You will have higher chances of being hired if you can demonstrate your professional capacity, experience and skillful behavior during the phone interview.
Are you a potential candidate? Has your CV caught the employer's eye? Are you about to enter the phone interview round? However, you don't know where to start or what to prepare. Don't worry! Navigos Search can help you pass the interview and make a good impression on the employer during the phone interview through the following information. Do not miss it!
1. Why do employers do phone interviews?
A phone interview is the first step to help employers determine whether a candidate is suitable for the job position and worthy of an in-person interview. As a result, it helps save time and financial resources for face-to-face interviews and contributes to the assessment of candidates' telephone communication skills.
Below are 4 benefits of phone interviews:
- Time-saving: Phone interviews usually last about 15-30 minutes, thereby increasing the recruitment process efficiency.
- Cost-saving: Eliminate travel and accommodation costs related to face-to-face interviews, helping to reduce financial pressure for businesses and candidates.
- Candidate screening: Assist in determining whether a candidate is qualified for a position to eliminate unsuitable candidates from the early stages of the recruitment process.
- Telephone communication skills assessment: Provide the opportunity to assess candidates' telephone communication skills, a primary factor in many job positions.
To put it briefly, the phone interview method is an essential tool that helps businesses make the best choice when inviting candidates for in-person interviews and efficiently optimize the recruitment process.
2. What do candidates need to prepare for a phone interview?
As a job candidate, you need to psychologically prepare for a phone interview and be open to receiving feedback from the employer, even if you are not aware that it will take place as. To have a successful interview, you should:
Research the position and company applying for
Whichever unit you send your CV to, you should also find out information about the vacancy and the company beforehand to better understand the duties, job requirements, culture, and working environment.
You can find out this information through the business website and social networks and take notes. Through that, you will know whether your abilities are the right fit for the position you are applying for and provide the employer with more informed answers when they inquire about these issues.
Practice a set of common interview questions in advance
Prepare and practice frequently asked interview questions in advance to confidently present yourself to the employer. A great advantage of phone interviews is that you can write answers on paper and seek information quickly online.
You can prepare some questions such as: Introducing yourself, experience, professional skills, desired salary and questions about handling situations, solving related problems.
Find out who is about to interview you
The person directly interviewing you over the phone can be a recruitment specialist, HR manager, or manager of the position you are applying for. You can visit the business's page, Website, and LinkedIn or search for information from the job exchange forum to determine their positions.
If the employer is the person who interviews you, you will probably receive general questions related to experience. If your supervisor conducts a face-to-face interview with you, they will probably inquire about your specific or specialized skills. Regardless of who conducts the interview, you must be as prepared as possible.
Always have documents available
Maybe the interviewer will ask you questions about your background and capacity profile to evaluate your experience more accurately and specifically. Therefore, you need to make sure all reference documents are always prepared. Print them out or open them on your computer to handily review the information.
Make sure your phone has enough battery
If you use a cell phone for a phone interview, make sure it is fully charged. You should also make a test call to make sure the connecting line is stable.
You should research the position and the company applying for
3. Tips for successful phone interviews
Eliminate distractions
Before and during the phone interview, eliminate all distractions. You should turn off all surrounding audio devices and close all unnecessary tabs on your computer and mobile phone to ensure your full attention on the interview.
If possible, let your family and friends know in advance that you are not free during this time to have the smoothest interview.
Have professional demeanor, listen and respond clearly
Once you have prepared carefully, this is the time you need to pay attention to the interview. Give the interviewer a polite first greeting. Next, listen carefully to each employer's questions to answer to the point and as clearly and fully as possible. Demonstrating excellent communication skills during the interview process will help you make a good impression and be more appreciated by the employer.
Don't rely too much on documents
Preparing documents is a good thing. However, don't rely too much on it because this makes the answer unnatural, without thinking, and unappreciated by the employer!
Ask the appropriate questions
Whether interviewing over the phone or in person, employers want to know if you are interested in the job position you are applying for. Show your interest by asking tactful questions at the end of the interview to make a better impression.
Tips for a successful phone interview
4. The interview is over doesn't mean it's over
With over 20 years in middle and senior-level personnel recruitment, Navigos Search recommends you to:
Ask about the follow-up interview process
You should proactively ask about the next interview process to show the employer that you are interested in this job position and you have particular working processes.
Send a thank you note to the employer
Even if the interview is not as good as expected, don't forget to send a message or email to thank the employer. This makes a great first impression and demonstrates your professionalism.
Send a thank you note to the employer to make a better impression
5. Frequently asked phone interview questions
To make the phone interview go more smoothly, you should prepare some of the following interview questions in advance:
Tell me a little about yourself?
This is the most common interview question, helping employers confirm candidate information. For this question, candidates must answer briefly and coherently with enough information.
Suggested answer:
My name is Tran Van A. I'm applying for position B at Enterprise C. I have 2 years of experience in the position... During the working process at the previous enterprise, I contributed to successful large projects and campaigns such as... With my current professional experience and spirit of learning and creating new things, I believe I am the right fit for the B position the company is recruiting.
Why did you leave your last job?
There are many reasons for leaving a job, including an inappropriate workplace, a lack of opportunity for professional growth, the job being no longer unsuitable, or other personal factors. Whatever the reason is, you should be honest and aim for positive, future development goals and avoid gossiping or complaining about your boss, colleagues, or previous company.
Suggested answer:
I find my current position does not support my aspirations for professional growth. I couldn't learn anything more and pursue my career advancement path. Therefore, I decided to seek a job with more challenges and better development opportunities.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
By asking this question, the employer wants to learn about your skills, experience (for strengths), and self-awareness (for weaknesses). This is an opportunity for you to "Promote" yourself instead of talking about your interests and personality.
Suggested answer:
My strength is the ability to come up with new ideas and realize those ideas. In a previous job, I proposed and successfully implemented a new marketing idea to achieve an 80% increase in business revenue. Besides, my weakness is that my business English ability is quite limited. Thus, I have taken a business English course to improve and enhance my skills.
What are your career goals?
There will be no right or wrong answer when candidates answer about their career goals as this depends on each person's personality, skills, and expectations. However, the best answer to this common phone interview question is that the objective must be related to the job being applied for and bring common value to the business and the candidates themselves.
You should start from short-term to long-term goals and present your progress towards that goal so that employers can evaluate the compatibility between your goals and their business. Don't forget to mention the achievements you desire to achieve instead of what you receive in terms of salary, benefits, etc.
Suggested answer:
My short-term goal is to use and develop professional and soft skills at work. In the long term, I desire to advance to a higher position in my profession such as position A or B. Therefore, I always attend specialized courses and seminars to enhance my knowledge since I am willing to take on higher positions when given the opportunity.
What is your desired salary?
This is another typical question during phone interviews. Employers want you to evaluate your own abilities. Through that, they can assess your career ambitions.
The smart way to answer is to swift the question to have more time to consider before stating your desired salary. You can ask more about job duties, benefits, and professional development courses or ask the employer to provide a salary range for that position.
Suggested answer:
With my qualifications and experience and my searching about the salary for this position in the current market, my desired salary is...
View now: Mastering the Art of Tactful Salary Negotiation During Interviews
Why should we hire you?
With this phone interview question, the employer wants to know whether the candidate's qualifications match the job requirements of the position being recruited. This is when you need to convincingly "introduce" the values and benefits you will bring to their business. Highlight your previous outstanding achievements related to the position you are applying for.
Suggested answer:
I have professional knowledge, experience, and skills suitable for the position being recruited. In addition, with the spirit of continuous learning and willingness to face all difficulties at work, I hope to work in this position to maximize my abilities and contribute good values to the business.
Do you have any questions for me?
Instead of answering “I don't have any questions,” take this opportunity to clarify what you still wonder. You should also not ask "yes" or "no" questions as you will not get any more information.
Suggested answer:
- If I am hired, when will I start working?
- Who can I contact for information after the interview?
- Can you tell me more about duties that are not mentioned in the job description for this position?
- What is the specific direction of the business for this job position?
- How many people work in this department?
- How does the manager evaluate the performance of this department?
- How and when do personnel usually receive feedback and job evaluation?
- Will I be able to participate in courses to improve my expertise and skills when taking this position?
- What are the promotion opportunities for this position and how long does it usually take?
- As a companion of the company over time, what do you like most about the company so far?
Frequently asked phone interview questions
Phone interview is a step in the recruitment process. Therefore, in order not to miss a good job opportunity, you must arm yourself with ability, spirit, and communicative behavior. Hopefully, the phone interview tips that Navigos Search shares above will help you conquer your dream job position.
Don't forget to follow our page to promptly update market information, handy personnel-related articles and how to enhance your career. Thank you for always following Navigossearch.com!
Navigos Search - Vietnam's leading middle and high-level talent hunting company