How to conduct a Telephonic Interview effectively?
Interviewing is an important part of the hiring process and in this time of social isolation, employers and employers are more likely to use alternative interviews. One way you can do this is by telephone. Telephone conversations are also referred to as ‘‘ phone screens ’’ by employers. These telephonic interviews are usually conducted for a short period of 15 to 30 minutes. Before conducting face-to-face interviews, it is important for the employer to make phone screens. This will open the way for them to improve the hiring process and the end result.
Telephonic interviews will help you to narrow your pool of candidates thus helps to you find the right candidate. Before inviting the candidate for the face-to-face interview in your organization , it is better to conduct the initial screening through a phone call. This will enable you to access the candidates’ skills, experience, salary expectations thus saving your valuable time and money which would otherwise have been wasted on meeting unsuitable candidates.
Here are a few tips which you can use to conduct telephonic interviews-
Listen Carefully-
As you cannot read the body language of the candidate during these interviews it is important that you give your full attention and listen carefully. It is better if you make notes while the candidate is answering your questions.
Start the interview by asking these questions-
Start of easy, with basic questions like – ‘’Introduce yourself’’ ‘’what are your roles and responsibilities in your current organization’’ ‘’why are you looking for a job change’’ ‘’when can you join’’ because these interviews can be very stressful for the candidates.
Ask open-ended questions-
You can ask open-ended questions(Open-ended questions are presented as a statement that requires a long answer) to have an idea about their experience.
Ask focused interview questions –
Once you have established a relationship with the person you are hearing about, focus on your questions on the most important skills and knowledge of the position. The questions you ask should help determine whether the candidate’s qualifications, experience, workplace preferences, cultural equality, and salary requirements are relevant to your position and organization.
Don’t multitask during the interview-
It can be challenging to stay focused on phone conversations when the person to whom you are going to write is not in front of you, but it is important that you do not get distracted. When you start dusting on the top of your monitor, for example, you don’t talk, you do a lot of things.
How can you conclude the Telephonic interviews?
The best way to conclude a phone interview is with some level of transparency. If the applicant is worthy of moving forward to the next round, let them know someone will be contacting them to schedule a follow-up. Should they not be deemed a good fit for the position, let them know why or tell them that you have other candidates who are a closer match. When you have mixed feelings and need some time to think about it, let your applicant know a definitive time frame when you will get back to them with an update. Interviewing is a two-way street. Do not assume an applicant is going to wait for your response and not continue interviewing elsewhere.
Phone interviews are just the first hurdle in the interview process but if you have mastered that you’ll surely guarantee better candidates who are the best your company can choose from. Follow these tips mentioned above and it will help you to conduct telephonic interviews effectively.
