Phone Screening

It's easy to get sidetracked by a variety of factors during the interviewing process. Discover the largest pitfalls for interviewers and how to avoid them.

Find the top five interviewing questions to ask a job seeker and advice on interpreting the answers.

There are so many different questions you could ask when interviewing a job candidate, how do you know which ones are most effective? Learn about the many types of questions, when to use certain interviewing questions and pitfalls to avoid.

Although interviewing is a relatively common task for virtually every business, it should not be taken lightly. Learn how to structure your interviewing process so it is as effective as possible.

Be sure to raise any concerns you jotted down when you first reviewed the candidate's resume, such as the omission of an important technical skill or a mysterious employment gap. If the candidate's answers to your phone screen interview questions don't resolve your concerns, you've saved yourself the time involved with an in-person interview.

When you've narrowed the applicant pool, call each candidate for a brief phone screen interview. This can eliminate time-consuming meetings with those who, despite strong resumes, don't meet all your needs. Even hearing the answers to quick phone screen interview questions often provides a sense of whether the person is likely to fit in with your team. Because these discussions are relatively, they may provide a more accurate idea of the candidate's interpersonal skills than a formal, rehearsed interview.

Typically takes between 15 and 30 minutes to ask all pertinent phone screening interview questions. The key is to be consistent with your questions so that you can fairly compare job hopefuls. Overall, using phone screen interview questions to evaluate candidates is a great next step once you've narrowed the resume pool.

Imagine you are an employer looking to find a responsible employee to fulfill a management position. How do you think you would react to an outgoing message of your promising candidate singing, can not get to the phone? You probably would not even bother leaving a message. The moral of this story: Record a professional-sounding message on your voicemail with no singing, no gimmicks and no slang.

Even if you are caught completely off guard by the call, be welcoming and enthusiastic. Hello, I am so glad you called. Smile when you say it, the person at the other end of the phone can not see your expression but will be able to hear the warmth in your voice.

Follow these steps to phone screen success:

☛ Make sure you have a professional sounding outgoing voice mail message.

☛ Express appriciation for the call.

☛ Make sure it is the right time and place.

☛ Be sure you are speaking on a landline.

☛ HAVE your resume, notes and date book in front of you.

☛ Be an active listener.

☛ Expect elimination questions to come first.

☛ Avoid verbal tics.

☛ Earn your 15 minutes in the spot light.

☛ Inquire about next step.

This is a question to see how comfortable you working with other people. It is always best to be honest, with the employer and yourself. If you really don't like working in larger groups or around lots of people then let them know… Maybe the job isn't an exact fit for you and that's OK because there will be many other opportunities out there that may provide you with your ideal work environment. Phone interviews and in person interviews are also a perfect opportunity for you the candidate to be interviewing the employer, to verify if their company/job is best for you!

☛ Will I have to work overtime?

☛ Are the working hours flexible?

☛ Can I work from home?

☛ Does this job require that I pass a Drug and Background check?

☛ How much does this position pay?

☛ What type of health insurance does the company offer?

☛ Is there public transportation in the company's area?

☛ How many weeks of vacation time/ sick time do you offer?

The answer should never be more money!!! Even if that is the real answer! The correct answer should be; a new challenge with an opportunity for growth and development. Employers truly want candidates that can offer an immediate impact on their business, including applicable skills, education and experience, but also candidates that are interested in new challenges and want to continue to develop and grow within new work environments.

☛ You have the specific technical skills needed to do the job well.

☛ You have a problem-prevention-and-solution mindset.

☛ You are fully aware that the product of your work (that sale, that accounting report) in turn becomes part of someone else's work. You understand your work is one small but important cog in the complex machinery that helps the company make money.

It's important to be prepared for salary negotiation after you have made a hiring decision and job offer.

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The job interview is one of the best ways for evaluating whether a candidate will fit in at your organization and whether he/she has the skills necessary to succeed. Don't make these five mistakes when conducting interviews.

When employers receive many applications for an open position, they need to narrow the applicant pool. Obviously, first they screen resumes and cover letters to narrow the field. Contact by e-mail can be an efficient way to further narrow the pool (they can see who responds and who follows directions). Phone calls can be a next step to further narrow the pool.

If more than one person is speaking and listening to you on the employer's end, this can involve a conference or speaker phone, which can interfere with sound quality.