|
Telephone interviews can be one of the most uncomfortable pieces of the job-seeking puzzle. Still, most employers use them as a regular part of the hiring process. They resort to them because they are a necessary step, primarily for cost reasons. Without them, companies would overburden themselves interviewing candidates face-to-face who could have been disqualified for the process much earlier on.
It is this opportunity to become "disqualified" that is the major reason for the discomfort that you most likely experience during the process. It would be great if every hiring manager or human resources person on the other end of the phone were looking for reasons to hire you, instead of reasons to drop you from the process. Sadly, however, that isn't the case. Depending upon the nature of the person conducting the interview, these telephone conferences can become extremely uncomfortable.
It is that difference in human nature which can also make a telephone interview a valuable part of the process for you as well. Should you encounter a person with enough courtesy and respect to allow you to also learn from the process, you can become one of the lucky ones who gains something from the encounter. In order to help turn some of these potentially negative scenarios into opportunities, first understand the reasons behind these calls.
Telephone Interview Tips
The objective of the telephone interview is to get invited to an in-person interview. Gear the interview with ‘teasers’; short quick statements that creates the impression that they should take a closer look at you. Sales professionals use teasers to get their foot into the front-door.
A teaser should be related to the company or its industry so that it makes you look interesting and credible. The teaser makes you look interested in the issues affecting the company or industry, which will set you apart from the other candidates. Ideally a teaser arises from industry insight, team building or a problem solving approach gained from first hand experience.
Telephone interviews can occur at any time. Be scripted with teasers and a resume story line before the phone call. We can’t overemphasize the importance of not being surprised by the phone call. Some hiring managers will call early in the morning, others will wait until dinner or later. Have a copy of your resume by the phone, along with your script of teasers and answers to commonly asked interview questions.
A telephone interview can last a few minutes or over an hour. When you feel that you’ve scored enough points with the interviewer, ask for a face to face interview! After you have successfully scheduled the next interview, write down the highlights of your interview. Write down then information that way relayed to you, include any skills or qualities that they said that they were looking for. Also include any strengths or weaknesses you may have projected. Be honest and objective. When you get to the in-person interview, build upon those strengths and minimize the interviewer’s perception of your weaknesses with rehearsed examples of past accomplishments.
Instead of adopting a risk-averse interview style, be assertive. Since the objective of the telephone interview is to get invited to an in-person interview, plan on scripting out those ‘teasers.’ Then give it your best!
9 Tips To Help You Improve Your Odds
Is there anything that can be done to make the process, if not more pleasant, at least more productive? Something that you can do to achieve a higher percentage of success during the process? Remember that this process is the same as a normal interview, except in hyperspeed -- and without the element of "in person" communication. Here are some ideas to review prior to the interview which will help you sharpen your telephone interview skills:
1) Remember that the person on the other end of the phone may be just as uncomfortable as you are. Concentrate less on your feelings of inadequacy and more on how to make the other person feel at ease. Most people do not like the telephone interview process -- remember that it works both ways.
2) Smile over the phone. Believe it or not, smiling while you are talking will actually help you sound more "friendly" and open. Many telephone marketing offices have a mirror on each desk so that their people can always keep this in mind!
3) During the telephone interview, you are judged by the same criteria used in an in-person interview, i.e.: self-confidence. Self-confidence is judged differently by phone than in-person (where eye contact, for example, can be an excellent barometer). Instead, you'll be judged by a much more subtle set of factors -- the sound of your voice, your level of friendliness and enthusiasm, etc.
4) The ability to speak succinctly about your past experiences and accomplishments will be critical. Many technical professionals launch into long, drawn-out answers to telephone interview questions. Because they do not have the sense of sight working for them, they are quite unable to tell if the person on the other line has gone to sleep!
5) Many people find that the most uncomfortable scenario in a telephone interview is the occasional "dead air" of silence during the conversation. Do you have a list of questions prepared about the company and the opportunity that you can refer to when caught in one of those dead spots? Although good communication seems to be up to both of you, typically that dead air will be your responsibility to fill.
6) Although you are always judged on your ability to listen well, nowhere in the recruiting process do listening skills become more important than in the telephone interview. You'll find that your nerves will sometimes make this very difficult. One possible result will be the tendancy for you to talk too much, to oversell yourself. I suggest that you close off all thoughts about whatever is going on around you and concentrate on the words and voice of the interviewer. Respond to the questions, but do not expound!
7) It should be remembered that since so much of your success in this situation is determined by your comfort in the surroundings you are in during the call, make certain that you get yourself situated properly. Perhaps it is by suggesting a time for the call that is after the kids have gone to bed. Or, if the caller takes you by surprise, ask for five minutes to get organized and get a phone number to call them back.
8) Don't ever talk about issues related to potential compensation, company benefits, problems at your current employer, etc., when in the throes of an initial phone interview. This is solid advice for any first-interview situation. It always amazes me when an experienced veteran launches into a diatribe about bad management at their company, or asks the infamous line "What's the job pay?"
9) Do ask questions of the potential employer -relating to their company, their philosophies, their operating methods, what they are looking for you to accomplish, etc. It is important that you exhibit intense interest in them as well!
The Face-to-Face Interview
I
THE "I GOT THE JOB!" PRIMER
Whether you are
experienced in the interview process, are new to the market, or simply haven't
had a need to interview in years, your knowledge of how to interview is critical
to your success in obtaining a new position. If you invest the time to know
yourself and to understand what to expect, you will be confident and prepared.
Your interview will be a pleasant and informative experience. You will have done
everything to maximize the chance that YOU will be the successful candidate.
Most of the information provided in the following pages will be based in common
sense and are probably obvious. Prepare your answers to questions in advance-
some may not be so easy! Remember that most companies interview between three
and ten candidates for each technical/professional position. Few will be as
prepared as you to shine brightly throughout the process.
Above all, you will be able to ENJOY your interview, relax, smile and show those
with whom you meet, what a terrific addition to their organization you will be!
II
PREPARATIONS BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
The "Effective Job Interview"
An interview in which the
candidate gains sufficient information to decide that he/she wants the position,
and imparts sufficient information that the employer offers the candidate the
position.
I. Take the time to list probable questions that an interviewer might ask you,
and write out your answers. Do your answers stand the test of reality and
reliability? Will they sound so to a prospective employer? Examine your short
and intermediate term career goals. You may be asked "Where do you see yourself
in 5 years (or some other number)". List your strengths and weaknesses, and
conclude what you really have that would be of interest to the prospective
employer.
***SEE SECTION III***
" MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS"
I. Self preparation in
knowing yourself, will help insure that you answer interview questions fully,
briefly and effectively.
II. Typically, a position is filled with a candidate who has a 65 to 85% fit,
who is capable of learning what he/she doesn't bring to the position, and who
has the right "chemistry".
NEVER RUN YOURSELF DOWN!
III. If you have been fired or let go, the general rule of thumb is that 85% of
all those events is based in "chemistry", and NOT in competence to handle the
position. Be prepared with letters of reference, neatly presented, and in a
balance of superiors, peers, and subordinates (as recent as possible).
IV. If possible, do your homework regarding obtaining information about the
interviewing company in advance. Possible sources would be the Internet,
Library, brokerage house reports and/or former and existing employees. This
effort shows the potential employer your true level of interest in becoming part
of their team, and will impress them with your thoroughness.
III
MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
You will be well prepared
for your interview if you write down you answers to the following questions,
giving them serious thought. Many people lose out because of hesitancy and lack
of poise in handling these questions. It is recommended that you verbalize your
possible answers out loud. You may need to modify a few questions, depending on
your individual situation.
1. What are your long range goals and objectives, when and why did you establish
these goals, and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
2. What specific goals, other than those related to your occupation, have you
established for yourself for the next 10 years?
3. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
4. What do you really want to do in life?
5. What are your long-range career goals?
6. How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
7. What are the most important rewards you expect in your business career?
8. What do you expect to be earning in five years?
9. Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?
10. Which is more important to you, the money or the type of job?
11. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
12. How would you describe yourself?
13. How do you think a friend or someone else who would know you well would
describe you?
14. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
15. What do you look for in a job?
16. Why should I hire you?
17. What qualifications do you have that make you think that you will be
successful
in this business?
18. How do you determine or evaluate success?
19. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
20. What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like ours?
21. What qualities should a successful Manager (your position) possess?
22. Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those
reporting to him or her?
23. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?
Why?
24. In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
25. How do you work under pressure?
26. Why did you decide to seek a position with this company?
27. What do you know about our company?
28. What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
29. Are you seeking employment in a company of certain size? Why?
30. What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to
work?
31. How do you feel about relocation?
32. Are you willing to travel?
33. Why do you think you might like to live in the community is which our
company is located?
34. What major problem in your previous job have you encountered and how did
You deal with it?
35. What have you learned from your mistakes?
36. Why are you leaving your last position?
37. Why did you business fail?
38. What can you do for us that someone else cannot?
39. What is you philosophy of management?
40. How long would you stay with us?
41. How would you rate yourself as a professional? As an executive?
42. What features of your previous jobs have you disliked?
43. Would you describe a few situations in which your work was criticized?
44. How would you evaluate your present firm?
45. In your present position, what problems have you identified that had
previously been overlooked?
46. Are you creative? Give an example.
47. Are you analytical? Give an example.
48. Are you a good manager? Give an example.
49. Are you a leader? Give an example?
50. How would you describe your own personality?
51. Have you increased sales? Profits? Reduced costs?
52. Have you fired people before?
53. Have you hired people before? What do you look for ?
54. Why do you think you have top management potential?
55. How long would it take you to make a contribution to our firm?
56. What is wrong with your present firm?
57. Why are you leaving your present position?
58. What position do you expect to have in five years?
Portions taken from The Endicott Report: Trends in Employment of College and
University Graduates in Business and Industry (29th annual report) by Frank S.
Endicott.
IV
DURING THE INTERVIEW
"The Rule of 12's"
You are first observed at 12 feet, and your stature and grooming are discerned
and an opinion is drawn by the interviewer.
In the first 12 inches, the firmness of your handshake and the facial conditions
are evaluated.
In the first 12 words, your sincerity and openness are perceived and judged.
***
APPEARANCE & DEMEANOR
The effective interview
is seen by both parties as a Sales situation. Therefore the candidate should
show up a few minutes early, well groomed, bright eyed and bushy tailed. You
will be selling yourself to this prospective employer and must not appear
hesitant, reluctant, dull, uncommunicative, bored or disinterested. Look and act
like a winner!
DO'S
I.
Dress well. Dress conservatively. Nothing frayed or worn,
no holes. Use
mouthwash and deodorant, go easy on colognes and perfumes. Hair neatly
coiffed. No excessive jewelry or accessories. No gum!
Men: A blue suit, blue/white shirts, shoes shined, cleanly groomed, including
nails. Conservative and tasteful tie.
Women: No heavy makeup and mod clothing. Strive for an overall professional
look, whether suit or dress. Conservative shoes and handbag. No wild nail color.
II. Gain control. Be socially
gregarious and aggressive...without being obnoxious.
Appear learned, charming and diplomatic. Give a firm and enthusiastic
handshake, then initiate the discussion. Perhaps compliment the interviewer on
something in his/her office, subsequently raising a question about the object on
which you have commented.
III. Speak clearly. Listen, then answer
briefly and positively. Watch your speech, speak slowly, articulate as clearly
as possible and avoid "and...uhs" or other verbal slips.
IV. Use a soft sell. Don't be
desperate. Underplay your need for a new job. Always use a soft-sell approach.
V. Be truthful. Be forthright and
consistent, but unless specifically asked, don't volunteer general miseries,
religious beliefs and dogma, or background in mental illness, sexual preference,
financial problems, addictions or legal issues. If asked, you will need to
develop your own approaches for handling them in a delicate manner.
VI. Be professional. Maintain your
professionalism at all times. Don't use foul language, even if the interviewer
does.
VII. Image yourself. Always project
ambition (within reason), enthusiasm and confidence. Plan on projecting an image
of yourself which is tailored to the requirements of the specific position.
Convey 3 very important qualities: sincerity, a dedication to achievement and a
high energy level.
VIII. Emphasize the most important things.
Wherever possible, gear your comments towards potential contributions and
accomplishments: sales, profits, cost reduction, quality improvement, reducing
staff turnover, etc.
IX. Be ready for periods of silence.
Have questions you are prepared to raise about the business for which you have
answers. You will create an opportunity to enable you to demonstrate your
knowledge and relate your past experiences which are relevant to the solution of
the problems.
X. Protect your present employer. Do
not be overly critical of your existing situation. The potential employer may
assume you will do the same thing to him/her. Big mistake!
XI. Use flattery. Use sparingly, but be
prepared to say something, which will indicate admiration for certain
achievements of the organization or its top management. Don't overdo!
XII. Project good health.
XIII. Be a good listener. Being a good
listener means that you will be able to ask good
questions. Be extremely observant and that you learn something about your
interviewer's interests and background. You may wish to use this information in
your letter, which will follow up the interview.
XIV. Question the interviewer. It is
easy to impress people when you ask intelligent and penetrating questions about
the firm and position. For example:
*When the interviewer has briefly covered a subject of interest, you should
never hesitate to ask him /her to further expand, define or describe.
*If a situation begins to stall, you can always raise questions about any
subject by asking Who?What?When?Where?Why?and How?
XV. Take notes. This is optional. If,
however, you like or need to take notes, be sure to ask the interviewer if they
mind. Sometimes the taking of notes appears as a sign of your interest. Be
careful that it does not distract you from being attentive and listening well.
XVI. Watch body language. Yours and
his/hers! Words account for only 20% of
communication. Tone of voice 30%. Body language 50%. Crossed arms and leaning
back are bad. Smiles and leaning forward are good. No fidgeting, arms and hand
at ease, sitting straight, with direct eye contact (no looking all over the
room).
XVII. Keep answers on a positive note!
XVIII. Ask for the job! Let the company
know you are interested in the position - tell them you can handle the job and
would like to have an offer.
DON'TS
I.
Never be a braggart or name- dropper. Don't interrupt, lose
your temper. Or be a "yes" person.
II. Avoid hard liquor or hard to manage foods at any
mealtime, regardless of what others may be ordering!!!
III. Never be a threat to your prospective boss' position.
Stress team and working
together, making their job easier, making them effective.
IV. Don't act curious or bored. Never
read the mail on your interviewer's desk, nervously drum your fingers, look at
your watch or exhibit other signs of boredom.
V. Don't discuss controversial subjects.
Avoid race, religion, and politics.
VI. Don't promise miracles. Never imply
you can do everything. People may not believe you!
VII. Don't ask if the company gives a drug test.
VIII. Don't be pressured. Don't get
flustered, remain calm, regardless of unusual decor, lighting, uncomfortable
chairs, interviewer habits, phone interruptions.
IX. Don't let interviews drag. You
should be able to sense when a discussion has peaked, then diplomatically lead
to an end to the meeting. Don't linger after it has finished.
X. Avoid discussions of compensation, benefits, vacations,
etc. If a question arises similar to, "How much money are
you looking for?", at all costs, avoid naming a figure and say that you are
interested in fitting into their organization, or that you would be interested
in an offer which would reflect the value to their organization, of the skills
and accomplishments which you bring to the table. Disclose your current
compensation if asked directly. Keep the conversation geared towards what you
can do for the company.
V
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
The Thank You Letter
Within 24 hours after the
interview, hand write a note on decent stationary to each of the people with
whom you met and who are the "key" hosts. You simply want to say:
1. Thank you for your time, courtesy and hospitality.
2. I was very impressed with what I saw and with those whom I met.
3. I am convinced I can do a good job for you and I would like to have an offer.
***If you have decided against the job, shut it down at this point***
In addition, this letter gives you a chance to restate your prime assets and
accomplishments, along with what you can do for a firm. Your style should be
warm and friendly, and you may find it useful to touch upon major subjects which
you discussed. If possible, use names and terminology, which reflect the company
environment. When working with a Recruiter, always follow up with them regarding
the results of the interview, the reaction of the company to you and further
action to be taken on your behalf.
THE MYTH OF THE
COUNTER OFFER
MYTH:
My company thinks I am
worth keeping, so they really want me to stay and are going to meet or exceed
this offer. I am so flattered! Isn't this fun!
TRUTH:
1. Consider that you are
leaving your present employer for certain reasons, difficult conditions,
personality problems, lack of benefits, etc. Would a counter offer change any of
these? No. Consider the new opportunity that you would be giving up that looks
so favorable.
2. Ask yourself if you were worth "X" dollars yesterday, why are they suddenly
willing to pay you "Y" dollars today. It is a fact that they will feel they have
been "blackmailed" into giving you a raise when you announced your decision to
leave. This will likely strain their budget, and was not planned for. Their
decision is made out of panic and not as a reward for a job well done.
3. Understand you are now a "marked" man or woman. The possibility of a
promotion is extremely limited for someone who has given "notice". Further, they
could merely be buying time until they can locate a replacement. Suppose you
were given an annual raise of $3,000. as a Counter Offer. When they find a
replacement for you in, say 60 days, then the actual cost to them is only $500.
4. Statistics compiled by the National Employment Association confirm the fact
that over 80% of those persons who elected to accept a counter offer and stayed,
are no longer with the company!
5. Think carefully about all these facts. Your professional career is at stake.
You have a choice to move forward, or to risk all and remain where you are.
| Gemini Executive Search, Inc. |
 |
| Phone: 219.672.9785 |
| Fax: 708.401.1555 |
|
11819 Coral Berry Court |
To: [ Home ] [ Candidate list ] [ Submit Resume ] Click one
Interview Process
Preparation