Sakshi Education
By
Baburao, EFLU
Why Telephone Interviews?
Telephone interviews have become quite popular now-a-days, especially in the software industry. The reasons are many. Firstly, it saves the employer the hard work of calling all applicants and the experts in the field to one place, thus investing money and more so time. Further, vacancies crop up periodically, consultants forward names of such candidates as and when they are available. For some specialized jobs, firms do not want to waste time and money on advertisements. They notify the consultants who will have a list of candidates ready with them. The nature of work in software industry does not allow aspirants to physically be present for the interviews. Travelling to another city or country is just impossible. Many IT specialists approach the consultants with their resumes and express their wish to relocate to another country or city. They wish to fix another job before they relocate. It is for these reasons telephone interviews have come stay. Initially, they were not so common. Now, mostly for experienced candidates, they have become a common phenomenon.
The advantages to the company are:
Some Useful Tips for Telephone Interviews
Preparedness:
You can be ready with material, readymade questions, salient features of the projects you have done etc. It may not be a bad idea to paste them on a sheet and keep them ready on a pad (to avoid the rustling of papers. You can instantly reply to the questions relating to them. It is also advisable to keep a copy of your resume and the covering letter that you had mailed. You may have prepared different resumes for different companies and certainly must have sent different covering letters. It would be advisable to keep them ready and respond.
Find out about the company:
Normally the company’s website gives most of the information. If you are being interviewed for a senior position, you should try to get more information even about the company’s performance and market analysis. Keep these facts ready with you while you take the interview.
Screening Interviews
In this the aim on both sides of the telephone are limited. The caller wants a selection of qualified candidates, and in the process screens out many candidates. If the call is a straightforward screening call, the caller will likely ask about your experience, availability and salary requirements. Your strategy is to provide facts that support your resume, with some context about your performance. Try using numbers and facts to be effective. However, you don’t want to volunteer anything that could disqualify you. Make every effort to sound professional but not personal, as this call is not to establish rapport.
Keep the noise out:
Since the interview is the only medium of communication, you should ensure that you have exclusive privacy to respond to the interview. The place should be cut out from all external noises including the ceiling fan in full speed as that can intrude into the sound waves. It is advisable to take the interview at home. Do not try to take them in office and during work time.
Be punctual:
Whether you are told that they would call or if you have been asked to call, be punctual – to the dot. Foreign clients are very particular about punctuality. Too early a call shows over-keenness and may damage your negotiating position. If you are late, it shows your lackadaisical attitude towards taking up a new job.
Keep your telephone in order:
You should inform the interviewer your convenient time, may be two or three different times, so that, they can choose one that is convenient. Please remember the time difference between India and their country. Unlike in India, US employers work only during their day time. Therefore, suggest to them a time that may be convenient to them. Also, remember USA has three different time zones and the practice of daytime light saving i.e. one hour forward in spring and one hour behind in fall (Nov 1 onwards). Having fixed the date and time of the interview, the next important thing is to keep yourself ready with your phone. Always give an alternative telephone number. Landlines are more reliable than mobile phones. Make sure that you have the phone fully charged. For landline phones, if you are using a cordless phone have a parallel connection that works on the battery back up of the telephone exchange. That way, you can be rest assured about uninterrupted interview. If you are a senior, the interview can sometimes last for 40 to 50 minutes.
The consultants normally fix telephone interviews. Once the interview is over and the technical expert(s) who interviewed give an OK, and the HRD officials swing into. They will ask questions about the package, perks and the joining time etc. There can be more interviews – first the technical person of the consultant, then the actual client who is going to make use of your services and then lastly HRD officials. You should have the patience for all the three rounds.
Keep a paper, a pen handy and a calculator while you take the interview. It may be necessary to note down some points, facts, telephone numbers and names during the interview. It would be very awkward to put the other party on hold to fetch a paper and pen.
Sit attentively:
While you take the interview, concentrate on the talk. Sit erect and listen. Do not recline in a chair and relax. Listening with headphones can sometimes make you sleepy. Better use it in the normal way. Do not smoke, chew gum, eat or drink during the interview. The microphone will catch all these sounds and transmits to your listener should you need a gulp, tell the other person, one second… and continue. Explain any pauses in your speech to ponder a question or take notes. Do not give audible pauses like hum…er….uhhh… Please remember, you do not have body language to supplement your speech. So, depend only on your voice…voice. Have a smile. Even though the listener cannot see you, your smile will certainly pass through your voice.
Speak intelligibly:
Speak slowly and softly. This is more necessary when you speak with a foreign national. Your accent will be different from the native accent. Speaking slowly is the easier way of making your speech intelligible. If you have noticed, BBC news, Hollywood movies will have their speech differently just to make everyone understand. In spite of your concentration, if you fail to understand something that is said, you could politely request the interviewer to repeat it. Do not make impolite noises like... “Ha…What? Pl repeat it.”
Be ready for most obvious questions:
There will be FAQs in any field, esp. for software engineers on different platforms. Keep some answers ready, if you think you need reference and use them without giving the impression that you are reading from the book.
Be a good listener! Do not intrude. Let the other person finish his question. Thank him for the call and his time. Do not hang up until the interviewer hangs up. If you are taking the interview for the first time, you could try to do a mock-interview with a friend or a senior colleague. It’s normal to breathe heavily while you are tense. Please keep the instrument away from the mouth when you have to exhale heavily. Sleep well before the interview. That will give you a relaxed mind and body.
Take the follow up action. Call the consultant to check what has happened. He would be the first one to know.
Listen carefully
Do use the technique of repeating or re-phrasing the questions occasionally. It tells the caller that you listened carefully, and gives you time to think about your answer. Do not presume any question. Listen carefully.
Do not jump to questions about package and perks. That comes at the end.
Does not use jargon during the interviews nor should you colloquialisms. Be polite. Address the persons correctly. Do not try to use first names unless you are asked to.
Baburao, EFLU
Why Telephone Interviews?
Telephone interviews have become quite popular now-a-days, especially in the software industry. The reasons are many. Firstly, it saves the employer the hard work of calling all applicants and the experts in the field to one place, thus investing money and more so time. Further, vacancies crop up periodically, consultants forward names of such candidates as and when they are available. For some specialized jobs, firms do not want to waste time and money on advertisements. They notify the consultants who will have a list of candidates ready with them. The nature of work in software industry does not allow aspirants to physically be present for the interviews. Travelling to another city or country is just impossible. Many IT specialists approach the consultants with their resumes and express their wish to relocate to another country or city. They wish to fix another job before they relocate. It is for these reasons telephone interviews have come stay. Initially, they were not so common. Now, mostly for experienced candidates, they have become a common phenomenon.
The advantages to the company are:
- The cost is less.
- The list of questions can be standardized.
- The interview can be delegated to a lower level (cheaper) employee.
- It can be done quickl
| Face to face Interviews | Telephone Interviews |
|---|---|
| Formal dressing is needed. | There is no need for any dress code. |
| Body language is important. | Body language is absent. So, communication cannot be supplemented with it. Only inflections in the voice tone and pitch matter. |
| You can observe the body language of the members of the Interviewing Board. | Feedback through body language of the board is not possible. One can infer only from the voice level, tone and pitch. |
| You can’t refer to any material during the personal interview. You have to solely depend on your memory. | It is possible to refer to your own material or any other ready made material that you have kept ready. |
| You can evaluate the members by their age and appearance. | There is a danger of your heavy breathing, yawning etc being recorded. |
Some Useful Tips for Telephone Interviews
Preparedness:
You can be ready with material, readymade questions, salient features of the projects you have done etc. It may not be a bad idea to paste them on a sheet and keep them ready on a pad (to avoid the rustling of papers. You can instantly reply to the questions relating to them. It is also advisable to keep a copy of your resume and the covering letter that you had mailed. You may have prepared different resumes for different companies and certainly must have sent different covering letters. It would be advisable to keep them ready and respond.
Find out about the company:
Normally the company’s website gives most of the information. If you are being interviewed for a senior position, you should try to get more information even about the company’s performance and market analysis. Keep these facts ready with you while you take the interview.
Screening Interviews
In this the aim on both sides of the telephone are limited. The caller wants a selection of qualified candidates, and in the process screens out many candidates. If the call is a straightforward screening call, the caller will likely ask about your experience, availability and salary requirements. Your strategy is to provide facts that support your resume, with some context about your performance. Try using numbers and facts to be effective. However, you don’t want to volunteer anything that could disqualify you. Make every effort to sound professional but not personal, as this call is not to establish rapport.
Keep the noise out:
Since the interview is the only medium of communication, you should ensure that you have exclusive privacy to respond to the interview. The place should be cut out from all external noises including the ceiling fan in full speed as that can intrude into the sound waves. It is advisable to take the interview at home. Do not try to take them in office and during work time.
Be punctual:
Whether you are told that they would call or if you have been asked to call, be punctual – to the dot. Foreign clients are very particular about punctuality. Too early a call shows over-keenness and may damage your negotiating position. If you are late, it shows your lackadaisical attitude towards taking up a new job.
Keep your telephone in order:
You should inform the interviewer your convenient time, may be two or three different times, so that, they can choose one that is convenient. Please remember the time difference between India and their country. Unlike in India, US employers work only during their day time. Therefore, suggest to them a time that may be convenient to them. Also, remember USA has three different time zones and the practice of daytime light saving i.e. one hour forward in spring and one hour behind in fall (Nov 1 onwards). Having fixed the date and time of the interview, the next important thing is to keep yourself ready with your phone. Always give an alternative telephone number. Landlines are more reliable than mobile phones. Make sure that you have the phone fully charged. For landline phones, if you are using a cordless phone have a parallel connection that works on the battery back up of the telephone exchange. That way, you can be rest assured about uninterrupted interview. If you are a senior, the interview can sometimes last for 40 to 50 minutes.
The consultants normally fix telephone interviews. Once the interview is over and the technical expert(s) who interviewed give an OK, and the HRD officials swing into. They will ask questions about the package, perks and the joining time etc. There can be more interviews – first the technical person of the consultant, then the actual client who is going to make use of your services and then lastly HRD officials. You should have the patience for all the three rounds.
Keep a paper, a pen handy and a calculator while you take the interview. It may be necessary to note down some points, facts, telephone numbers and names during the interview. It would be very awkward to put the other party on hold to fetch a paper and pen.
Sit attentively:
While you take the interview, concentrate on the talk. Sit erect and listen. Do not recline in a chair and relax. Listening with headphones can sometimes make you sleepy. Better use it in the normal way. Do not smoke, chew gum, eat or drink during the interview. The microphone will catch all these sounds and transmits to your listener should you need a gulp, tell the other person, one second… and continue. Explain any pauses in your speech to ponder a question or take notes. Do not give audible pauses like hum…er….uhhh… Please remember, you do not have body language to supplement your speech. So, depend only on your voice…voice. Have a smile. Even though the listener cannot see you, your smile will certainly pass through your voice.
Speak intelligibly:
Speak slowly and softly. This is more necessary when you speak with a foreign national. Your accent will be different from the native accent. Speaking slowly is the easier way of making your speech intelligible. If you have noticed, BBC news, Hollywood movies will have their speech differently just to make everyone understand. In spite of your concentration, if you fail to understand something that is said, you could politely request the interviewer to repeat it. Do not make impolite noises like... “Ha…What? Pl repeat it.”
Be ready for most obvious questions:
There will be FAQs in any field, esp. for software engineers on different platforms. Keep some answers ready, if you think you need reference and use them without giving the impression that you are reading from the book.
Be a good listener! Do not intrude. Let the other person finish his question. Thank him for the call and his time. Do not hang up until the interviewer hangs up. If you are taking the interview for the first time, you could try to do a mock-interview with a friend or a senior colleague. It’s normal to breathe heavily while you are tense. Please keep the instrument away from the mouth when you have to exhale heavily. Sleep well before the interview. That will give you a relaxed mind and body.
Take the follow up action. Call the consultant to check what has happened. He would be the first one to know.
Listen carefully
Do use the technique of repeating or re-phrasing the questions occasionally. It tells the caller that you listened carefully, and gives you time to think about your answer. Do not presume any question. Listen carefully.
Do not jump to questions about package and perks. That comes at the end.
Does not use jargon during the interviews nor should you colloquialisms. Be polite. Address the persons correctly. Do not try to use first names unless you are asked to.
Published date : 29 Oct 2011 01:20PM
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