Peninsula Employment Group

You've sent out resumes to several places hoping to get a positive response and possibly get an interview. You get an email or a phone call from a recruiter, requesting some time to talk on the phone. This is not what you wanted. You wanted to go in and meet someone face-to-face, and really show off those interviewing skills. But instead, you are being asked to spend some time conversing over the phone with some anonymous person, limited by only using your voice. Frustrating? Don't let it be. Getting a phone interview means that your resume and cover letter are presenting you in such a way that people want to talk to you. Let's take a closer look at this process, and see what you can do to maximize your chances.

1. Why a phone interview?
Plain and simple, it's numbers. Initially, a recruiter is faced with a lot of applicants that he or she might be interested in. Outside of being at a job fair, the logistics of setting up physical interviews for this many candidates face-to-face is unrealistic, so the upside is an effective use of time for the recruiter. (Not to mention it saves you travel time and gas money or mass transit fares). The downside is that your communication is strictly by ear, so to speak. The physical and body language cues we usually use to gauge a situation are not there, so you can’t see the questioner’s reaction.

2. What are recruiters looking for?
Aside from your skill set, the recruiter will be listening to your verbal style. Imagine yourself doing a presentation via conference call, and try to tune your style to a high level of professionalism. Develop a style that shows knowledge, interest, and enthusiasm. Not a "Top-40" disk jockey style, of course, but one that shows confidence in yourself, and in your subject matter. Start by doing your homework. Go to the company website, read the latest press releases, look for articles about the company. Try to understand the organization’s product or service offerings, and (if a for-profit) how the company makes money. Recruiters are looking for people who can handle and express themselves well, so try to be as relaxed as possible. Be ready - be rested, awake, and alert. You’ll need your listening skills, and your powers of concentration.

3. What kind of questions will they ask me?
The recruiter will be looking for specifics about your skills and experience. Be prepared to give more than yes or no - give examples. They will also possibly be asking about your work history, and transitions between each position. A word of advice: keep it simple. Get your spiel down, and stick to it. Don’t use a lot of words if a few will do. Just answer the question, and stop. The single-most common error people make in any interview, phone or in person, is they don't stop talking. They may feel explaining as much as possible will help the recruiter understand them. It won't. Trust me - If you haven’t given them what they want to know, they can ask for more detail.

4. What if they ask me about salary?
This is not uncommon. As a recruiter, I always ask about current compensation and future expectations. This helps complete my understanding of you as a candidate. I need to understand if you are in a place where my organization can offer you compensation that will attract you. Most jobs these days have target ranges for reasons of competitive market equity as well as internal fairness to others doing the same job. Know what the minimum amount that you need, as well as what would like to have. Be realistic, and be flexible. Many times, people accept a lower salary (for instance at start-ups, where they don't have large budgets) in exchange for long-term opportunity or stock equity. If you are asking above the position range, it may not be the end of the road - some companies might expand the job duties to accommodate you, or get creative in offering you alternative incentives. Understand that, as a recruiter, it’s my job to do my homework to make sure that if you are extended an offer, the probability is very high that you will say "Yes".

5. Do I ask questions like in a real interview?
You bet. Ask your questions all about the job, and what the milestones for success are. Avoid questions about benefits and time off - it's a little early in the interview process for that yet. Focus on the meat of the job. You can also ask about company culture, and about the hiring manager's style. This will help demonstrate the type of interest the recruiter is looking for.

Remember: While a phone interviews is not the optimal situation for a recruiter to get to know you, it has become a necessary, common and important step in getting the job you want. As you now know, the phone interview becomes a mini-review of how you, and demonstrates how you prepare, listens, and communicates. Good luck.

Coach John’s Top 5 things NOT to do in a phone interview:

1. Don't talk too much - answer the question, and wait for the next one. This sounds easy, but in fact isn't. Practice answering some standard interview questions on the phone with a friend, or tape a practice interview, you'll see.

2. Don’t be abrupt or rushed in answering. Take your time, think about the answer, then answer the question smoothly. (Remember how they taught you in Driver's Ed to push down on the pedal as if there was an egg underneath it? Same concept - moderate your speech, don’t accelerate your words.)

3. Be flexible about time - don’t get excited if the interviewer is a few minutes late, or a few minutes early. (It’s more often the former, believe me.)

4. Don't YOU be late - or absent. If you set up a time, unless you have a family emergency, be available. When you set up the interview, get the interviewer’s contact number, in case an emergency does come up.

5. Above all, don't partake of any intoxicants before the interview. (See #2 above, "be ready - be rested, awake, and alert.") If you think drunks are bad in public, try and interview one over the phone. In my experience, it doesn't happen often but when it does, it makes a lasting impression - but not a positive one.



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	*Surviving the Telephone Interview*
By John Hohulin, Farallon, HR Services
You've sent out resumes to several places hoping to get a positive response and possibly get an interview. You get an email or a phone call from a recruiter, requesting some time to talk on the phone. This is not what you wanted. You wanted to go in and meet someone face-to-face, and really show off those interviewing skills. But instead, you are being asked to spend some time conversing over the phone with some anonymous person, limited by only using your voice. Frustrating? Don't let it be. Getting a phone interview means that your resume and cover letter are presenting you in such a way that people want to talk to you. Let's take a closer look at this process, and see what you can do to maximize your chances. 1. Why a phone interview? Plain and simple, it's numbers. Initially, a recruiter is faced with a lot of applicants that he or she might be interested in. Outside of being at a job fair, the logistics of setting up physical interviews for this many candidates face-to-face is unrealistic, so the upside is an effective use of time for the recruiter. (Not to mention it saves you travel time and gas money or mass transit fares). The downside is that your communication is strictly by ear, so to speak. The physical and body language cues we usually use to gauge a situation are not there, so you can’t see the questioner’s reaction. 2. What are recruiters looking for? Aside from your skill set, the recruiter will be listening to your verbal style. Imagine yourself doing a presentation via conference call, and try to tune your style to a high level of professionalism. Develop a style that shows knowledge, interest, and enthusiasm. Not a "Top-40" disk jockey style, of course, but one that shows confidence in yourself, and in your subject matter. Start by doing your homework. Go to the company website, read the latest press releases, look for articles about the company. Try to understand the organization’s product or service offerings, and (if a for-profit) how the company makes money. Recruiters are looking for people who can handle and express themselves well, so try to be as relaxed as possible. Be ready - be rested, awake, and alert. You’ll need your listening skills, and your powers of concentration. 3. What kind of questions will they ask me? The recruiter will be looking for specifics about your skills and experience. Be prepared to give more than yes or no - give examples. They will also possibly be asking about your work history, and transitions between each position. A word of advice: keep it simple. Get your spiel down, and stick to it. Don’t use a lot of words if a few will do. Just answer the question, and stop. The single-most common error people make in any interview, phone or in person, is they don't stop talking. They may feel explaining as much as possible will help the recruiter understand them. It won't. Trust me - If you haven’t given them what they want to know, they can ask for more detail. 4. What if they ask me about salary? This is not uncommon. As a recruiter, I always ask about current compensation and future expectations. This helps complete my understanding of you as a candidate. I need to understand if you are in a place where my organization can offer you compensation that will attract you. Most jobs these days have target ranges for reasons of competitive market equity as well as internal fairness to others doing the same job. Know what the minimum amount that you need, as well as what would like to have. Be realistic, and be flexible. Many times, people accept a lower salary (for instance at start-ups, where they don't have large budgets) in exchange for long-term opportunity or stock equity. If you are asking above the position range, it may not be the end of the road - some companies might expand the job duties to accommodate you, or get creative in offering you alternative incentives. Understand that, as a recruiter, it’s my job to do my homework to make sure that if you are extended an offer, the probability is very high that you will say "Yes". 5. Do I ask questions like in a real interview? You bet. Ask your questions all about the job, and what the milestones for success are. Avoid questions about benefits and time off - it's a little early in the interview process for that yet. Focus on the meat of the job. You can also ask about company culture, and about the hiring manager's style. This will help demonstrate the type of interest the recruiter is looking for. Remember: While a phone interviews is not the optimal situation for a recruiter to get to know you, it has become a necessary, common and important step in getting the job you want. As you now know, the phone interview becomes a mini-review of how you, and demonstrates how you prepare, listens, and communicates. Good luck. Coach John’s Top 5 things NOT to do in a phone interview: 1. Don't talk too much - answer the question, and wait for the next one. This sounds easy, but in fact isn't. Practice answering some standard interview questions on the phone with a friend, or tape a practice interview, you'll see. 2. Don’t be abrupt or rushed in answering. Take your time, think about the answer, then answer the question smoothly. (Remember how they taught you in Driver's Ed to push down on the pedal as if there was an egg underneath it? Same concept - moderate your speech, don’t accelerate your words.) 3. Be flexible about time - don’t get excited if the interviewer is a few minutes late, or a few minutes early. (It’s more often the former, believe me.) 4. Don't YOU be late - or absent. If you set up a time, unless you have a family emergency, be available. When you set up the interview, get the interviewer’s contact number, in case an emergency does come up. 5. Above all, don't partake of any intoxicants before the interview. (See #2 above, "be ready - be rested, awake, and alert.") If you think drunks are bad in public, try and interview one over the phone. In my experience, it doesn't happen often but when it does, it makes a lasting impression - but not a positive one.
*John Hohulin is a HR consultant. He has held a variety of human resources management positions for a variety of Fortune 500 companies.*