Industry Insights: Telephone Interview Tips
Telephone Interview Tips:
Telephone interviews have become the “new normal” in the world of recruitment due to adaptation during the ongoing global pandemic. Although interviews and the interview process itself can be daunting for candidates, telephone interviews have provided various benefits to the recruitment process for both candidates and recruiters.
Pros:
- Time and cost effective – telephone interviews remove the requirement for a face-to-face interview at times and enable all participants to schedule the interview on a time and date that suits both parties. It also removes time that may be spent on travelling, in addition to costs of travel, as well as potentially completing an interview from the comfort of your own home or preferred environment.
Two Key factors to take into consideration when engaging in a telephone interview:
1. Coverage
Do you have suitable coverage to complete an interview over the phone?
2. Environment
Is your environment suitable to complete an interview? I.e., quiet with little to no disturbances.
Candidate Interview Tips:
Contact Details
This is more of a pre-interview tip, however, when notified of your interview invite before signing off with your recruiter, ensure that the correct contact details you provided, such as your email address and preferred contact number are up to date and accurate.
Environment
This may seem like an obvious interview tip, however, it is extremely important to ensure you have a quiet environment to take a call to complete the telephone interview. Outside or background noise factors can disrupt the flow of an interview, distract you or the interviewer and create an unprofessional environment.
Coverage is key! A Telephone interview depends on adequate coverage to prevent the telephone interview call from dropping. The last thing you want whilst on a call with a prospective employee or recruiter is for the call to drop mid-interview. If you have bad coverage in your home or a noisy environment, a key interview tip is to find a shared office space. Most shared office spaces have private meetings rooms you can book out in order to take your phone interview without any disruptions.
Punctuality
While you don’t need to travel to take part in a phone interview it is important to be punctual and prepared. Set a reminder for yourself for the time and date the telephone interview is due to take place. This will allow you to get your environment, notes, and yourself prepared.
Smile
Although this interview tip may sound odd, it can be recognized whilst on a phone call when a participant is smiling. This in itself can promote a positive conversation and aid in the interview communications, showing confidence and positivity.
Have & Take Notes
One of the perks of a phone interview is that you can have your notes about the role and company on hand to revert back to if needed. You should also always have your CV in any interview situation to highlight your experience and competencies throughout the interview.
Another Interview Tips is to have a pen and paper when taking part in a phone interview. This is important to note any questions you may have at the end of the interview.
Ask Questions
The telephone interview process is primarily focused on querying the candidate’s competencies and experience for their desired role, however, it is important as a candidate to ask any questions that may arise regarding the role you are interviewing for. This will highlight the candidate’s interest in the role itself and furthermore, their desired career overall.
Be Confident
Although it can be difficult to remain confident during an interview due to nerves, always remember that you have reached the interview stage because the recruiter has identified your core competencies and abilities.
Stay In Contact
Revert back to the recruiter at a later stage if needed. If you require any update or have further questions post-interview, email, or phone the recruiter you were dealing with to seek clarity, they are always there to help.
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