The Goal of a Phone Interview

Posted

Finding the best person for the job is often easier said than done. There’s a very good chance that you get dozens of resumes for each posted position. It’s probably easy to automatically eliminate a portion of those applicants, but that still leaves you with a lot of potentials. Bringing each and every one of them into the office is out of the question, as this would take an extraordinary amount of time, money and resources.

Scheduling a brief phone interview is the solution to this problem. This quick and efficient approach allows you to thoroughly screen applicants, so you can narrow your candidate selection pool down with confidence.

4 Main Objectives of a Phone Interview

Strive to achieve these four goals during the phone interview round:

  1. Gauge Availability of Candidates: If you need someone to fill the position immediately, make sure the candidate is able to step up. Most people will need to give their current employer two weeks’ notice, but that shouldn’t be too big of a deal. However, if someone is planning to take a two month trip to Europe before starting the job, you’ll probably want to move on.
  2. Ensure You’re on the Same Page: Take the time to thoroughly explain the position, to make sure the candidate understands the expectations and is completely committed. You don’t want to waste time bringing someone into your office for an interview who doesn’t actually want the job.
  3. Learn More About Their Qualifications: Dig deeper into the person’s resume to learn more about their relevant skills and experience. For example, if a certain software program that your company uses is listed on their resume, find out how long they’ve been using it, and their level of proficiency. This is also the ideal time to ask them to clarify any points on their resume you found confusing.
  4. Determine Salary Expectations: Money isn’t the only thing that matters in a job, but it can cause a candidate to pass on your offer. Use the phone interview as a chance to make sure your salary expectations are aligned from the start. Don’t wait until you extend a job offer to find out that your otherwise-perfect candidate wants a salary that’s three times what you budgeted for the position.

Need a little help finding the right person for your team? Contact Barrington Staffing. As your staffing partner, we assume responsibility for all aspects of the hiring process, so you can focus your attention on running your business.

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)