How To Record An Interview On Your Phone

Landline Speakerphone + Digital Recorder

This is self-explanatory. Call your interviewee from a landline, turn on the loudspeaker, and then record the call using a digital recorder. If you already have one, thats great. But if not, you can buy one from Amazon with prices ranging between $30 and $90.

Our post on how to record audio for best sound quality goes into greater detail and recommends the best digital recorders available in 2020.

Record Phone Interview On Your Smartphone

If you want to record a phone interview then you can download an app for your iOS or Android smartphone. There are plenty of services and apps available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store to record phone calls. One such service is our service Recordator.com. Using our service you can record phone calls irrespective of which smart phone you own, or which telecom service provider you have a subscription with. You can also transcribe your recorded phone calls.

Check The Following Settings

This is your first video, so dont worry about things being perfect.

When you launch, youll be asked about how you want to join the audio:

For your first time, I suggest you Test Computer Mic & Speakers

Ideally, you have an external microphone. I use a cheap, $30 USB headset mic and it works great.

If you dont see the prompt above, you can always go to the settings here:

I also suggest you check the video settings.

Youll be on the settings window:

Go to the video tab and make sure its set to 16:9

Advanced settings tips:

• Put your notes close to the camera: Put anything you plan to look at close to where your computer camera is so youre not staring off into space during the recording.
• Change your settings for screen share: If youre doing a screen share, not just videos of faces, be sure to set Optimize for full screen mode or youll end up with a wonky aspect ratio.

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Discuss The Interviews Main Topics With Your Guest Prior To The Actual Recording

Start the call with a warm-up session. 10 minutes usually does it.

This is your last chance to get more insight into an interviewees experience and knowledge. It helps you set the mood for the interview and check the tech so the recording will go smoothly and require minimal editing. Give tips for the lighting, camera position, and staging if possible as well.

Extra tip: Clarify your expectations before you hit the Record button. Tell your interviewee what you want them to develop upon, if theres something they should mention, or if theres any topic they should avoid.

Pay Attention To The Clock

Usually these interviews have a time-limit. So, put a clock where you can easily see it, and use the time wisely.

One Way Interview Benefit to the Employer

For employers, the benefit assumed is increased efficiency. They reduce the initial manpower hours for scheduling and conducting live interviews, even over the phone, and this can greatly cut down on the time spent reviewing candidates.

If an interviewee does not have a great start, the reviewer can just move on instead of what would have happened in a live interview wasting the time to see it through, or giving the candidate false hope.

The other plus for the employer is that the reviewer or recruiter/human resource person is not identified, so he/she will also cut down on calls from job seekers checking in. Of course, this is not so good for you, the job seeker!

One Way Interview Benefit to the Job Seeker

For job seekers, the primary benefit is avoiding or postponing traveling to the employers location for the interview. This also helps them reduce exposure to the Coronavirus while making progress with their job search.

Some of the one-way platforms offer job candidates the opportunity to review their answers, before submitting their recording, and re-record any answers they think they could improve.

The disadvantages for the job seeker include losing the opportunity to ask questions which are answered immediately, limiting their ability to collect more information about the employer or the interviewer.

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Using A Remote Recording Service For Remote Interviews

There are a variety of remote recording services designed specifically for podcasters to conduct remote interviews. Here are two options we recommend you use to record remote interviews.

Zoom: By now, Zoom is a fairly ubiquitous web conferencing service that has also become one of podcasters greatest remote recording tools because its able to seamlessly record audio and video on separate tracks. The $15/month subscription allows you to host up to 100 participants, host unlimited group meetings, stream to social media, and includes 1GB of cloud recording per license. If you are going to use Zoom, know that you are compromising audio quality for ease of use.

Squadcast: This is an easy to use service that prioritizes audio quality, and requires little effort for your guest. You simply send them a custom link and youll be able to record them through a web browser. It includes features such as scheduling, video conferencing with a host and up to three guests, .wav/mp3 formats, and no audio drift. 2 hours of recording is $10/month, 5 hours is $20/month, 12 hours is $45/month. This is not a good option if you need more than four people on the line at any given time.

There are several other remote recording services available such as Zencastr or Cleanfeed. Its up to you to decide what to use. Ultimately, the advantage of these services is that they record separate tracks for each speaker. This allows your editor to have more control over the final quality of the interview.

How To Record Phone Calls

Whether you’re conducting an interview or just want to capture a bad customer-service call for posterity, these are your options.

Rick Broida

Senior Editor

Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET’s popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast . He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms .

Remember the story about the guy who recorded a hilariously horrific customer-service call with Comcast? If I was on the receiving end of such disastrously bad service, I’d want audio proof as well.

Of course, there are other, more innocuous, reasons for recording calls, like if you’re interviewing someone for a job or conducting market research.

All of which raises the question: How does one record a phone call? There are plenty of tools available, but before you use any of them, make sure you’re legally allowed to do so.

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Do Speak Up If You Can’t Hear

Don’t be afraid to tell your interviewer you can’t hear him or her. Speaking up is better than spending the whole interview missing questions. Don’t take the fall out from a bad connection. If you can’t hear your interviewer well, let them know politely. All you need to say is, “I am sorry, I missed that. I think the connection is poor.”

How To: Record Phone Interviews

A step-by-step guide to recording radio and podcast-quality telephone interviews using mobile, landline or computer

Posted:

ipadio

1. How to: record a phone interview from an iPhone, Android or landline with the option of a three-way call using ipadio

• Sign up for a free ipadio account.
• Use the + button and dial into ipadio
• ipadio then records the whole conversation and saves it as an MP3, which you can then download.

2. How to: record a phone interview from any phone, including an iPhone, Android or landline using

• Using Call Trunk’s website enter the phone number you are calling from and the one you are calling
• The interviewer will receive an automated call from Call Trunk and, seconds later, the interviewee will receive a call
• Your call will be automatically recorded
• Your recording will be saved as an mp3, which can be download from your Call Trunk account.

3. How to: record a phone interview using your iPhone’s voicemail

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Considerations Before Recording A Phone Call For Your Podcast

The option to record phone calls is a good one to have in your arsenal. Youll want to avoid making it your first choice option though, as the audio quality can be a bit rough.

There are double-ender tools that help you record pristine audio quality from your remote recordings. Opt for one of those if you can.

But say you get the opportunity to record a famous person in your niche. You know theyll bring fantastic value to your audience, but theyre very busy and have told you theyll only be available on the phone. In this case, of course youre going to make an exception.

Or, perhaps theres a guest out there youd love to have on, but theyre completely clueless about tech. Again, getting on the phone is going to be the best option.

You might think about keeping phone interviews on the shorter side, too. Some can find listening to a phone interview grating after 20-odd minutes. If youve recorded a mammoth conversation via phone, and its all excellent content, consider splitting it across multiple episodes.

Anyway, now that weve got a bit of context, lets move on, and find out how we actually go about recording phone calls.

Download A Call Recorder App

To record your iPhone conversations, youll need a call recording app, such as Rev Call Recorder. You have a long list of call recording app options to choose from, but all apps are not created equal. Were a little biased here, so we recommend Revs free call recorder, which offers unlimited call recordings, unlimited storage, and the ability to transcribe phone calls to text.

Once youve downloaded your call recording app, take a moment to verify your phone number and register the app. With your account established, youre ready to record incoming and outgoing phone calls.

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Why Companies Use Phone Interviews

Employers use telephone interviews as a way of identifying and recruiting candidates for employment. Phone interviews are often used to screen candidates to narrow the pool of applicants who will be invited for in-person interviews. A phone call is a relatively quick, low-effort way to determine whether a candidate is suitable.

They are also used to minimize the expense involved in interviewing out-of-town candidates. For remote positions, a phone interview may be the only option.

What To Expect During A Phone Interview

There are a few occasions when an interview happens over the phone. Many companies use a phone screen with a recruiter as the initial step in the hiring process. This is a critically important part of your job search. The recruiter will ask you about your background, skills and experience to see if its well-aligned with the open position. They may also be screening to see if you would be a good culture fit for the company. If all goes well, the recruiter will move you onto the next stage. But if they come away with a poor or incomplete impression of you, things are unlikely to progress.

The next stage of the interview process is also typically conducted over the phone. In this phase, you will likely speak with the hiring manager or another individual on the team thats hiring. This interview is usually more in-depth than the phone screen as the interviewer has a deeper knowledge of the open role and what qualifications would make someone successful in it.

Both of these interviews usually last around 30 minutes. Consider phone interviews your opportunity to sum up whats most attractive to you about the job and the company, as well as the skills and qualifications you bring to the table.

Image description

• Why are you applying for this position?

• Why do you want this job?

• Tell me what you know about the role

• Why do you want to work here?

• Why are you looking for jobs?

• What are you passionate about?

• What are your salary expectations?

• Are you interviewing with other companies?

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Smartphones + Voice Recording App

While apps that record phone calls arent available easily, especially in the Apple ecosystem. Theres an abundance of voice recording apps, like the default Voice Memos app that comes with Apple devices, or similar ones on Android.

PLEASE NOTE: Before doing any of the above, please ask the participant/interviewee for consent to record the interview.

Optimize Your Recording Environment

In most cases, you only get one shot at a phone call interview, so it’s important to optimize your chances of getting it right the first time.

Follow best recording practices like you would normally, and also remember to:

• check your wifi and cell signal,
• make make sure your equipment is correctly set up,
• fully charge your smartphone or recording device.

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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.

Hold Your Device Correctly

• First things first: if youre using a smartphone or a tablet, hold it horizontally. If there is only one piece of advice we could give to our clients, it would be this one. Remember, viewers will see your movie either on a laptop with a horizontal screen, or on a mobile device they can tilt.
• Go ahead and use a tripod if you have one. Otherwise, hold the device steady with both hands, elbows resting on a table or propped against your chest.

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Prepare Your Answers To Common Interview Questions

After researching common interview questions, consider how youll answer each. Write your answers in a bullet list, highlighting specific experiences you can draw on to demonstrate your answer. Because youll be on the phone, it can be helpful to have notes in front of you during the interview to help you answer. Rehearse your answers without looking at your notes for more practice.

Communicate With Your Guest

Reach out to your guest before the interview to ensure they have the following:

A quiet space.

Help your guest find a quiet space with good acoustics. They can get in a walk-in closet or any small room with lots of furniture to absorb and diffuse sound.

Earbuds or headphones

Even a pair of Apple Earbuds or something similar is better than none at all.

The directional microphone in these headphones is significantly better than the one on their phone and will help cut down on unwanted background noise.

A solid internet connection or cell phone signal

A poor internet connection or cell signal can quickly ruin a recording. Make sure your guest has a strong connection and that you can hear them clearly before you begin.

Also, suggest that they stay in the same location for the duration of the call.

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Have Your Interview Answers Ready

If you receive the questions in advance, you have received a fabulous opportunity to be well-prepared. Its like being handed the keys to the kingdom. Script out your answers in advance, remembering to tell clear and concise stories that are examples of your accomplishments.

If you dont receive the questions in advance, which is unfortunately more likely, be prepared to answer the standard job interview questions.

Focus on the challenges you faced, the actions you took, and the results you attained.

During the interview, have a copy of the job description and your resume or application available to reference if necessary.

Set A Professional Voicemail

In the event you cant answer the phone when they initially call, leave a good impression by having a professional and friendly voicemail. For example, Hi, youve reached Jane. Im sorry I missed your call. Please leave a detailed message and a call back number, and Ill get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.

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Consider Your Salary Expectations

Many employers ask about your salary expectations. Research the average salary in your industry when considering what youd like to get paid, but be reasonable. Its also wise to offer them a salary range within $5,000. For example, Im hoping to make between $60,000 and $65,000. This will let your interviewer know that you are flexible.

Read more: Interview Question: What Are Your Salary Expectations?

Best Practices For Using A Phone:

• Make sure that you have good cell phone reception wherever youll be recording the conversation.
• Wear high-quality headphones or a headset that includes a microphone.

FRQNCY Media is the audio production company for Jane Goodall, Diane von Furstenburg, Coca-Cola, and small businesses alike. FRQNCY is a one-in-a-million blend of innovation, passion, and joy. We offer tailored audio production support including integrated services that take care of content strategy, market research, production, editing, and marketing.

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Shoot At A Medium Distance

• Record at a distance that includes the subjects head and torso, and does not cut off the tip of the head. Include the hands, gesturing makes the interview more interesting.
• Make sure the cameras lens is at the same level as the subjects eyes and it is focused on the face and not on the background.