Telephone interview with candidate questions. Questions for candidates during a telephone interview

Telephone Interview Basics with Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of a telephone interview?

The purpose of a telephone interview is to evaluate candidates over the phone so as not to invite them to an interview in person. This saves time and streamlines the hiring process.

How to conduct a good telephone interview?

Prepare for the interview in advance by making a list of questions to ask the candidate. Using software helps you plan your conversation and keep track of all the key points. You should also listen carefully to the candidate's answers and take notes so you can refer back to them later.

How long should a telephone interview last?

Don't drag out the conversation too long; try to stick to the plan. A telephone interview should not last more than 15-30 minutes, depending on the type of job and the level of the candidate you are screening.

Typically 15 minutes is enough to ensure that the applicant understands the job being offered, understands the job responsibilities, and has reasonable salary expectations. At the same time, the recruiter has enough time to check the relevance of the information provided and decide whether to go further with this candidate.

Remember that you will probably spend just over two minutes getting to know each other. So realistically you have about 10 minutes to ask questions. Keep this in mind, you don't have time for general questions about strengths and weaknesses.

How many questions should there be in a telephone interview?

Five to ten questions. Most typical telephone interview questions are so lengthy that they rarely provide valuable information about candidates. You need challenging questions that relate directly to work situations.

https://youtu.be/ej3BQb0t-h8

BOSSHUNT

The first interview with an HR manager is a biographical or screening interview, the main purpose of which is to clarify the candidate’s personal data described in his resume. The tasks of the personnel selection specialist at the first stage are as follows:

• find out whether what is written in your resume and cover letter corresponds to reality;
• select candidates to meet the job requirements;
• understand how you fit into the company’s culture and policies;
• make sure you are interested in this job.

Already at the first interview, HR managers can, based on the first two criteria for personnel selection: suitability and motivation, determine whether you are suitable for this position or not and make their verdict.

The main tasks of the applicant at the first stage are to please the recruiter, confirm the information that you wrote in your resume and show your motivation in this job.

NB Learn your resume by heart. There should be no discrepancies between the information you provided on your resume and your answers to the questions.

An approximate list of topics for an interview with HR:

• experience
• Education
• Reasons for leaving the last 2-3 jobs
• Purpose of job search
• Family circumstances
• Expectations for salary and working conditions
• Answers to candidate questions about the vacancy.

During an interview with an HR manager, you should be very careful and not make mistakes, since it is HR who decides whether you will be admitted to the second interview. I hope that in the near future more progressive and objective methods of recruiting personnel at the initial stage will be used, but for now this is exactly what we have. And, unfortunately, most often the future fate of the candidate is in the hands of the HR manager. And it will depend on his assessment whether to give you the green light or send you to the bench.

The interview with the HR manager can take place over the phone, via Skype or in the company’s office.

In this article I will tell you about the features of preparing for a telephone interview.

A telephone interview is the first stage of pre-selection, at which the initial screening of candidates takes place, the so-called natural selection. You may feel like there's no point in worrying about preparing for a phone interview. But an interview is an interview, even if you don't have to go to the company's office. To impress a potential employer over the phone, you need to be just as prepared as if you were going into an in-person meeting.

The main difference between a telephone interview and any other interview is surprise. A call from a recruiter will always be unexpected for you, although long-awaited. Therefore, you can never be 100% prepared for it, as opposed to an interview, which is planned in advance and you have plenty of time to prepare. In any case, you can take preventive measures to increase your chances of successfully passing a telephone interview.

Tips for preparing for a telephone interview

1. Print your resume and answers to questions

You should have a copy of all your resumes and cover letters in hand. You will be able to calmly glance at your resume and feel more confident, instead of remembering details and key points. With answering questions, as with a resume, you have the advantage of being able to prepare your answers to potential questions in advance and keep them in front of you during the phone interview.

2. Take a break to control the situation.

Of course, you can’t say exactly when exactly a call from your employer will happen and, as a rule, the phone always rings at the most inopportune time and finds you in the most inconvenient place: either you are surrounded by children, or you are among colleagues, or you can hear dogs barking near you, And so on. All that is required of you at this moment is to remain calm and not show with your voice that this call took you by surprise.

A method that always helps to collect and recover from the shock of a recruiter’s call is to take a short break, saying: “Thank you very much for calling. Could you wait until I close the door?” During this break you have time to:

• find a quiet place
• open on your computer the website with the vacancy for which you received a call. The recruiter will not forgive you for not remembering which company and vacancy you are talking about.
• Place your resume and answers to questions in front of you.

Before continuing your conversation with the HR manager, take a few deep breaths to allow your breathing to return to normal. Now you have everything under control and are ready for the interview.

It often happens that you do not have time for a telephone interview at the moment: you may have a meeting/meeting, you may be driving on a business trip, etc. In this case, it is best to tell the recruiter about this directly and ask reschedule the interview for another time or date: “Thank you very much for your call. I am very happy. Unfortunately, it’s not convenient for me to talk now, since I’m going to a meeting with my manager. Could you call me back in an hour?”

I recommend taking a time out after a phone call and not answering questions quickly. You should have time to review information about the company on the Internet (its type of activity, scale, achievements, corporate culture). Don't be afraid that they may not call you back - you already have the recruiter's phone number and name. Even if he doesn’t call you back at the appointed time, you can always do it yourself. Remember: if they call you, then you are suitable.

Already at the appointed time, you should be more organized, since the telephone interview takes place on your territory. Make sure that no one or anything will distract you and be sure to charge your mobile phone in advance. Place in front of you everything you might need: resume, cover letter, job description, list of your answers to possible questions, turn on the computer. Refresh information about the company, collect your thoughts and wait for the call. Now you're all guns blazing.

3. Smile and send positive signals

This may seem like strange advice, but the enthusiasm in your voice during a phone interview is very important. Smile during a phone interview. A small smile on your face will improve the tone of your voice and make it more friendly.

The difficulty with a telephone interview is that you cannot see the other person's reaction to your answers. Since you are not getting feedback from the interviewer through their body language (gestures, emotions), it would be very helpful to ask questions such as “Is this what you wanted to know?” or “Would you like me to tell you more about...?”

You should avoid using parasitic words in your speech (“well”, “as if”, “like”, “accordingly”, etc.) and interjections (“aaa...”, “mmmm...”, “uh...” ). Instead, try to give positive verbal signals such as: “Great”, “Yes, yes”, “Interesting”, “Great”, etc. You should be enthusiastic, that is, become the person they want to see in to your team.

4. Take notes

During a telephone interview, it would be a good idea to take notes, which will prove indispensable when the HR manager is distracted by colleagues and is forced to interrupt the interview for a while. And when he is on the line again, having forgotten the topic of your conversation, you remind him: “We were just discussing...” Your organization and attentiveness will be appreciated and taken into account by the HR manager. Also, your notes (regarding the company, responsibilities, etc.) will help you further prepare for the second interview.

During the conversation, after asking questions, your interlocutor can also record your answers in writing. So, don't worry if there are slight pauses. Be patient.

5. Speak the same language

Have you ever found yourself in the company of people who work in a different professional field than you? How did you feel? How did you navigate the topic of conversation? Is it difficult? Uncomfortable? Now imagine an HR manager in this place who feels the same way when talking to you. What do you think: who will be able to impress - the candidate whose answers contain a lot of professional terms and slang, or the candidate whose answers are clear? If you want to be not only heard, but also understood, speak in a common language. Remember that the recruiter does not have to be an expert in your field and may not understand much of what you say. If it is important for him to clarify details about your experience, he will certainly ask you about it.

Tech tip: Consider using a headset (headphones). In addition to making it easier to take notes, you'll be able to focus on the conversation rather than balancing your phone between your shoulder and ear while trying to find a pen or paper.

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Raisa Sorokina

Find out more at www.raisasorokina.ru
Career expert, resume and business letter copywriter, interview coach, founder and author of publications on bosshunt.ru.

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Advantages and disadvantages of telephone interviews

Telephone interviews, as a means of collecting primary, qualitative data, are becoming the preferred method because they provide results in less time and cost than conducting 1:1 interviews or other types of face-to-face interviews.

However, telephone interviews have a number of different problems that can reduce the value of this type of candidate screening. But if you understand the weak points of such interviews, you have a better chance of not making mistakes and finding a truly worthy candidate. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of a telephone interview.

Benefits of telephone interviews

• More cost-effective and easier to conduct than 1:1 interviews.
• If carried out correctly, they can be used to obtain equally relevant information about the candidate.
• Interviews can be conducted on a broader geographic scale (for example, if you are looking for employees to work remotely or in other cities).
• Answering questions is just as relevant as during a personal interview.

Disadvantages of telephone interviews

• Respondents must answer the call and can hang up at any time.
• Behavior and body language cannot be judged.
• The interview is usually shorter than a personal interview.
• No visual aids of any kind may be used to conduct the interview.

Scripts for conducting a telephone interview

You are here Ready-made phrases and a well-thought-out conversation script solve several problems at once. Firstly, the risk that during the interview they “forgot to ask” something, asked “the wrong questions” and received uninformative answers to them is eliminated.

Secondly, the time spent on the interview is optimized. Thirdly, scripts neutralize the influence of the experience and speech culture of personnel service employees on the quality of the interview. Fourthly, a high-quality script gives confidence that contacts with recruiters create a positive impression of the company.

Fifthly, they allow you to reduce the requirements for the qualifications and experience of the recruiter. Formalize it in instructions and oblige it to be followed.

Whether to allow deviations is up to you. Of course, everyone’s individual intonation, timbre, and rate of speech are different, so some phrases from the scripts can be modified by a specialist “to suit himself.” But if the “custom” script meets the interview standard you set, it shouldn’t be banned.

https://youtu.be/Tz79iF1nd1A

There is a universal script that is suitable for conducting interviews with applicants, regardless of position or profession. A special script consists of questions that allow you to collect information about the professional experience, knowledge and skills of the applicant.

Below is a script that was developed for conducting a telephone interview with an applicant who has responded to a vacancy. It is designed for two options: 1) when the applicant (C) calls the company at the request of the recruiter who sent a letter or SMS; 2) when the recruiter (R) calls the applicant at the phone number indicated in the resume.

How to understand that a candidate is not suitable

A telephone interview is different from a face-to-face interview. Therefore, you should pay attention to the following points, which most often indicate that the candidate will not suit you in the end.

• Talks too much about money

Typically, you shouldn't hire people who are only motivated by money.

• LinkedIn (or other services) profile and resume do not match

The skills listed on the resume are not listed on LinkedIn, or vice versa, the experience is listed but the skills are not listed and the applicant does a poor job of explaining the discrepancies.

• Lack of motivation

Most companies need motivated candidates. It's hard to imagine someone being motivated but not energized during a phone interview.

• Not sure what position he wants

If from the conversation you understand that the candidate is not sure whether he wants to hold this particular position and is considering options for other positions (with other responsibilities). As a rule, candidates who do not know what they want do not stay in the company for long.

Listen to yourself! If you're a longtime recruiter and you feel something isn't right with a candidate, ask someone else for their opinion, even if you can't figure out what's wrong.

Telephone interview

You are here Telephone interviews are an excellent method for pre-assessing applicants.

Many recruiters neglect this effective and cost-effective way of obtaining information about a candidate. And in vain. A telephone interview is convenient in cases where you need to clarify details, ask questions that arose while studying a candidate’s resume, and understand the overall motivation of the applicant, says Lidia Zhirnova, consultant at Morgan Hunt. And for a number of positions where the key competencies are developed communication skills, a telephone conversation is irreplaceable.

Ekaterina Bobrova, commercial director of Consulting: - What can you find out about the applicant over the phone?

In a 20-minute conversation, an experienced recruiter can form a fairly complete picture of a candidate’s experience and capabilities, the reasons that prompted him to change jobs, professional and career expectations, and assess how suitable he is for working in a specific company in a specific position.

During an interview with a candidate, for example, in the commercial department, a telephone conversation will give an idea of ​​sales, presentation, and negotiation skills, which is extremely important for specialists in this area.

The clarity of presentation of thoughts, manner of speaking, and pace of speech of the candidate will also tell about his personal qualities. A telephone interview allows you to: • check the candidate’s compliance with the formal requirements of the vacancy: special education, knowledge of a foreign language, specialized work experience; • assess the level of communication skills: pay attention to the literacy, clarity and especially the pace of the candidate’s speech - it is known that speech that is too slow is poorly perceived by interlocutors, such applicants have less chance of success in negotiations and sales; • determine the candidate’s proactivity: note how the interlocutor constructs sentences.

Questions for a telephone interview with a candidate

Many people ask themselves: is it worth preparing questions for a telephone interview or is it better not to prepare and see how a natural conversation with the candidate develops?

As a rule, at this stage of the interview, it is better to ask the same questions to each candidate. Asking the same questions is a good way to compare candidates while creating a level playing field for everyone.

Of course, interviews will still vary, as a specific answer may prompt you to go into more detail. It is best to try to ask a specific list of questions during each interview.

Questions should be aimed at finding out more about the candidate, i.e. expand on the information provided in the resume and cover letter and evaluate whether the candidate's professional experience is a good fit for your vacancy.

Here is a list of the best phone interview questions . There are more of them than required, you can choose the ones that suit you best.

• Why did you apply for this job?
• What is your current and expected salary?
• What is the most challenging thing for you about this position?
• What do you think is the most important thing to consider when working in this position?
• Why are you leaving your current job?
• What experience do you have that will help you succeed in this position?
• What's the best idea you've taken from concept to implementation?
• What are some common mistakes other candidates make for this position?
• Tell me about a great product or service you've recently encountered. Why did you like him?
• What is important to you in your work?
• How would you describe your approach to work?
• What motivates you?
• What work environment do you work best in?
• What are your hobbies outside of work?

At the end of the interview, do not forget to check if the interlocutor has any questions. It's important to answer any questions your candidate may have, whether it's about the job or the hiring process. Once you have provided the required answers, end the interview by thanking the candidate for their time and providing your contact information.

Script for interviews with clients in B2B:

All of the above questions in the case of a B2B startup at the beginning of the interview need to be supplemented with three more:

Describe what you do at the company?

Answering this question in the format “I am a sales director” is not enough. You need to understand how the interviewee perceives his work. If a person says: “I manage a sales team...”, then you can convey to him the benefits of your product in his own words. “To lead your sales team, you can use...”

What does professional success mean to you?

You need to understand the success criteria of a potential client in order to build a sales process. These are the things you will sell.

Obstacles to success?

Here we identify the most important “pain”. Dig deeper into the organization's problems. Perhaps their company has a strong bureaucracy and ineffective management. Or your interviewee does not make decisions on this issue, you need to look for another decision-maker. By asking these questions, you get used to the person’s role and understand the context of the situation.

Telephone interview script

Hello, I am ______ and I have received your application for the position of _____.

I would like to conduct a brief telephone interview of 15 to 30 minutes regarding your qualifications and interest in the position.

Is it convenient for you now or is it better to schedule another time for conversation?

1. Why are you interested in this position and working in our company?
2. Please describe your responsibilities at your previous job? How did your experience prepare you for this position?
3. Please describe whether you work in a team or perform most of the responsibilities yourself.
4. What new processes/tools did you need to learn for your last role and how did you learn them?
5. Please describe the computer hardware and software that you use regularly.
6. What salary level suits you?

Thank you for your time. You can contact me at _________. Feel free to ask any questions.

Our next step is to complete the phone interviews and determine who to invite for an interview. We will definitely inform you about our decision.

How to pass an interview via Skype or phone

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Finding a new job is a complex and responsible process. Interviews and conversations with potential employers are not only exhausting, but also take up a lot of free time.

Telephone interviews are a common phenomenon. Modern technologies help reduce the number of visits to offices or enterprises: a telephone interview or via Skype is a new type of informative conversation with the employer.

To pass an interview via Skype or telephone, you need to get ready - a relaxed atmosphere does not mean that you do not need to prepare for important business communication.

A telephone interview is an opportunity to get the desired position, and for this you need to try.

A telephone call consists of:

1. a survey about the skills and abilities of a potential employee;
2. counter questions to the employer;
3. clarifying controversial issues and important aspects of future work;
4. greetings;
5. agreements;
6. goodbyes.

You need to approach such a conversation responsibly, because the first impression is a decisive factor for the employer. People who are looking for promising and in-demand vacancies need to know the specifics of conducting a stressful interview. If the interview is unsuccessful, do not despair - the experience gained is useful.

It will increase the individual’s resistance to stress and allow her to objectively look at her own strengths and weaknesses. To conduct an informative conversation, a person must create special conditions.