As part of your hiring process, do you conduct phone interviews with candidates? The following phone screens are available
Using interview questions to screen candidates will assist you in determining who should be invited to an in-person interview
In a telephone interview, you should ask the following questions:
During the initial stages of hiring, telephone interviews are helpful. In addition, they provide a method of rejecting candidates who do not possess the necessary skills for a particular position. It is not necessary for you to include questions that require the candidate to think too much. An in-person interview is better suited to asking complex questions (such as behavioral and situational questions).
- A recruiter or hiring manager may conduct a phone interview in order to: Check potential deal breakers early on (e.g. availability, authorization, relocation, flexibility in working hours)
- Clarify any information contained in a candidate’s resume or LinkedIn profile
- Examine a candidate’s verbal communication skills (in some cases, evaluate a candidate’s ability to speak a foreign language)
- Learn more about the candidates
- To determine if candidates are interested in the position, share basic information about the position
Remote workers and distributed teams may also find phone screening interviews convenient. A hiring team can conduct phone (and video) interviews to evaluate candidates’ skills, and then invite two or three candidates to the final face-to-face interview with the CEO of the company.
We will discuss the following topics:
Questions to ask during a phone interview
- Please provide me with some information about yourself. Can you describe your skills or qualities that are relevant to this position?
- How did you become interested in this position? Did you notice anything in the job description or ad that caught your attention?
- How did you decide to pursue this career path?
- What is your current employment status? In this case, how much notice do you have to give your employer before resigning?
- This position has a working schedule of [X number of days – X working hours]. What is your level of flexibility/willingness to follow this schedule?
- Has any of your previous employment involved the use of [X] software?
- How much do you expect to earn?
- Do you have authorization to work in the area of [X]?
Interview tips for conducting a telephone interview
- Provide your candidates with specific information regarding the date and time of the job interview. You should also inform them of how long the phone interview may take and the name of the person who will be conducting the interview. Candidates can receive an email invitation to the phone interview so that they are prepared with all the necessary information.
- Make sure your questions are clear and prepared before your phone interview. If necessary, prepare a script for the interview. Your questions should not be explained in detail. Maintain a flowing conversation.
- During the telephone interview, you should avoid any distracting noises. Take advantage of a quiet corner of the office or a private room and use a good pair of headphones. Make sure your equipment is working properly by performing a sound check beforehand.
- You may ask follow-up questions if you require clarification, or you may ask an “off-script” question if you are intrigued by the candidate’s background. You should, however, ensure that the interview does not take too long. For an initial introduction, telephone interviews are useful.
- When conducting an interview, take brief notes and follow up with more detailed notes afterward. If you wish to compare the answers of a large number of candidates, you will find these notes helpful.
Flags of concern
- A ghosting incident. It may indicate a lack of reliability or interest in the position if the candidate does not answer the phone call (despite an established appointment).
- Bad signal or external noise. Candidate preparation should be similar to that of the recruiter. There is nothing more off-putting than a poor phone signal, noises, and distractions. The interviewer may suggest an alternative, such as rescheduling or conducting the interview via Skype, in the event that the candidate is experiencing temporary difficulties (e.g. with their signal).
- An uneasy feeling prevails. You can still glean whether the candidate feels comfortable despite not being able to see their facial expressions and body language. In cases where their tone indicates they are uncomfortable throughout the interview, they may be lacking communication skills, which is a bad sign, particularly when it comes to sales and customer service positions.
- Expressions that are unprofessional. It is still an interview for a job if it is conducted over the phone. In general, the conversation should not be too formal, but if the candidate uses casual expressions such as “Hey”, “Huh? ” and “Can you repeat that?”, that may indicate they don’t take this interview seriously.
