Communication errors

Before we move on to identifying missteps at more technical and advanced stages of the telephone interview, first we must check our communication strategy, because after planning, communication is the second most important deciding factor behind the success or failure of a telephone interview. Listed as follows are some errors to avoid.

Ambiguous role descriptions

Communication with the candidate commences when the role description is sent to them, and that's where many recruiters make a mistake. General responsibilities are usually listed in bullets, but specifics are not mentioned. For example, the role description of a general sales profile mentions that the candidate will be expected to manage customer services as well, but it is seldom mentioned as to what extent the role involves customer services. This leads to confusion and suspicion about the role in the candidate's mind.

The following diagram consists of two role descriptions of the same profile—general and detailed...