Monday, March 18, 2024

What Are Good Phone Interview Questions To Ask

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Tell Me About Yourself

Top Phone Interview Tips: 5 Common Questions & Best Strategies | Indeed Career Tips

Its the infamous TMAY question. It comes in many forms but they all mean basically the same thing: Pitch me on yourself as a professional.

You should expect this phone interview question, just as you would for an in-person job interview. The number one thing hiring managers are looking for in a phone screening is fit within the company culture, and TMAY questions are a good measuring tool for fit.

Its a little tricky. How can you encapsulate an entire human life into a few sentences? Should you talk about every past job? College? Hobbies? Family? This confusion is why some people are more comfortable composing a resume than writing a cover-letter .

Of course, its a balancing act. You want to give a quick but broad impression of yourself that doesnt last more than 90 seconds. Give a sense of your professional self and offer a glimpse of your off-the-clock personality, within reason. What do you value in your work ethic? What are you proud of in your chosen profession and career history? Focus on things like that. Definitely leave out your crazy college escapades.

What Behaviors Do The People Who Struggle Most On The Team Exhibit

This question is the flip side of the previous one, and its just as important. After all, you dont want to end up on a team where youre constantly struggling. By understanding the behaviors that tend to lead to struggle, you can avoid them.

How It Helps You

This question allows you to learn more about the teams expectations and what they consider to be important qualities in their employees. If you feel like you fit the bill, then this could be a good indication that the job would be a good match for you.

Make Sure Youre In A Quiet Space

Outside distractions can impact your ability to focus on your answers and make it harder for the interviewer to hear you and listen to your responses actively. Avoid having other people in the room, background music playing, and any sort of loud machine noises coming from things like air conditioning units or outside construction.

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How Soon Would You Be Able To Start

Sometimes it comes down to the right place at the right time. You might not be able to wait around for the perfect candidate. So work out the logistics.

What kind of notice period does a candidate have to serve? Depending on how quickly you need to fill a role, this question may help you count some candidates out of the running.

What Is A Pre

Top Phone Interview Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

A pre-screening interview, or pre-employment screening, is a series of questions that lets you learn some basic qualification information about candidates, prior to conducting a more extensive interview.

The pre-screening is typically comprised of surface level questions regarding career goals/aspirations, basic questions on skills/abilities, and any job preferences. Pre-screening questions can also come in the form of a basic skills test that can weed out unqualified candidates before you invest too much time interviewing them.

The pre-screening interview is a great way to screen out candidates that are interesting, but may not be the best fit for the role. Pre-screening also helps recruiters, interviewers and candidates to become familiar with each other prior to meeting in person, increasing candidate comfort levels with the interview process.

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S After Your Phone Interview

Along with practicing the phone interview questions above, you should also have a plan for how to impress the employer after the interview. Here are the two most important things to do after every interview:

First, always end your interview by asking when you can expect to hear about the next steps. That way, you can follow up by email to ask for feedback if that time has passed .

And secondly, send a thank-you letter or email within 24 hours of the interview to reaffirm your interest in the position and show the employer you appreciate their time on the phone.

This will help you make a strong impression and keep yourself on top of the hiring managers mind as theyre making their decision!

New Job Requirements & Responsibilities

Questions about the available position allow employers to gauge your qualifications for, interest in, and plans for your potential new role.

Common questions in this category include:

  • Are you still interested in this position?
  • Why do you want this job?
  • What relevant experience for this position do you have?
  • What attracts you about this position and our organization?
  • The requirements for this position include x, y, and z. Briefly describe how you meet each of these requirements.
  • What is your biggest professional accomplishment, and how do you think it pertains to this position?

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Tell Me About Yourself Why Do You Want This Receptionist Position

Important Points to Address: Essential for all questions in this role, ensure you have good body language, be confident and have a positive attitude, dress well, and smile, as these are expected qualities of all front desk staff.

Example Answer:I am an experienced customer service professional who understands the importance of a receptionist to a company. I am looking for a role that will utilize my customer service skills, organizational skills, and communication skills to deliver value for the company and provide clients with superior service.

This is a great opportunity to develop my skills and build on my professional experience to pursue more senior positions with the company.

Good Exit Interview Questions

How to Do a Phone Interview – Phone Interview Questions and SAMPLE Answers

Want to know why employees are leaving their positions? Conducting an exit interview might yield important information about your employees, their departure, and your business.

  • What are your thoughts on management?
  • Did you receive enough feedback on your work?
  • What would you say about your teams interactions as a whole?
  • Do you have any suggestions for increasing productivity in your team or workplace?
  • Did you believe you had everything you needed to perform your duties?
  • Describe how you felt about the performance evaluation process.
  • What recommendations do you have to enhance how we conduct business at this company?
  • Were the instructions clear-cut and unambiguous, or confusing and conflicting?
  • Can you offer suggestions for enhancing organizational culture and practices?

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Do You Have Any Questions For Me

With this question, the interviewer genuinely wants to offer you the chance to get your questions and concerns addressed. Because after all, youre interviewing them as much as theyre interviewing you!

But the questions you ask also give them insight into your values and expertiseso make sure theyre thoughtful and tailored to the role, company, and person youre speaking with.

Tell Me What You Know About Us

When an interviewer asks what you know about the role youre applying for, or the company itself, they are gauging your interest in the position. Expect to answer questions about how you found out about the job, too, as these questions give the employer insight into how their recruitment process is working.

Similar questions include:

  • How did you find this role?
  • What do you know about this company?
  • Tell me what you know about this role.
  • What are some preconceived notions you have about the position?

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How To Conduct A Pre

A pre-screening interview can be done over the phone / video chat or via online survey.

If done over the phone or video chat, make sure to take detailed notes on candidate competencies that can be provided to the hiring manager if the candidate advances to the next stage. Pre-screening interviews performed over the phone or video chat can be a great way to assess the personality, attitudes and temperament of applicants, so be sure to take notes on these attributes as well.

If done via online form, such as SurveyMonkey or Typeform, make sure to input standardized questions that are truly relevant to the performance of new hires. We recommend using as few questions as possible in order to ensure a higher completion rate. The longer the online pre-screening survey, the less likely candidates are to fill it out carefully and completely.

Tips To Answer Questions During Phone Interviews

15 Phone Interview Questions (With Example Answers)

Here are a few additional strategies that will help you to rock your phone interview.

Observe phone interview etiquette Dos and Donts. When it comes to getting hired, phone interview etiquette is just as important as in-person job interview etiquette. That’s because, regardless of the means of communication, a successful interview will get you to the next stage of the hiring process.

Do a mock interview. Ask friends or family members to help you conduct a mock interview and record it so that you can hear what you sound like over the phone.

Prepare your environment. Prepare a quiet, comfortable space for the interview itself, so that youll feel ready for the call.

Prepare for tough interview questions. Preparing for these tough interview questions will save you from being surprised, should the interviewer decide to skip the easy stuff. And even if she keeps it simple for the phone screen, youll be happy you prepared for the harder questions that may arise in a face-to-face job interview later on.

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What Do You Enjoy Most About Interacting With New People

Important Points to Address: Talk about making others happy and delivering great service.

Example Answer:I have a genuine passion for helping other people, whether that is a routine check-in or assisting them with finding a local restaurant, or booking a car service. I am also excited to hear someone elses story when theyre open to having a conversation, and were not too busy, but I also respect customers who dont wish to talk.

What Are 3 Good Interview Questions

  • Isnt it important that we hire you?
  • Is this your dream job?
  • What do you wish to bring to the company?
  • How did you hear of this position?
  • What motivates you to work at this company?
  • Please tell me about yourself.
  • I would like to know how you would fill out your resume.
  • Which are your greatest strengths?

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What Questions Do You Have For Me

Always have questions to ask the interviewer. It can make the difference between getting hired and not getting a callback after the phone interview. .

You can ask about the job duties, goals, the team, the company overall, the training youll receive, how your performance will be measured, and questions about the actual interview process

If youre having an interview with a recruiter, here are some good questions to ask them.

Advantages Of A Phone Screen Interview

Best Phone Interview Tips – How to pass a phone interview with a recruiter

Less Anxiety: In any face-to-face interview, the quiet atmosphere of the office cabin may turn you into a bundle of nerves. However, in phone interviews, cracking the code and moving on to the next level is rather simpler.

Do note that the next step is almost always a face-to-face interview. But youâll have more confidence having cleared the first round with flying colors. With the flexibility of attending an interview on call, you have the comfort of avoiding anxiousness and answering questions with unsurpassed conviction.

Beyond geographical boundaries: Imagine youâre applying for a job outside the state, and you are called for an interview. What will you do? Travel thousands of miles to attend an interview?

You can if you want to, but most companies nowadays offer the option of attending a phone interview first. With this, you can take a step further to living your dream.

On the downside, 30 minutes isnât enough time to create a lasting impression. You need to up your skills and conversational abilities. Focus is what you need if you wish to truly get into the mind of your interviewer and deliver answers with ease.

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Why Are You Interested In This Position

This is one of the most important questions that you must ask every candidate as you speak with them. To learn the candidates genuine reasons for leaving the organization, you may need to ask several different questions.

Youll want to learn the responses to questions like:

  • Are they unhappy at work?
  • Was there a transportation problem?
  • Is the job unsatisfying for them?
  • Did they require a better salary or room for growth?
  • Was the business struggling financially?

How Long Should A Phone Interview Last

Typically, you should be made aware of the length of the interview beforehand, but if you are not sure, make sure that you ask! This is a very normal question and it is even worth clarifying at the start of the conversation. If you do not know how long you have to chat, it is hard to manage the length of your answers.

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How Does A Phone Interview Differ From An In

A phone interview differs from an in-person interview in that how you represent yourself verbally becomes more important. Maintaining a confident and uplifting voice will help show your enthusiasm for the role and eagerness to move forward with the interview process. A phone interview allows you and the interviewer to assess whether the position is a good fit.

Phone interviews can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as 40 minutes if the recruiter or company representative wants to go beyond screener questions to more questions about your work style.

Knowledge Of Your Company

Phone Interview Questions and Answers

Once candidates get invited for a screening call, its fair to expect them to have done some research on the company. If they havent, you have a red flag. Ask basic questions but dont delve deeper or encourage long answers. Save that for the interview.

Example questions:

  • What interests you about our company?
  • What do you know of our product/service?

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Question #: Would Your Team Describe You As Fair

A question worded this way tends to invite honesty from people and gives them less room to fall back on the polished answers they may have prepared. Also, youll find its pretty easy to notice if theyre being dishonest or manipulative. An honest answer will require a few moments of reflection, and unless they are loved by literally everyone on their team, they should include some critical reflections in the mix.

Q: Would You Prefer To Finish A Task Late But Done Well Or On Time But Done Fair Okay

Why it Works: By answering the would-you-rather question, your candidate can demonstrate her priorities and decision-making process. This question requires someone who can think on her feet and speak confidently the answer isnt nearly as important as how she speaks it because there isnt one clear right answer or wrong. Therefore, you should hire someone capable of both. You want a candidate who can quickly and effectively make judgments and do so with self-confidence, as well as one who can provide solid reasoning behind their response.

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How To Impress The Hiring Manager

Not a phone person in your daily life? Youre not alone. As other messaging technologies gain steam, its easy to fall out of practice talking on the phone. Add to that the fact that phone interviews knock out one easy point of communication with the hiring managernamely, body languageand you have a tricky situation for many interviewees.

To maximize your chances of making a good impression on the hiring manager, there are a few important phone interview tips to remember:

Warning Signals To Watch Out For In Phone Interviews

Phone Interview Questions and Answers Examples – How to Prepare for Phone Interviews

The interviewer isnât the only person with the power to eliminate you can also choose to walk out on the job application upon noticing any abnormality. Watch out for those red flags that might prove to be disadvantageous for you if you apply for job positions in such companies.

  • Try avoiding companies that rush their interviews and try to hire you as soon as possible.
  • Avoid job positions where the interviewers talk about an intense working environment.
  • Any interviewer who states of a workplace culture as âWe are a familyâ probably means they have a dysfunctional working environment. Strange, but quite often true.
  • If they donât have a proper answer to your question regarding the job position, avoid completely.
  • In case the tonality of the interviewer is offensive, it would be smart to not apply for this position.

Send a âThank Youâ email after phone interview

Once your interview is over, it is expected of you to deliver a proper âthank youâ email to the company. Mention the date and time of the interview call and mention your appreciation about the opportunity to discuss details related to the job position.

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What Are Your Salary Expectations

Recruiters might ask this question early in the hiring process, like during a phone interview, to see if the salary you expect aligns with what they have budgeted for the role. It can also help them understand if you are over or perhaps under-qualified for the position. To answer this question, it is best to provide a range to show that you are flexible, but also that you expect to earn a certain amount.

If youre unsure about what salary is appropriate for the position for which youre interviewing, visit Indeed’s Salary Calculator to get a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.

Be sure that you are comfortable with making the lowest number in your range because the recruiter will likely try and start with the lowest possible number. Negotiating your salary is an acceptable and normal part of the hiring process that will come later once youve received an offer. For the purposes of your phone interview, they will likely tell you whether or not this position will be acceptable for the range you are given.

Example answer:For this position my ideal salary would fall in the range of $55,000 to $65,000. I feel this is an appropriate amount for my experience level in this position.

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