November 2007 Success with Telephone Interviews Telephone interviews can be trying. There are no visual cues, no body language to read and, in some cases, you've got to answer questions posed by a panel of voices over conference lines or speaker phones. Here are some tips on engaging successfully - long-distance or local. By Leslie Stevens-Huffman Under pressure to do more with less and straining to discern candidate differences from a stream of online resumes, managers are conducting more initial interviews over the telephone instead of face-to-face. "Employers don't want me wasting their time," explains Kenny Jones, senior technical recruiter with Total Recruiting Solutions, a contract and full-time placement staffing firm based in Woodland Hills, Calif. "For IT positions, at least 75 to 80 percent of the time I will be conducting a telephone interview, and sometimes the client will conduct an initial interview by telephone as well. The goal of the interview is to validate and better understand the candidate's technical expertise." "We really turn to telephone interviews when we have a large number of candidates who all look the same on paper, or if we are trying to ascertain whether we want to spend the money to bring a candidate in from out of town," says Karen Kerr, assistant director for recruitment at California State University, Long Beach. "We're really testing the candidate's credibility. We want to quickly get a handle on their knowledge and validate their skills and abilities." "Show passion for what you do, be upbeat and show an interest in the company," suggests Jones. "It's really important not to misrepresent your technical knowledge or to act in an arrogant manner. I've been doing this for 14 years and I always find that attitude wins out over technical knowledge. Technology is always changing and employers know that. Many are willing to train if they are using cutting edge technology. But they are only willing to do that for the candidate who has the right attitude." So, you've got a phone interview lined up and need to prepare. Here's a roadmap: Remember: It's an Interview Be on time: Phone interviews are scheduled by appointment, so don't treat it any differently than an in-person interview. Select a quiet place: No barking dogs, no kids in the background. You want silence and privacy. Close the door to the room, answer the phone yourself and wear a headset if possible so your hands are free to take notes. Shut down your e-mail or anything else that will distract you. Prepare some crib sheets: One advantage to phone interviews is you can have information in front of you. If you don't know the names of the interviewers in advance, write them down as they are given to you and make a note to help you recognize each voice. For example, Mr. Jones has a high pitched voice, or sounds like your Uncle Bill. Have a print-out of your resume and any vignettes you might use to demonstrate your experience. Have them in large type, so you can refer to them easily. Do your homework: Study the job description and the company's Web site. By doing so, you can anticipate some of the questions you'll be asked, and you'll be able to customize your examples and vignettes. Smile: Okay, it's corny, but there's a reason everyone suggests it: It works. Stand up if it will help you transfer more energy into your voice, and try putting a mirror on the wall in front of you. To prepare, role play with a friend or your spouse and try recording your voice to see how you sound. Speak clearly and not too quickly: Remember that on most conference lines, one person cuts out if two people speak at once. So always wait a second before you start speaking to make certain the other person has finished. Listen: Connections can be challenging and the interviewer who's the furthest away from the speaker phone can be hard to hear. Focus on what you're being asked and request clarification if you're uncertain. It's always good to start your response by addressing the questioning interviewer by first name. If you're not sure who asked the question, identify them first before responding. Prepare some questions: Don't focus on compensation and benefits. Ask about the company, its performance expectations, and the culture. In other words, show interest! Also be sure to close by saying you're interested in taking the next step and asking if there's anything else you can provide. Obtain the contact information and titles for the interviewers and send each a follow-up note or e-mail as soon as the interview concludes. "Because most phone interviews focus on screening a candidate for their knowledge, it's important to be ready to articulate your expertise clearly and succinctly, but not curtly," says Kerr. "Avoid ‘ums and ahs' because those bad speech habits have a tendency to magnify when you're speaking over the telephone. Although many candidates don't like phone interviews, in some respects they're fairer than in-person meetings because the candidates aren't judged on their appearance, just their competency, so in that sense phone interviews are truly equal." Leslie Stevens-Huffman is a freelance writer based in Irvine, Calif. who has more than 20 years experience in the staffing industry. Comments on this article? Share your feedback on our discussion forum, Dice Discussions. *Please note, you must be a registered job seeker in order to submit your question to Dice Discussions. Search Jobs Project Manager Java SAP Oracle .NET Business Analyst J2EE VB QA C# Did you know? 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