1. Presentation by Ellen O’Brien
Telephone Interviews
Presentation by Ellen O’Brien
International Careers Consultant

2. Session outline Intro to telephone interviews What to expect
How to prepare
Telephone interviews exercise
Further resources

3. The employer’s perspective
Telephone interviews as part of the recruitment process
Cost effective (i.e., travel expenses)
Effective way to interview large number of candidates
To assess candidates’ communication skills
A growing number of graduate employers now use telephone interviews during their recruitment process
Cost effective- saves on travel expenses
More effective way of interviewing a large number of students
Useful method of assessing candidates’ communication skills in terms of telephone technique

4. What are your concerns and/or queries about telephone interviews?
What do you think?
What are your concerns and/or queries about telephone interviews?

5. Said too much or too little? Gestures/Body language
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
Said too much or too little?
Gestures/Body language
Accent
Difficult to gauge if you’ve said enough, too much and/or if you’ve given a good answer
Gestures and body language become redundant; how do you compensate?
Accents!

6. What to expect (1)
Initial screening before face interview (pre-arranged)
20-30 mins or close to an hour (duration)
Employer (HR Dept) or 3rd party agency
Lack of non-verbal communication
Initial screening prior to face to face interview
Usually pre-arranged but sometimes unannounced
Typically mins in duration, some closer to 1 hour
Employer (often from HR Dept) or third-party agency
Lack of non-verbal communication

7. Suitability, strengths & weaknesses
What to expect (2)
Questions
Competency based
Career motivation
Suitability, strengths & weaknesses
Experience

8. Employers want… Typical selection criteria:
Evidence of company competencies
Clear, fluent & articulate answers
Research evidence and preparation
Enthusiasm
Typical selection criteria:
evidence of company competencies
clear fluent and articulate answers
evidence of research and preparation
enthusiasm for the company and the position

9. Skype Technique Dress appropriately Use white background.
Look at the camera, not the monitor
Smile - project a positive tone in your voice and image.
Pause if the computer is buffering
Never interrupt the interviewer.
Ask for clarification
Test the equipment
An interview is an interview – dress and act appropriately! Avoid patterned clothing
White background preferably.
Look at the camera, not the monitor
Smile during the phone interview to project a positive tone in your voice and your image.
Pause if the computer is buffering – just wait for it to catch up.
Never interrupt the interviewer.
Ask the interviewer to clarify the question if unsure
Be prepared- test the equipment

10. Sample Questions
Recall an important goal that you were set in the past
Think about a problem you have solved in a unique way
Give an example of a time when you went “the extra mile” to help a customer
Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision
Describe a time when you had to change your plans unexpectedly
Describe a situation where you were able to positively influence the actions of others

11. Preparation (1) Make a good first impression on the telephone
Be professional on the phone or voic
Choose a suitable venue and minimise any interruptions
Make alternative arrangements if the interview is unannounced or the time/location are not suitable

12. Preparation (2) Conduct thorough research and preparation:
Company and role
Specific examples for relevant competencies
using the CAR model (Context, Action, Result)
A succinct 2 min personal biog
Your key strengths and weaknesses
Your questions for them
Make short notes of these points to use as a crib sheet

13. Preparation (3) Keep pen and paper by the phone Dress formally
Stand up - your voice will project more effectively
Be alert
Smile
Listen carefully
Treat each question as a fresh start
Mirror?

14. Telephone interviews exercise
In pairs, turn your chairs so that you are sitting back to back
Take it in turns to conduct a short telephone interview on each other
Choose four or five questions from the interview guideline sheet
Use the sheet to give structured feedback to each other

15. Further resources
DVD: Making an impact, available from the Careers Service