This week our Interview Series starts with the phone screen. This is not the phone interview, but the brief call you might get from a company to see if you even qualify to make the list of candidates to interview. Have you had problems with moving on to the actual phone or in-person interview? If so, follow these tips.
Purpose of the phone screen…
To weed out as many non-qualified job candidates as possible. That’s right! You may think the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) does that, and it does up to a point, but out of the hundreds and thousands of resumes companies receive in their database there are still a lot that slip through the cracks that shouldn’t have. Some resumes might have some of the right keywords, but some desired qualifications might be missing. Other times, there are just some things that you wouldn’t normally include on a resume that a hiring manager or recruiter might question and a phone screen will help with that.
Here are some examples:
Does the candidate understand the job is part-time or contract only? Is the candidate familiar with the company and it’s location? Did the candidate see that the job involves traveling or relocating?Is the candidate okay with the pay range? For those that state it
Or, it can be an informational screening where the interviewer is simply providing information about the company and the position, then seeing if it’s something you’re still interested in and asking if you have any questions. If they’re planning to move you on to a group interview then the screening may end right away. Or… whether it’s group or one-on-one they may continue to ask pertinent questions.
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts for passing the phone screen…
Do
Conduct as much research as possible for every company and position you apply to. Sometimes you apply to so many you may get them confused. In this case, as soon as you get the call, always pull up the company’s website so that you’ll have some info. right in front of you.
Ask the interviewer if it’s okay to call him or her back if you’re in an area with distractions, such as the grocery store or other public place, you’re driving, have kids in the room, or any distraction that may keep you from giving your undivided attention.
Be honest! If the job is too far away or not what you thought the posting said then politely decline. No sense in wasting each others time.
State if you’re okay with the salary, or if asked what salary you prefer then give a range. Salary is usually discussed more in-depth during the actual interview, but for many hourly positions where it’s listed on the posting, the phone screener or interviewer may ask if you accept what was posted. Plenty of candidates either miss this or don’t remember what the posting said.
Don’t
Act interested in the job when you’re really not just to move on to the actual interview, or until something better comes along. If your background is in IT and this is what you have been applying to mostly, but somehow that one retail job you applied to just happened to make it to the interviewer’s pool of resumes, make sure you’re honest if asked about why you’re interested in the position.
Refer to your resume for answers to questions the interviewer may have. Many times a candidate will say something like as noted on my resume, I… even if it’s the wrong degree mentioned such as a finance degree when the interviewer may have said accounting. Just politely respond with the correct answer. Sometimes it’s just a test question. Other times they may have just missed something on the resume, or they’re simply in a hurry and it’s just easier for you to elaborate on.
Ask questions that give red flags. For example, I interviewed a candidate once who had just relocated to Atlanta. I was already a little nervous about him living an hour away, but since many people have long commutes anyway these days and still have great attendance records, I decided to give him a shot, although he wasn’t the best candidate. But… when he asked if we were on the Marta bus line that knocked him right out of the running. Another time, after screening and then inviting a seemingly qualified young lady on to an in-person interview, she first mentioned her side catering business, and then asked for two different interview dates because she had to take her son to the doctor. So, you can guess that I didn’t move on with her either.
Ask other questions that you should know the answer to, quickly find on your own or those that are more appropriate to ask during the interview. Questions like what the company does, where the company is, will you be required to work weekends or why the position is open are all additional red flags.
Rush the process along. Saying things like When should I expect to hear back from you, I have a couple of others I’m waiting to hear from, when do you want someone to start or any pushy question will just turn the interviewer off and certainly take you out of the running.
So, these are just some quick tips before we go into actually acing the interviews. Hope these help! As always good luck with your job search!
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