Telephone interviews
Distractions detract from telephone performance
Imagine all the things that you can do whilst on the telephone and often do,they are all perfectly normal human activities; and they are all things that recruitment candidates have done during telephone interviews.
Survey's show that many candidates fail to take telephone interviews as seriously as face-to-face interviews, and risk losing out as a result.
Over 50% of organisations use telephone interviews as part of their recruitment and initial screening process. They are most commonly used to save time and money by screening applicants before inviting them for face-to-face interviews.
This means that a telephone interview is an important opportunity for the candidate to make a good impression and secure a meeting with the recruiting organisation. But many candidates fluff that opportunity.
What telephone interviews mean to the candidate.
The mind set has to be what do I want from it.
Clearly set objectives, given that often they are used as a form of screening your initial objective should be to move to a face to face inteview.
Common candidate mistakes
• Distractions: loss of thought flow
• Preparation: Not taking this format seriously
• Listening:If you do not listen you cannot answer
• To relaxed: Imagine you are at the other end, do you sound interested?
These errors can all ‘seriously harm the candidate’s chance of progression’ to the next stage of the interview process.
Remember the person on the other end of the telephone will have gained an impression of you and it is them that will recommend you for the next stage.
Why would you want to give a bad impression?
Some telephone interview ideas
Telephone interviews can be especially tricky for candidates, as it can be difficult to express yourself clearly on the phone. Equally candidates can come across differently on the phone compared with face to face. Also clients will create a mental image of candidates they have interviewed by telephone.
Things to consider
• Prepare yourself for the call as you would a face-to-face interview
• Choose a quiet place to take the call with a landline phone and no risk of interruption or background noise
• Pay as much attention to listening as to speaking
You can change the tone of your voice add urgency and excitement stand up walk around, you can do all of these things.
Telephone interview performance
Faced with a huge pile of CVs from equally qualified candidates, recruiters will need a way of weeding out the weaker applicants, and many use telephone screening interviews. Don’t give them a reason to reject you them by performing poorly on the telephone.
Remember telephone interviews are formal avoid slang terms "mate,Love,Babe," it is always difficult when you relax as a good client will want you to , to remember it is formal. DO NOT FORGET
An idea, dress as you would for a face to face interview, if you do this it will help you to get into the interview mind set.
Do not foget you only get one chance to make a good first impression One key tip is to take the phone call in a quiet room on a landline so you can be confident that it won’t cut out; the lack of distractions and quality line will ensure a more professional interview too.”
Telephone interviews are often the first real opportunity that candidates get to shine in front of a prospective employer.
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