Telephone Interviewing - Don't Shoot Yourself in the Foot

Over the course of my career I have telephone interviewed tens of thousands of candidates. Even with the increasing use of video conferencing, telephone interviews will probably hang around for several more years. It’s good to be prepared, as this is often the first opportunity you will have to impress a potential employer.

Interviewing over the telephone presents some unique challenges. You, the candidate, will not have any visual cues that can tell you how your answers are being perceived. You won’t know if the interviewer’s eyes are glazing over, if her foot is tapping, or if she’s rolling her eyes (and yes, I promise you that we do such things on the other end of the line!). So how do you not just survive, but impress during a telephone interview? Here are a few tips:

1. Breathe! If at all possible, take the call standing up rather than sitting. Better yet, pace while you talk. You’ve heard the phrase, “think on your feet”. It is a physiological fact – your circulation will be better, feeding your brain, and your lungs will have full operating capacity. Your voice will project better.

2. Use a land line instead of a mobile phone. This call is too important to risk dropping the call, interference, sun spots, aliens…whatever. Sound quality is more reliable on a land line, too. If this is not possible, then test your mobile from the location where you will be taking the interview call with a friend. While I may be understanding of technical glitches, it is tedious asking candidates to repeat themselves because I couldn’t decipher their answers due to poor sound quality. It destroys momentum, and it is distracting.

3. Speaking of distractions, if you have a set appointment for the telephone interview, then plan accordingly. Do whatever you must do to ensure quiet, uninterrupted time. This is a serious business meeting that could impact your future – treat it as such. If you wouldn’t bring your children, pets, or friends to an in-person interview, then exclude them from the telephone interview, as well.

I have interviewed candidates during their commute. Even though they are using hands-free devices (I hope!), it is not humanly possible to concentrate fully on two things at once. It scares me half to death. If this is your only alternative, find a place to stop and park.

Twice I’ve had candidates put me on hold during a telephone interview – in one, I knew the candidate was on a lunch break at work and that an interruption was possible. The other, though, was someone with call waiting who answered the other call. Yes, really.

4. Prepare. Take time to study the job description and research the company. Go beyond the company’s web site – look on LinkedIn, YouTube, Glassdoor, Google, and social networking sites. With all the information available on the internet, you should have a pretty good idea about the company’s products, profitability, its mission, culture, values, and the kinds of people it hires. Think about things you’ve done that support your candidacy for this job with this company…maybe jot down these ideas so that you are sure to bring them up during the interview.

5. Listen! This is one of the most common reasons a candidate does not go to the next step. So let me say it again – Listen! Listen to the question. If you do not understand the question, ask for clarification. That’s better than rambling and just hoping you’ve hit the mark.

6. Tell your story. Succinctly. Your resume did its job and captured enough interest to trigger the telephone interview. Do not regurgitate what I’ve already seen on paper. Recruiters’ interview approaches vary, and you’ll have to follow their lead. Many of us use behavioral questions such as “Tell me about a time you _____”. This is a perfect chance for you to talk with enthusiasm about a problem you solved and its impact on your employer (or school or volunteer organization). I beg of you not to refer me to your resume for an answer. That is likely going to be the end of my interest in you as a candidate. And it happens too often: “well, as you can see on page 2 of my resume…”

7. “We” vs. “I”. This is difficult territory. Companies generally seek candidates with well-developed skills in teamwork. If you’ve worked for such a company, the vernacular is all “we” to the extent that you barely remember how to pronounce “I”. But I am interviewing YOU, not your team. While you want to convey your team orientation, it is also important to define your role within the team. For example, “We had a Kaizen on WIP inventory that resulted in a 40% improvement” vs. “I was selected to participate on a team after noticing that there seemed to be room to whittle down WIP. As part of this team, I led the process mapping, and then we identified and implemented specific improvements resulted in a 40% improvement”. In the second response, it is clear that you’ve worked as a team member, but now I know your exact role within the team.

8. Do not make “Rambling Rose” your theme song. Stay on-point. Keep your answers brief. You can always say, “Did that answer your question? “

9. Pause. I’ve had candidates launch into presentations and barrel on through without giving me a chance to ask for further information or clarification. I’ve had to interrupt them to squeeze in a question. Guess what? Those are candidates I cannot put in front of hiring teams.

10. Work on any verbal ticks. We all have some bad speaking habits…and they tend to get worse when we’re under pressure. Ask friends/family for input – “umm” and “you know” are often the culprits. Practice getting through answers without these verbal crutches. Another increasingly common speech habit is ending sentences as though they’re questions.

11. The dreaded “tell me about yourself” question. Yes, it’s still around and it has its uses. In the age of competency and behavioral structured interviews, you may never encounter this one, but it’s best to be prepared. The interviewer will be assessing your ability to summarize a huge amount of data into a tight, relevant answer. If you’ve prepared (see #4), it’s a great opportunity to bring forward those experiences that support your candidacy.

12. Ask meaningful, thoughtful questions. I know hiring managers who will not even consider a candidate who does not have any questions. Remember that this process involves mutual decision-making. The company is deciding if you are a suitable candidate for the job, but you must also decide if the job and company will meet your career needs. Think of it as dating – you only get a couple of dates and then you decide if you’re getting married. You want to make a good decision so you don’t wind up in divorce court anytime soon. So surely you have some questions! Focus on the job, the company, the work environment, training, strategic plans or just about any other factor that is important to your career health and well-being, but do not ask the “what’s in it for me?” questions – salary, benefits, time off, etc. That’s like asking your date about his/her bank account over your first cup of coffee. That will come later in the process. For now, focus on the fit.

If you’re uneasy about the company’s ability to meet your salary expectations, a tactful way of bringing up the topic is if you offer up information regarding salary: “I’m presently earning around $__ and would expect a slight bump to make a job change. Will that fit within your range?”

Sure hope these tips help you ace that interview!