The telephone interview refers to the medium in which the interview is conducted, rather than any particular style of interviewing.

The telephone interview may be biographical or competency based or indeed a combination of interview models.

Areas of Use

Whatever the type, the telephone interview is most frequently used as an initial screening interview, either following short listing from CV’s/application forms, or subsequent to initial web based screening through bio data, tests and questionnaires.

The telephone interview is particularly valuable when it precedes a more sophisticated selection process, perhaps involving significant time and money in travel. It is also beneficial when the telephone is a medium used a great deal in the job itself i.e. it can act as a simulation in order to evaluate telephone communication skills. Initial interviews for call centre staff can be conducted by phone.

The telephone interview can also be of particular benefit in terms of convenience for potential employees who are going to be home based, and may find travel to an initial interview inconvenient, preferring an exploratory discussion on the phone.

Guidelines, Strengths and Limitations

The strengths of the telephone interview are dependent on it being conducted well. In addition to the considerations outlined for other types of interview e.g. competency, the following guidelines should be borne in mind:

Guidelines

Help the candidate prepare for the interview and acknowledge this format may be new to them. In particular you may wish to:

• Make it clear in the advertisement or agency brief that you will be conducting initial telephone interviews.

• Arrange a convenient day and time with each candidate just as you would when preparing a face-to-face interview schedule.

• When you make arrangements, indicate how long you expect the interview to last and ask the candidate to try and be alone with no distractions or interruptions.

You will not have the normal visual clues, so expect to feel different from face to face interviews. Early rapport building will be needed to enable the candidates to present themselves well. Do set out the parameters of the interview in the normal way. Silence and hesitance may feel more uncomfortable in the absence of eye contact, so do tell the candidate that it is quite alright for them to pause while they think or to go back to add pertinent information.

Most interviewers will need to consciously slow down. It is harder for candidates to absorb questions if they cannot see you. There may be a more frequent need to reframe questions if the candidate is hesitant. On the telephone, it is more difficult to discern whether hesitancy is giving you valuable data on the candidate’s knowledge and experience, their communication style or simply lack of understanding of the question.

Potential Strengths

The strengths of the telephone interview are mostly connected with efficiency and practicality.

• Candidates are more likely to be available early by telephone than for a visit.

• Actual time spent setting up interviews is minimised. The overall time frame may be reduced.

• A telephone interview can often be accommodated into both parties’ working days (or evenings) without disrupting other commitments.

• Meeting rooms will not necessarily be required.

• Potentially more candidates can be screened – a bonus when the response has been high and it is only convenient to interview a short list, or indeed when the market is not on your side and it is tempting to interview marginal candidates. It can save time and money to conduct initial structured telephone interviews.

• Where good telephone skills are essential for the job e.g. customer support staff, sales, helpline operators, telesales people, reception staff, research assistants – the telephone is a perfect simulation medium to assess relevant skills.

Potential Limitations

• The interviewer needs enhanced skills of clarity and empathy, and a willingness to use increased verbal affirmations to encourage communication.
  

• Candidates will not always have positioned themselves to participate in the interview without distraction.

• If the job does not require telephone communication, individuals who are not comfortable with this medium of communication will be disadvantaged.