How To Interview Well Over The Phone

Why Do Employers Use Phone Interviews

How To Do A Phone Interview Successfully – Phone Interview Tips

Employers use phone interviews because it enables them to identify and recruit the right candidates for an open position. Furthermore, phone interviews help to:

Screen candidates
Help recruiters narrow down a pool of applications
Minimize the cost incurred by facilitating the movement of out-of-town candidates
Provides a method for interviewing for remote positions

Interview Questions About You

These questions are asked both to assess your level of self-knowledge and to determine whether you would be able to fit in with the employers workplace culture. The interviewer wants to know whether you’re the right person for the job and for the company.

What are you looking for in your next job? – Best Answers
What is your greatest weakness? – Best Answers
What is your greatest strength? – Best Answers
How do you handle stress and pressure? – Best Answers
Tell me about yourself. – Best Answers
Questions about your career goals. – Best Answers
What type of work environment do you prefer? – Best Answers
How do you evaluate success? – Best Answers
Job interview questions about your abilities. – Best Answers

Focus And Cut Out All Distractions

Make sure youre not distracted. Turn off the TV. Let me repeat that. TURN OFF THE TV.

Nobody wants to ask you about your past performances and work history and hear Sponge Bob in the background. Dont think putting it on mute is good enough either. People can tell if youre distracted and delaying your answers to a potential employer because youre reading the crawler at the bottom of FOX News isnt going to score you any points.

Get comfortable, but dont get too comfortable.

Find a good spot to sit down and have all your prep materials nearby for easy access.

Sit at the kitchen table or at a desk.

Dont lay down. Dont slouch. Make sure distractions are not going to be an issue.

If youre doing the interview at home and youre not alone, make sure everyone knows youre going to be busy for a bit and to give you some privacy. Put the dogs outside. Pop in a video for the kids. Have your spouse keep everyone calm. At the very least go into a room where you can shut the door and focus on the task at hand.

So, now that youre up and dressed, lets get ready for that interview!

First and foremost, make sure youre presenting yourself in the most professional way possible, from the very first Hello, all the way to the Goodbye.

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Never Talk Over The Interviewer

You might be eager to get your point across or talk about your experience, but interrupting the interviewer is awkward and rude when youâre speaking on the phone, even more so than in face-to-face interviews. âInterviewing can be stressful and sometimes that stress manifests itself in speaking too fast, speaking too loud, talking over the interviewer, or attempting to answer the interviewer’s question before they have actually finished asking the question,â says Taylor. âDon’t do this.â Thereâs a big difference between being assertive and being aggressive, and interviewers can always recognize it.

Take Notes And Ask Questions

Top 15 Phone Interview Questions and How to Answer Them ...

Take notes and ask questions during your phone interview. For instance, take notes on specific requirements for the job or additional resources to help you prepare for the role if the interviewer mentions them. Similarly, if something is unclear to you, ask the interviewer about it. You can add their clarification to your notes for later reference.

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Tips For Succeeding During Your Zoom Interview

More employers may choose to conduct an interview using video conferencing software. This is because it tends to be more convenient for remote positions or initial screening interviews. Since this type of interview is a bit different than a traditional in-person interview, it’s important that you consider a few factors of this format. In this article, we share 18 tips on how to prepare for your interview Zoom call.

Audio For Mobile Video Interviewing

You might be tempted to put your phone on speaker for the audio portion of your interviewwe strongly recommend against it. Audio quality isnt always the best on speaker phone, and you want to be confident that youll be able to hear the questions your interviewer is asking youand you definitely dont want the sound to cut out in the middle of answering a question! Our tip for audio is to use microphone-enabled headphones so you and your interviewer can clearly hear each other. Youll get better sound quality and minimize background noise and echo with the microphone closer to your mouth. If you do have audio issues, and youve checked your connection, be sure to let your interviewer know so they can check their end, too! Also, put your cell phone on silent so your interview isnt disturbed by calls, messages or notifications.

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Thank The Interviewer For Speaking With You

After you reach the interviewer and make your introductions, thank the interviewer for speaking with you prior to beginning the interviewing process. Here is an example of all steps combined:

Example:”Hi, Ms. Renshaw, this is Gemma, and I’m calling for the scheduled phone interview I have with you today. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me.”

Tell Me A Little About Yourself

Phone Interview Tips: Make a Good Impression Over the Phone

Sometimes, the objective of a phone interview is to convince the interviewer that meeting you in person will be a good use of their time. In responding to this question, its important not to waffle. Keep your answer brief and highlight aspects of your career that are relevant to the specific role at hand and demonstrate the skills that the interviewer is looking for.

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Answer The Phone Call Personally

After scheduling your phone interview, it is important that you are prepared to answer the call yourself. For instance, let your family members or roommates know that you are anticipating a phone call to interview for a job. This ensures that everyone is aware of the importance of being away from the phone when the call comes.

Find A Quiet Spot To Interview

The nice thing about phone interviews is that you dont need to worry about the interviewer judging you on your appearance. The bad news? Theyre definitely evaluating you on your ability to find a quiet spot to interview.

We get it. Its not your fault that your dog randomly barks at cars or that your roommate likes to blast extremely loud death metal. But a noisy background is super distracting and can make it difficult for both you and the interviewer to connect with each other.

To reduce potential distractions, let everyone in your household know about the interview in advance and remind them again right before the interview is scheduled to begin. Pick a quiet room that is located away from the kitchen, the media room, and other noisy areas. Then, lock yourself in the room so nobody barges in during the interview.

If youre still worried about potential noise, you can also sit in your car on a quiet street or book a conference room. Just be sure to scope out your options in advance so youre not scrambling for a better location at the last minute.

Create A Location That Puts You At Ease

At a face-to-face interview, youve got to suit up and show offand roll with whatever accommodations they offerusually a grey, sterile, fluorescent-lit office. With a phone interview, you can set the scene that makes you as comfortable as possible. This doesnt necessarily mean you should do it from bed, wearing sweats and a t-shirt. In fact, some people actually feel more professional dressing up a bit, even if youre dialing in from home.

Whatever youre wearing, or wherever you choose to take the call, make sure to find a quiet spot with good service at least 30 minutes before your scheduled time. If you have a landline, use it.

Limiting background noise will help you stay focused during the interview and will not be bothersome to the person who is interviewing you, adds Wesper.

If youre video conferencing, make sure to find a spot with a great connection, or even better, use an Ethernet connection to minimize the chance of disconnecting half-way through. Find a neutral location with good lighting. Dont sit in front of a window. This creates a silhouette and youll most likely be in shadows the entire time.

Find A Quiet Comfortable And Convenient Place

At home, this may mean locking yourself in a room thats away from family, roommates, or pets. At work, this may mean booking yourself a conference room or Breather, finding a coffee shop nearby, or settling for your car or a quiet side street. Wherever you decide to go, scope it out a day or two early for all the necessitiesa comfy seat minimal distractions, interruptions, or foot traffic good phone service and an outlet if possible.

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Find A Brightly Lit Room

Your interviewer needs to be able to see your body language and facial expressions during your Zoom interview. Choose a room with good lighting, so they can easily see you. Setting your interview space facing a window that lets in a lot of natural lighting is a great way to make yourself more visible. Setting up with a window behind you can cast shadows on your face and make you appear to look like a silhouette.

Additional Tips For Phone Interview Success

Make your answers detailed, but brief. The interview should be a 50/50 exchange.
Smile on the phone. While the interviewer cant actually see you, smiling on the phone will make you sound warmer and friendlier.
Keep your phone fully charged.
Do not chew gum during the interview.
Use headphones. It reduces background noise and will help the interviewer hear you better.
Have a bottle of water nearby in case you need to clear your throat.

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Look Over The Job Description

Understanding what the employer is looking for in an employee and what your responsibilities will be can help you tailor your answers to various interview questions. If theyre looking for an employee with certain design software skills and who has experience creating graphics for B2B companies, youll want to mention this during your interview.

Phone Interview Questions To Ask Your Top Job Candidates

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

As a hiring manager, you know what a good resume and cover letter look like. You also know that despite their promises, they might fail to deliver the candidate you need. The phone interview questions you ask during this first round of vetting will be a critical piece of winnowing the field and making a successful hire.

Time always matters, so you should be both efficient and strategic during this initial call. Questions for a screening interview will touch on whether a candidate’s hard skills, experience, education and certifications are right for the open position. But as you check off the boxes, follow these phone interview tips to pay attention to soft skills and how the candidate presents during the call. At the end of a phone screen interview, you want to be confident a candidate can do the job and also mesh well with your organizational culture.

Open-ended, in-depth questions arent necessary at this stage of the hiring process. A screening interview is typically a 15- to 30-minute phone call. Your objective here is to narrow your list of top candidates to the handful you want to consider for formal interviews. Thats when you can go deep.

Read on for some phone interview questions to ask during this first call, tips for what to look for including red flags and what comes after.

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What Interests You About This Job

If the job requires you to relocate or to do a lot of traveling, then hopefully your answer is travel! Generally if youre calling from a location far from where the job is actually located, odds are this is a question youre bound to getespecially if there are other comparable jobs within your geographic area.

When you answer this question, make sure to tailor the answer to fit the qualifications listed in the job posting, then loop them back to connect to your skills and experience. You want the employer to see you not only know about the job youre interviewing for, but that youre qualified and a good fit!

Best Tips To Answer A Phone Interview Call

So now we come down to the most important question how to handle a phone interview?

This is the most talked about topic as some may have not succeeded to the next round because of weak telephonic round in spite of being a potential candidate.

There need to be defined guidelines which can help you on how to answer a telephone interview call. Lets us list them down.

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Listen Attentively To The Interviewer

As you get into the conversation, listen attentively to the interviewer as they explain the job details and ask you questions. Avoid interrupting the interviewer when they are speaking, and if you think of something you want to say, write it down for further discussion when it is your turn to speak. Additionally, practicing active listening can ensure you avoid miscommunications or a misunderstanding of something the interviewer discusses with you.

How Would You Describe Your Work Style

What if your interviewee says she works best in collaborative, social settings, yet the role she’s applying for requires a lot of independent work? Although this might not be a deal breaker, its good to know early on whether this person will be the best fit for the work style necessary to excel in this position. Hopefully, the interviewee will describe a work style that fits your requirements.

Direct Them To Your Personal Branding Website

Say whaaat? Personal branding website?

Oh what, you didnt know one of the best new strategies that all the best job seekers are employing?

Its true, having your own personal branding website can be one of the most powerful tools you use as part of your job search.

Why? Well there are dozens of reasons, but most importantly, a personal website will allow you to impress hiring managers, differentiate yourself from your competitors, increase your visibility online and create a hub for your personal brand online.

Not to mention it lets you show off so much more of your personality than your resume or cover letter can. And this is absolutely HUGE for someone having a phone interview, when the name of the game is standing out and being memorable.

What do you think is more memorable? Someone who submits their resume and cover letter and then answers a few questions over the phone or someone who does all of the above and then directs the hiring manager over to their website, allowing them to receive the many benefits I listed above?

Its a no brainer and heres a little secret.

Its not that hard.

Especially since I made a blog post for you that shows you exactly how to do it, How To Set Up Your Personal Website In Under 15 Minutes. This blog post will hold your hand through the process and make it brain-dead easy for you, even if you are terrible at using computers.

Send A Thank You Email After Phone Interview

No, this isnt a good enough thank you note!

Remember, this stage is about making good first impressions and the fact that youre doing this all via phone makes the follow up even more critical.

Make sure you not only end your phone call on a positive note, but follow up in a timely manner with a thoughtful thank you email after your interview.

Let the interviewer know you appreciated them taking time to talk to you and that you enjoyed it and that you are invested in the process.

It will help you stand out and reinforce that youre truly interested in the position. Above all remember that the focus here is on how you add value to the company, not just what your past experiences are and what youre good at.

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The Best Phone Interview Questions

The average job opening attracts 250 resumes, and the average interview process from start to finish can take 23 days. Phone interviews can help you determine which candidates have the critical thinking and interpersonal skills necessary for an in-person interview. When you weed out less qualified applicants right off the bat, you can narrow down your candidate pool, and limit the amount of time wasted in your search.

While a resume supplies you with general information about a persons background, a phone interview helps you ask second-level questions to start forming a deeper, more holistic picture of a candidate’s background and skills.

But with only about thirty minutes on the phone, what questions can you ask to build good rapport with your interviewee and receive some truly insightful answers? Better yet, what can you ask to decipher whether the applicant is a good fit for your company and the role?

To help you get the most out of your phone interview process, weve narrowed down to eleven of the best questions to ensure youre discovering the the best candidates to bring into the office.