Telephone interviews are part and

parcel of the hiring process, yet

preparation is often overlooked,

simply because the interview isn't

face-to-face.

However, your telephone interview

performance will likely dictate

whether or not you are invited in for

a face-to-face interview or in some

cases, offered the job.

TOP TIPS FOR THE PERFECT TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

haysplc.com/viewpoint

BEFORE THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

2

Clear your diary for at least an

hour either side of the interview so

that you aren’t pushed for time.

Research the company and know

the job role thoroughly. Practice

common interview questions and

structuring your answers.

Prepare as you would for a face-to-face interview

Perfect your verbal communication skills

Run a practice interview and

record yourself.

This will help you to detect

behaviours such as speaking too

quickly, interrupting, mumbling or

using filler words such as “um”

“like” and so forth.

ON THE DAY OF THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

5

Make sure that your voice is fully

prepared for the interview

especially if it is first thing in the

morning.

Do some tongue twisters and

vocal exercises and drink plenty of

water.

Warm up your voice

Do some breathing exercises

beforehand to calm your nerves,

and give yourself a pep talk,

reminding yourself of all of your

achievements to date.

Visualise positive outcomes, such

as being offered the job. This will

motivate you to give your best

performance during the call.

Get into a positive mind-set

Do you have phone signal, a full

battery and the hiring manager

and recruiter’s name and number

saved on your phone?

Be clear on who is calling who. Be

ready for the call 15 minutes

before. If you are at home, switch

off the TV and radio.

Get organised

DURING THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

9

Pick up the phone within two to

three rings, and answer in a

professional manner, for instance:

“Hello, Alex speaking.”

Don’t forget to maintain this

professional tone throughout the

call.

Answer the phone in a professional manner

Keep your CV, bullet points of

your key skills and achievements,

plus any headline information

about the company in front of you

in case you get stuck.

Remember not to read these

notes word for word, and be

careful not to shuffle the paper too

loudly and give the game away.

Have all the information you’ll need to hand

Even though your interviewer can’t

see you, getting your body

language right during your

telephone interview can make all

the difference.

Sitting up straight when answering

questions will improve how well

you project your voice, and smiling

will inflect a positive intonation as

you speak.

Adjust your body language

It is harder to appreciate just how

fast we are speaking over the

phone.

If you notice this happening,

pause and take a deep breath.

Get up and walk around, this can

help you to regulate your speaking

patterns and feel more at ease.

Speak at an even pace

Don’t start doing anything else

which could be perceived as rude

during a face-to-face interview,

such as scrolling through social

media on your phone.

Avoid interrupting the interviewer

by pausing for a second once you

think they have finished speaking,

before you start responding.

Remember your manners

Thank the interviewer for their

time, and state that you enjoyed

learning more about this

opportunity. Reiterate your interest

in the role, and clarify the next

steps. Make sure you leave a

strong last impression with the

interviewer.

Conclude as you would a face-to-face interview

AFTER THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

16

Phone your recruiter straight after

the interview to give your

feedback, and send a thank you

note to the interviewer via your

recruiter, affirming again, just how

interested you are in this

opportunity. Remember to keep

your phone close by in the coming

days.

Follow up as you would a face-to-face interview

Good luck!

Hopefully by now you are feeling

clearer on how best to prepare for

a telephone interview. The key is to

perfect your telephone manner,

specifically your verbal

communication skills, and put as

much effort into preparing as you

would a face-to-face interview.

Did you find this SlideShare

useful? Don’t forget to read our

blogs for more helpful advice:

• Change your thinking and calm

your interview nerves

• The worst questions to ask your

interviewer

ABOUT HAYS

Hays is a leading global

professional recruiting group, the

expert at recruiting qualified,

professional and skilled people

worldwide.

With over 10,000 staff operating

from 250 offices in 33 countries

across 20 specialism's, last year we

placed around 70,000 candidates

into permanent jobs, and around

240,000 people into temporary

assignments.

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