need to know the best phone interview tips and questions to ensure a productive conversation.

Today, the sheer number of job applicants is often overwhelming. Its not unusual to have 100 to 200 applicants for a single position. Some of them are qualified, but others use software to search keywords in job postings to load their resume and may not have the skills required.

While a face-to-face interview is always preferred for a final hiring decision, a phone interview can be a valuable first step in the screening process of a potential candidate.

Phone interviews help focus your attention on applicants worthy of your time and that of others involved in the hiring process. Theyre huge time savers that can result in fewer, but higher quality, interviews.

During a phone interview, youll have some of the same tasks as in any interview. But since you wont receive any visual clues and the pressure is on to ask the right questions, your listening and concentration levels need to be a bit sharper to decide if this person is one to pursue. Here are some phone interview tips and questions to help you with this step.

Read Also: What Are The Common Questions In A Job Interview

Confirm The Call Time

One easy way to make sure that youre well-prepared ahead of a phone interview is to confirm the time that the call will take place. Confirm the scheduled date and time of the call ahead of time, write it down, and add it to your calendar. Ensure promptness to make a good impression on your potential employer.

Should You Do Phone Interviews

Phone Interview Tips – How to Prepare for a Phone Interview

Phone interviews are a great option, especially for preliminary interviews. Interviewing over the phone allows you to get a quick overview and evaluation of a candidate to determine if they are worth bringing in for future interviews or relevant pre-employment tests.

For example, in just a few minutes on the phone, you can learn over the phone if the applicants meets your basic requirements, that they understand the position and what it entails, what their salary expectation is, a general understanding of their personality, and more.

If the phone interview goes well, you can invite candidates in for an in-person interview, have them complete other pre-employment requirements, etc.

It is worth noting that phone interviews have their weaknesses. Youll want to avoid using phone interviews as your only interview during the hiring process because a lack of body language and in person communication makes it difficult to make a great decision over the phone.

Recommended Reading: How To Succeed In A Phone Interview

More Tips On Job Hunting

The importance of learning cannot be underestimated. Learning empowers us to fulfill our ideas and realize our full potential. The speed of gaining new knowledge is practically as important as its volume. Who wouldnt love to remember tons of information as quickly as possible?

If you want to start learning faster, you need a new approach towards the process which would enable you to comprehend the essence of the matter and relate it with new concepts you encounter.

The following 10 tips will help you become a fast learner:

Never Put Your Interviewer On Hold

Phone interviews dont take that long, and there probably isnt anything else going on that is really truly so urgent that you need to pause your interview. Do not put me on hold to take an important call that just beeped in, advises Jeremy Payne, head of people operations at Remote Year. I am your important call. If you are expecting extremely urgent news , be sure to preface that in the early minutes of the interview, so the recruiter is aware of the situation and so you can work with them to reschedule if that interruption does occur, he says.

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Create A Story & Answer Bank

Some companies give out interview questions in advance so candidates can prepare answers. But even when thats not the case, there are zillions of online resources that will provide you with possible phone interview questions and suggestions for answering them. Take the time to think of answers in advance to questions like those below:

  • What do you know about our business?
  • Why are you interested in working with us?
  • What is your preferred management style?
  • Can you describe a time you dealt with conflict in your position?

In addition, come up with half a dozen or so stories from your past employment that illustrate things like challenges overcome, innovation and creativity, conflict resolution, etc.

Most people find it hard to sift through their work experience on the spot to come up with a relevant example during a phone interview. But if you follow this phone interview tip, you will feel calm and confident knowing you have a bank of stories to draw from when needed.

Which Of Your Traits Will Help You Excel In This Role Most

What are 5 tips to have a successful telephone interview ...

Hiring managers want to find out why you think youll succeed in the job. It gives them insights into your perspective as well as what you value in yourself.

Pick a soft skill to highlight based on whats most relevant to the position. If you arent sure which to pick, begin by focusing on one thats required almost universally: communication. Then, see if you can slide another one or two in to round off your response.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

In my past roles, Ive found that my communication capabilities have been crucial to my success. The ability to convey complex information to others who arent familiar with my area of expertise has allowed me to work seamlessly with diverse teams. Ultimately, it allowed us to achieve higher project success rates, as details were able to flow freely, ensuring everyone was on the same page and focused on matching priorities.

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Talking To A Recruiter Heres What You Should Know About That Phone Call

If your phone interview is actually with a recruiter who found you via LinkedIn or another source, thats awesome! Youll want to keep several things in mind.

First off, this is still an interview. It shouldnt be a formal conversation , but you should still do your research, practice some responses, and prepare your own questions. And youll want to express enthusiasm for the opportunity and speaking with themeven if youre not actually all that interested in the role .

As Muse writer and career coach Jenny Foss points out, you have the upper hand because the recruiter is rooting for you to succeed. So use that to ask for their help and suggestions in moving on to the next round and express clearly your intentions for the role, like your salary demands and ideal set of responsibilities.

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Would You Rather Finish Something Late And Perfectly Or On

A “would-you-rather” question is an opportunity for your candidate to showcase her priorities and decision-making methods. Youll want to look for a candidate who is good at thinking on her feet, and able to respond confidently to this question — her answer isnt as important as how she delivers it, since the question doesnt really have an obvious right or wrong answer. Look for a candidate who can answer firmly, with good reasoning to back it up and a self-assuredness that indicates someone who can make decisions efficiently without lingering in self-doubt.

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End The Call With Clear Next Steps

One of the worst parts about applying for a job is feeling like youve been left in the darknot knowing how things went or what next steps to take. The good news is, you dont have to let that happen to you. Take a moment at the end of the phone interview to ask what to expect. And to make sure you dont forget, write yourself a note that says Ask about next steps.

The best way to end the call when asked do you have any questions for us? is to inquire about the next steps in the process, says Dana Case, director of operations at MyCorporation.com, an online business filings company based in Calabasas, California. This offers some insight into the timeline of their hiring process and how they will plan to follow up with you.

Print Out Your Resume

Phone Interview Tips | How to Ace a Phone Interview (from former CEO)

Just like you would for an in-person interview, printing your resume out and having it in front of you during a phone interview is key. Doing this will help ensure that you can easily refer to your resume should your interviewer ask questions about your background.

Although having a digital copy of your resume pulled up on your computer could also be helpful, having to toggle back and forth between tabs could be distracting, you could run into technical issues, and typing or notifications could cause unnecessary background noise.

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Phone Interview Tips That Will Help You Get Hired

While you’re job searching, it’s important to be prepared for a phone interview at a moment’s notice. Many companies start the interview process with a phone call to discuss the job opportunity with a prospective employee, determine whether the candidate is a good fit, and to gauge his or her interest in the position. In some cases, a phone interview may be the only interview you’ll have.

In many cases, your interview will be scheduled in advance by email or phone. In others, you may receive a surprise phone call asking whether you’re available to chat about the job.

You never know when a recruiter or a networking contact might call and ask whether you have a few minutes to talk, so always answer the phone professionally, especially if the number is unfamiliar.

You should also make sure that your voicemail message is professional.

Why Are You Interested In The Position

Although candidates are interested in your company because they need to eat, there are lots of places they can go to get a job so that they can eat. It is important to understand why a candidate is choosing to apply to your position versus the alternatives. If they have a good reason, its likely they will be a good, reliable employee. If they applied on a whim because they stumbled across your job posting, they may still be a good employee but might not be dedicated or in it for the long haul, they might be more into the job for the paycheck.

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Listen And Dont Dominate The Conversation

Yes, this is an interview which means theyre going to be asking you questions, but its also an opportunity to show your potential employer that youre good at listening too.

Talk, but dont dominate the conversation. Let the interviewer guide the conversation.

Answer the questions, but dont turn it into a one sided monologue. This is as much about you getting to know them as it is about them getting to know you.

Keep a pencil and paper nearby so you can jot down questions and notes and save them for the end.

Ask a few follow up questions but dont flip the interview onto the interviewer. It helps to reinforce to the interviewer that youre truly interested in the company and the job and that youve paid attention during the interview.

Have a copy of your resume with you so you can reference it at any time. Keep your answers honest, thoughtful and reflective.

Make sure you breathe and speak clearly.

Most importantly, smile! Sure, they might not be able to see it, but your tone of voice will reflect it.

Charge Your Phone And Do A Test Run

6 phone interview tips

You definitely should make sure your phone is at full battery going inbecause no one wants a dropped call. An hour or so before your interview is scheduled to start, also make sure its working properly and the signal is OK by calling up a friend or family member and asking if they can hear you all right.

Read Also: How To Pass An Interview

How Many Years Of Experience Do You Have With Software

If they are a mechanical engineer you may want to know how many years they have with a CAD system such as SolidWorks. If they are a software developer have many years of Java experience do they have.

Once you have established the number of years of experience using the software. Dive into how they have used the software for the past few years.

Make sure they have a good understanding of what you want them to accomplish with it.

Tell Me About A Time You Overcame An Obstacle

Another one of my favorite questions. Interviewers ask this question to see if you are able to deal with roadblocks.

Things dont always go smoothly, so having people on the team who are able to solve problems has huge upside.

Being able to overcome obstacles is a great trait to have. Make sure you have a few stories about how something didnt go as planned that caused a challenge and how you were involved in solving the problem. Its a way of turning a bad situation into a good one.

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Whats Your Greatest Weakness

When it comes to tricky questions, this one takes the cake. Hiring managers want to know that youll be honest and that you are self-aware. Plus, this phone interview question lets them screen out inauthentic candidates who try to masquerade a strength as a weakness.

You want to be genuine when answering, so dont be afraid to discuss a potential shortcoming. However, also talk about how you work to overcome it. By doing so, you can admit your flaws but also your dedication to self-improvement.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

When I first join a team, I have a tendency to be a bit formal. While I enjoy meeting new people, I need a little time to acclimate and form bonds with my colleagues. Usually, I work to overcome this by engaging others and learning more about them as soon as the opportunities arise. This ensures that I dont come across as standoffish, increasing the speed at which I fully integrate with the team.

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