Conducting a Telephone Interview: Master the art of conducting a telephone interview to make the most effective hiring decisions

Jason approached his phone to call Helen, an Institutional Sales Manager from their closest competitor, well known for her performance, for a telephone interview. It was around 4 pm, and it had been a busy Monday for Helen. She was in the middle of designing a PowerPoint presentation when her cell phone buzzed. Reluctantly, she answered the call. Jason began by telling her who he was and that he wanted to ask a few questions, but Helen had to interrupt him and politely decline his request. He was asked to call again after the office hours were over, to which he reluctantly agreed.

Around 7 pm, Jason called Helen again. Suddenly, he realized that he had forgotten her resume at the office, so he was not left with much to ask. This time Helen was prepared for his questions, but to her dismay, there weren't many.

Jason broke the ice with the most commonly asked question, "Please, tell me about yourself?" As she started speaking, he ran to another room to pick up a pen and piece of paper...

The significance of planning couldn't be more plainly put than it was by Benjamin Franklin. The goal may be as big as winning a battle or as small as interviewing a job candidate, but the course to success always starts with effective planning.

In fact, for an organization, interviewing a prospective candidate is nothing less than winning a battle—a battle against its competitors to win the best resources available. The outcome of a simple mistake in the hiring process can be catastrophic, with the person whom we wanted to work for us now working against us. Further results of my previously mentioned survey indicate that more than 72 percent of interviewees felt that the interviewer had not properly prepared. This had an impact on the respondent's decision to move ahead with the process in 58 percent of cases.

In the case mentioned previously, the lack...

Any form of communication can be considered complete only when the objectives of that communication are met. The more complicated a communication skill, the greater articulation it requires. Telephone conversations are a complex form of communication in which achieving the goals set is easier said than done.

The principal problem with this type of communication is that the parties engaged cannot see each other. There are no handshakes, facial expressions, or hand gestures; no body language, eye contact, nor any other supporting feature that can cover up any mistakes that our words or tone make. In a face-to-face conversation, even if we end up making a bad start, we can still start working for a better end. Our body, holistically, works in unison with our words to provide all-inclusive support to our thought processes and helps put our message across to the listener in the most stimulating manner.

Telephone conversation, however, is an entirely different ball...

Irrespective of the number of training sessions, books, websites, blogs, or any other sources advocating the prominence of listening skills, we incessantly choose to ignore them. The main culprit is our reduced concentration span. We are always in a hurry to speak our minds, as our thoughts multiply and race more quickly than we can handle. 81 percent of respondents in my survey strongly believed in the contribution of the interviewer's listening skills towards successful results. Conversely, 67 percent felt that during one of the telephone interviews they faced, the attention of the recruiter was divided; that is, there was no active listening.

Several irritating distractions during the interview process were cited by the interviewees: the interviewer attending to their cell phone, talking to or being interrupted by another colleague, cell phone network disturbances, and munching or chewing were the most common culprits. Lack of planning has the same result, as it...

You planned it properly, asked relevant questions, and overall had a good interview session, but did you record it? In a telephone interview especially, there is a high chance that certain important verbal or non-verbal elements are left unanalyzed. This could be down to several factors. Did any of the following keep you from making an accurate record:

If any of this happened, and the interviewer was not recording the call in some form or another, it is highly probable that the assessment of the interview session or the candidate may be flawed, resulting in great wastage of effort at both ends.

One of the worst ways of recording the notes of a telephone interview session is by scribbling on the resume itself. Scribbles...

The economic quagmire has reached its zenith and the apprehension levels of employees have risen with it. Financial worries remain an issue of grave importance.

Selling the job is all about making sure that the candidate knows all the challenges and incentives of joining an organization before taking the next step. Joining a new job and organization is in itself a big challenge, which will affect their future directly. Facilitating them in getting all the relevant information about the job, the organization, and its relevant policies plays a significant role in earning the trust of the candidate. It establishes transparency in the transactions and clarity in the objectives imbued in the vision of an organization.

Selling the job is important not only from the candidate's perspective, but is also worth mentioning in the context of the organization. In such a cut-throat competitive scenario, when every organization is focused on hiring the best talent, recruiters are...

In the light of the entire discussion, let's see what changes Jason needs to make in order to win over Helen's candidature.

Jason approached his phone as he was supposed to call Helen at 6 pm for an interview. She was an Institutional Sales Manager from their closest competitor, well known for her performance.

Jason found her waiting for his call. Jason greeted her with a smile in his voice, introduced himself, and asked for her permission to record the conversation.

He was ready with her resume, pen, and a notepad with all other necessary documents. He started with carefully selected questions, inquiring in depth about her career growth, education history, past performance, market knowledge, and several other relevant indicators.

As she was answering his questions, he listened intently and made important notes on the designated form. After being satisfied with her answers, he told her about the role, responsibilities, and future career progression possibilities, before finally inviting...

We have seen that planning is an essential element and a guiding factor of the interview process. As per the survey, more than 72 percent of participants reported lack of planning in the telephone interview they faced, which had an adverse impact upon the decision to move ahead with the opportunity.

Telephone etiquette is vital in establishing a positive connection between the interviewer and interviewee. A clear, cordial, and undistracted telephone conversation must be targeted in order to achieve a mutually beneficial communication.

For a telephone interview to be successful, it is important for the recruiter to speak less and listen more. Hence, a careful selection of open-ended questions supported by the interviewer's skillful active listening aids in the development of mutual trust and respect. It also assures both parties that they are moving in the right direction.

A systematic and results-oriented recording, documentation, and assessment mechanism should be developed and formally...