TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW GUIDE

In a world where jobs are no longer restricted by political and geographical boundaries, several companies today are conducting phone interviews to short-list candidates before calling them in for a face-to-face interaction. 

A phone interview has several advantages both for the employer and candidate. It is typically shorter than a face-to-face interview, allowing the interviewer to save on time. 

Is Telephonic Interview Needed?

Yes, Telephone interviews are a great way to screen applicants before a face-face interview. 

They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but telephone interviews have a lot of advantages. They are fast, easy to arrange and arm you with just the right level of information to begin whittling down your applicants.

Guidelines

• An appointment to be set up with candidate, providing at least one week’s notice.
• Make sure the contact number at which you reached the candidate is the number to be called for the interview. Also, coordinate the interview with the availability of Interview panels.
• Schedule the interview calls for no more than 30 minutes.
• Determine if all interview panels will participate in the interviews or if only one or interview panel will be asking questions.
• Introduce all the interview panels present in the interview
• Review the candidate’s application materials including any references prior to interview.
• Prepare questions. All candidates should be asked the same questions. Determine the order of questions to be asked.
• Reserve a conference room and test equipment (speaker phone). Make sure there are no conflicts with the room or interruptions. Keep your phones on silent mode.
• Keep in mind that the lack of non-verbal communication is a limiting factor for both the interview panels and the candidate.
• Call candidate at the scheduled time.
• Introduce panel to candidate and briefly explain the interview process.
• Plan adequately and ask the right questions in the limited time allotted.
• Be sensitive to diversity. Try every reasonable attempt to screen for inclusion rather than exclusion?
• Fill in the evaluation form only after the interview is over and not during the call.
• If a candidate is not shortlisted, they need to be sent a regret letter. Candidates genuinely appreciate an indication of the reason they were not shortlisted from the pool.
• Recommended Interview Structure for a 30-minute call

Time	Purpose of Question	Sample Question
3- 5 minutes	Verify information from resume	Why did you make that move? 2. How long did you hold a particular position?
10 -15 minutes	Determine qualifications, interest in job and fit	What attracted you about this position? 2. Tell us about a time when…
3-5 minutes	Answering questions from candidate	What questions do you have for us?
3- 5 minutes	Next steps	We will be interviewing more candidates. You will be hearing from us within seven business days.

Sample phone screening interview questions

•       Why did you apply for this position? Was there something specifically in the job ad that drew your attention?

•       What motivated you to choose this career path?

•       Are you currently working? If so, what period of notice do you need to give to your employer before resigning?

•       The working schedule for this position is [X number of days – X working hours]. How flexible/willing are you to follow this schedule?

•       Do you have experience using [X] software in any of your previous jobs?

•       What are your salary expectations?

•       Are you authorized to work in [X] area?

For the candidate, who has the advantage of remaining unseen, a phone interview allows the use of cue cards and cheat sheets, as well as access to the Internet.  

Here are 10 phone interview tips to help candidates to ace your phone interview: 

1. Choose a good spot: Companies generally tell you in advance when they will be calling. Choose a room where you can speak without disruption. Shut out other noises like TV and radio, take the kids away and lock the room from inside. Ask your family members not to disturb you when the interview is in progress. Get a good phone -- preferably a landline. You don’t want calls to drop at this time.
   
   
   
2. Keep documents handy: Get a hard copy of your resume and cover letter and keep it ready. Keep pen and paper handy to take down notes. You could even keep your laptop on in case you want to refer to the Internet. But take care to be discreet -- don’t hammer away loudly at the keys of your computer.
   
   
   
3. Use a cheat sheet: One of the great advantages of a phone interview is invisibility. Prepare for expected questions in advance and jot down points on a piece of paper. Write clearly and legibly since you will be referring to it under pressure. Practice the answers to expected questions beforehand and prepare for any derivative question that may arise as well.
   
   
   
4. Be in a positive frame of mind: This may seem odd, but smile! Though the interviewer cannot see you, it is not difficult to sense your mood over the phone. If you feel happy, bright and enthusiastic, this will reflect in your voice. Some experts also suggest dressing for the interview. If you think this will put you in the right frame of mind for the interview, go right ahead and slip into formal clothes.
   
   
   
5. Do your homework: You’ve already visited the company portal while writing your cover letter, so you have a sense of what the organization is about. This may be a good time to go back to the portal and brush up on that knowledge. If you know the name of your interviewer, you could also search him/her on the Internet to learn more about him/her.
   
   
   
6. Treat the interview like a face-to-face interaction: It is easy to fall into the trap of not taking a phone interview as seriously as a face-to-face interview. But remember, this is a process of elimination as well. It will be unfortunate if you were eliminated at this stage because you did not take the interview seriously enough. Prepare for a phone interview as you would for a face-to-face interaction.
   
   
   
7. Ask intelligent questions: After he/she is done with the interview, your interviewer will typically ask if you have any questions. This is a chance for you to showcase your intelligence. You could ask questions on the role you are being interviewed for, company branding or its strategy to beat market slump. Asking questions that tell the employer you are serious about this role.
   
   
   
8. Don't bring up salary: It is too early at this stage to bring up salary and perks. The company is still assessing your suitability for the job. Salary discussions generally take place in the final stages of the hiring process. So, hold your horses till then!
   
   
   
9. Ask if the interviewer has other questions: Asking the interviewer if he/she has any other questions is a good way to round up the discussion. This will give him/her a chance go back to the list of questions and see if something has been left out. If there are no more questions, ask what the next step will be in the hiring process.
   
   
   
10. Say thank you: Don’t forget to say thank you, even if the interview has gone badly. Some experts even recommend sending a short thank you note to the interviewer a day after the interview.

THANK YOU

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