Useful tips to get the most out of Phone Interviews

The recent past has seen an increasing preference of Recruiters for Phone Interviews because such interviews help them to screen candidates while saving time. The questions are highly resume-centric, but can also be asked from other areas like salary expectations and areas of interest of the candidate.

 Why opt for a Phone Interview as a screening process?

An initial phone interview is a great way to give a direction towards talent assessment. The best thing about Phone Interviews is that it cuts off a lot of time - for everyone. Added to this, there is no traveling and waiting involved, which makes the complete process way more smooth and time-saving.

In just about 10-15 minutes, you can gain clear insights on whether a candidate knows well about what he has written in the resume and how much understanding of the job role he has. You can also check if the candidate has valid salary expectations and fully checks all the boxes of the job description.

The questions and their answers discussed below are the best way to figure out whether a job-seeking candidate is fit for your job requirement or not.

 1. Why do you want to work with us?

Through this question, you can validate how serious a candidate is about the job opening and if he/she is the right fit for the company. Are they able to:

-Convince you that they can deliver timely results?

-Explain how they will be a good fit for the team?

-Make you see their skill-set and promise to excel?

If you find positive answers to such questions, then that candidate is definitely a big yes-yes for the company.

2. Explain to us about yourself

This is most likely to be the first question which Recruiters like to ask in the Phone Interview. The entire purpose of this question is to know about you. You should consider this as a great opportunity to sell your skills in the best possible way. Explain to them what makes you a good fit for the company and if hired, how you can add value to the company. Your answer can be a balance of personal details and the skills you carry, but make sure you talk more about the value addition to the company than your family background.

3. What do you know about this job opening?

Recruiters are likely to enquire about the information they need to tell you about the details of the job opening you have applied for. This is also a good way for them to figure out if you have done your homework right about researching the job role. So speak out whatever you have studied about the job role from the job description. Also, speak about the Company's vision and how your skills are going to compliment the same. 

4. What is your expected salary?

This question acts as a good filter to distinguish between someone who values work in the beginning of their career and someone who just wants to work to earn money.

If after talking to all the candidates over Phone for the job opening, you find that almost all of them have money as their priority, then you definitely need to work on your candidate sourcing strategy.

Tip: If you decide to ask the salary question, make sure you ask them amongst the first 5 questions. Candidates usually perform better in the first half of the interview and would give an honest and good answer - high chances.

5. Any Questions for us?

If the interviewing person has asked you this question, this means it's an opportunity for you to ask some meaningful questions about the company and the job role. This gives an indication that you were actively listening and paying full attention to the words of the interview throughout the telephonic interview.

Researching the company is an easy way to understand the company’s history, mission, and values. A great place to start is by browsing the company’s website. You can also search the internet for recent news articles. Use the information you find to help shape your questions. Your initiative will be well-received because it proves you took the time to learn about the company and industry.

 As a matter of fact, researching the company before an interview is always a good idea. It is a good way to underst   and the Company's work culture and core values. The ideal way to do it is by scanning the company's website. Read the articles on the Company's website and use your understanding to prepare questions to ask the interviewer. Your questions will be appreciated but it will portray that you took out time to research about the company and are genuinely interested in the job role.

 Here are a few example questions you might consider asking:

A few sample questions can be:

-How does this job role help in the development of the company?

-What growth metrics is the company expecting in the upcoming years?

-Do any of my skill-set or abilities concern you?

-When can I expect a response back from you?

Conclusion:

Companies who are into Entry level recruitment often rely on telephonic interviews to gain valuable insights before inviting them for personal round. Another good way to source candidates for telephonic interviews can be partnering with various Online Assessment Platforms. Such employment assessment platforms consist of a vast pool of candidates ready to appear for the screening rounds.

This blog aims to help both Recruiters and candidates to understand the reasons for various questions and how to answer them. Follow the tips shared in the blog to amplify your chances of getting success.