6 Practical Tips for a Smooth Phone Interview

21/04/2020

During the recruitment process, today most companies use phone interviews to make initial contact with candidates. There are a few reasons for this: to save time by making the first point to confirm the availability, expectations, and motivations of the candidate or even to overcome a distance problem when a meeting is not possible in the short term.

A telephone interview is just as important as an in-person interview. Indeed, this is the first contact between the applicant and the recruiter, and the latter expects the candidate to reflect the skill set highlighted in the CV.

The first 30 seconds are the most important for recruiters. If you do not know how to answer the first questions asked, which are most often about the company and the vacant position, it is almost certain that the recruiters will zap you.

So as not to be surprised, find out as much as you can about the company and the job offer.

Do your homework.
Try to find out what the company specializes in, what its flagship products are, its novelties, its news, what missions you will be assigned, how the business process takes place...

Do your research well. In particular, on the company’s websites, social networks, Google News, LinkedIn, etc.

To put the odds in your favor when your phone rings, here are 6 practical tips.

How to start a telephone interview?
In a matter-of-course way. By being a professional. Greet the recruiter and thank them for taking the time to give you an opportunity for the interview.

Then let them lead the rest of the conversation.

1 – Find a quiet place
If you receive the call from a recruiter on your mobile while you are in a public place, at your workplace, in transport or any place where you will not be comfortable or don’t have a good sound, do not hesitate to show this to your contact and suggest another time. Or, if you think it may be a call from a recruiter, let it go to Voice Mail so that the caller could leave you a voice message. You can then call back from your home, quietly, with a good sound and all the documents you will need at hand.

2 - Pretend it was an in-person interview

Without putting on your best suit or tailor, adopt the same attitudes as if it were a face-to-face conversation. Your clothing can affect your concentration and confidence. You will normally feel more able to respond to a professional interview being properly dressed than staying in pajamas or sweatpants. This conversation is often your first contact with the recruiter, so it is essential to make a good impression from the very beginning.

3 - Take a convincing tone

On the phone, your best asset to convince is your voice and your tone. For this exercise, it is recommended to sit or stand comfortably. Avoid answering while lying on a bed or lying on your sofa because the relaxation could sneak into your voice and you could sound a bit nonchalant. Remember to speak slowly and clearly. Keep your device close to your mouth and do your best to never put the call on speaker. Your voice may be more difficult to hear. Take pauses to give rhythm to your speech and vary the volume of your voice to capture the attention of your conversation partner, by emphasizing, for example, the key elements of your CV.

4 - Get ready!

The same as in case of a face-to-face interview, don’t wait for the recruiter’s call without some preparation. Have within easy reach the documents which you could look at any time: your CV and your motivation letter, the detail of the job offer which you replied to, or any other paper you think you can use. If you have any questions about the job or the company, now’s the time to ask the recruiter. In the same way that they contact you on their side to verify your professional background, you may make sure that the position presented in the advertisement corresponds well to that which you imagined.

5 - Have a prepared answer for basic questions

Prepare the questions that fall each time in the interview:

‘How do your friends describe you?’
‘What is the most interesting thing you have done in the past 2 years?’
‘What achievement are you most proud of?’
‘What are your best qualities?’
‘Why should I hire you?’
‘Why are you looking for a new position?’
‘What is your current job or your last job?’
‘What are your salary expectations?’
‘Do you have any questions?’

Prepare your answers to the most frequently asked job interview questions. This will save you from stammering, or being embarrassed.

6 – Ask questions
The end of the interview is an opportunity not only to thank the recruiter but also to inform you about the next steps. Take care of your last sentences because they are the ones that will remain in the person's mind you are talking to once the conversation is over.

It is the recruiter who must complete the interview. Never make them understand that you are in a hurry and that you want to hang up. It would be seen as disrespectful.

Take advantage of the last moments to be sure of the future. When will HR decide? When will the physical interviews take place?

Then thank your conversation partner again before hanging up.