Phone Interview Tips by Emily McNamara
An initial phone interview may seem ‘less important’ than a virtual interview or an in-person interview but in fact, the phone interview is the first step in making your way through the interview process and so preparing for it properly is critical.
As a recruitment consultant, I spend a great deal of time pre-screening candidates on the phone to assess their qualifications for a position. But along with assessing qualifications, I’m also assessing reliability, punctuality, professionalism and oral communication skills – all qualities that are essential for most any position. If you have a phone interview scheduled with either a recruiter or a hiring manager, some seemingly insignificant, but highly effective tactics in order to make a good impression include: being on time and available for the call at the scheduled time, finding a quiet spot to take the call away from distractions and surrounding noises, ideally not taking the call while you’re in the car driving as the sound quality is never that great and often the candidate is distracted (not to mention it’s not safe), and being polite and professional during the conversation.
You’ll want to conduct your research on the company prior to interviewing with them so that you have an understanding of what they do. You may be asked why you want to work for the company and so having thought about this question prior to being put on the spot will help alleviate stress. You’ll most likely be asked if you have any questions about the position or the company and so coming prepared with several questions that are directly related to the role will show that you have an interest in the position, it will demonstrate that you have knowledge in the area of which you’re interviewing for and it will also help you decide if this is a position that you’re truly interested in. Some questions could include what the team and company culture is like? What does a typical day look like in the position? What are some of the foreseeable challenges in the role and what supports are in place to overcome these challenges? You may like to ask about the company’s training and onboarding program and what the growth trajectory for the role looks like.
It’s important to sound interested and engaged during the phone interview and acknowledge the interviewer by ‘actively listening’ in order to demonstrate that you’re understanding what they are saying. Be prepared to give a verbal overview of your resume, making sure to highlight key areas of skill that are directly related to the position you’re interviewing for. I think the hardest question to answer is when you’re asked to “tell me about yourself” – it’s a very open-ended question and really, where do you start! Preparing a professional answer to this question will help reduce the need to over-talk this question as you really want to focus on your last few years of relevant work history, sprinkled with a touch of a personal statement, perhaps speaking about your own goals and interests. Some of the more ‘lifestyle’ brand employers out there are really looking for employees who have a strong alignment to their brand’s core values and so if you’re interviewing with one of these types of companies, talking a little bit about your personal interests and how they align to the values of the company will likely go a long way.
You will likely be asked what your ideal salary range is and you’ll want to be honest about this as you don’t want to be interviewing for a position that is $20K less than what you’re ideally seeking. This question is asked to ensure that your expectations fall within the budgeted salary range for the role and so having thought clearly about what you’re seeking prior to the phone interview, will go a long way. You may like to refer to a ‘salary calculator’ in order to assess what an average salary range is in your field of expertise in order to ensure that your expectations are in line with roles in your geographic area. You may like to refer to this article on The Muse: https://www.themuse.com/advice/phone-interview-tips-preparation.
Lastly, following up with a thank-you note goes a long way. If you’re still interested in the position after the phone interview, reiterate your interest level and why you think you’d be a great fit for the role along with thanking the interviewer for their time. It doesn’t have to be long – just a short yet sweet letter that demonstrates good manners while highlighting your written communication skill. This is a good article that outlines 22 Phone Interview Tips to Help You Nail the Call: https://www.themuse.com/advice/phone-interview-tips-preparation.
Good luck!
Check out McNak’s Resources for more useful and relevant recruitment-related tips.
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