The telephone interview

Telephone screening interviews

Most of the time, the first contact you will have with a hiring manager will be over the phone (although this has shifted to video calls over the past two years – check out this article for details on how to best prepare for these types of calls).

So, what’s the best practice for a telephone call? Read on to find out!

Preparation

As with any type of interview, it is always best practice to make your own preparation beforehand – research the company, decipher the job spec, and do a bit of research on your interviewer (assuming you have their name).

The format of a telephone call will vary from company to company, so be sure to discuss this with your recruiter beforehand to help focus your preparations.

Your setup

Similar to video calls, you’ll want to make sure your setup is just right – make sure you’re in a quiet area with a good phone signal. If you live in an area with poor phone signal, use your internet connection to help (i.e. WiFi calling) – WhatsApp is often reliable in this regard! Landlines are generally the most reliable of all so, if you have access to one, use it!

You can also have your prep notes in front of you to help answer any questions your interviewer may have, just be sure to focus on what they are saying throughout the conversation – be an active listener.

Any questions?

These initial conversations are almost always exploratory in their nature, so it’s important you use this opportunity to get a better picture on the role and company – ask lots of questions!

It can be useful to have a bank of 3-5 questions ready for your interviewer(s). You’ll also want a notepad to hand to jot down their answers – this information can come in really handy during the later interview stages!

Try to make your questions as focussed as possible and, whatever you do, don’t ask questions that you can find the answers to yourself (i.e. public information on the company).