Like most recruiters, I spend a significant part of my day on the phone talking to job candidates who’ve made it through the application process to the phone screen. This initial call, whether it’s with a recruiter like me or another member of the hiring team, is a key step for applicants.
To help you prepare for your next phone screen, here are a few of my tips for a successful call.
Know What You’re Getting Into
One of the first things I look at during a phone screen is your communication style. Can you articulate yourself clearly? Do you get easily flustered? Can you communicate your fit for this role? If your communication style doesn’t fit with what I know of the hiring manager’s, that’s a red flag. It’s a sign that you’re less likely to succeed in the rest of the interview process. I’m also looking at your communication style to see if you’d be a good cultural fit for the team as a whole.
Of course, there are your qualifications to consider as well. You obviously looked good on paper – now let’s chat and dig into actual experience. During the phone screen, I’m going to verify that your skills and background generally map to what the company needs. I’m also going to do some digging to see if there’s still interest from you as you learn more about the company and the role.
Last but not least, I’m looking to see if your expectations for the job line up with the company’s. I’m looking for mutually agreeable expectations around things like salary, work location, core business hours and visa sponsorship options (if needed).
Establish Your Fit
It’s important to keep in mind that most companies hire tactically, meaning they’re hiring to fill a current need. Sometimes they’re looking to fill a position opened by a departure, other times it might be a new opening created due to changing business needs. Either way, most organizations are seeking existing skills rather than potential, or raw talent, to train into a role. As the candidate, then, you need to show me you can meet the company’s needs now.
To get a better understanding of what needs the role is meant to fill, probe into the structure of the position during the call. Ask me about job responsibilities, about who you’ll collaborate with internally and externally and about overall expectations. Find out what the scope of the role is and if there are opportunities for growth or to shape the position.
If you’ve recently enhanced your professional skills with classes or certifications relevant to the job, the phone screen is an ideal time to talk about it. Tell me why you decided to pursue additional education, what relevant projects you worked on and how you want to use your new skills. As a recruiter, I want to know what prompted you to follow a certain path, how you plan to mesh your new skills with your existing experience and how your learning would benefit the company I’m hiring for.
Ask the Right Questions
A mistake many candidates make is not asking questions during a phone screen. If you don’t ask questions, you seem uninterested. Every company wants someone who’s excited about the opportunity to work with them. Asking questions is a great way to show your enthusiasm.
Your initial phone screen with me is a perfect time to ask questions about topics beyond what the job entails. Ask me about different aspects of the company – product placement, leadership and market penetration, for example. And ask about the recruiting process, expectations for the person hired, where the company is in the hiring process and how you compare to other candidates.
If you’re speaking to someone in HR or recruiting, it’s also appropriate to talk money in general terms, as in a salary range or what you’re making now and hope to make going forward. It’s not, however, the time to ask me about advancement opportunities, vacation hours and other benefits.
Keep in mind, asking the right questions can involve doing some research into the company. Depending on the role you’re applying for, you might take a look at recent press releases, financials, white papers, product descriptions, consumer reports, industry reviews, or company reviews and comments on Glassdoor or Vault. Asking informed questions shows you’re interested and motivated enough to do your homework.
Be Honest
For a company, the main purpose of an initial screening is to assess whether you can hold your own in a full interview and whether you’re worth investing in further. On-site interviews can be grueling and intense, and they take a lot of resources in terms of employee hours and preparation time. That’s why the phone screen is used as a quick way to determine fit first.
A phone screen is also your chance to check out the company – to get a feel for how things work there and decide if you’re interested in continuing the conversation. If you decide the role you’re interviewing for isn’t right for you, be honest. The interview process is a two-way conversation, and you have the option to continue it or not.
If you and the recruiter or hiring manager decide the role you were interested in isn’t a good fit, you might still be able to continue the conversation. There may be another open role, or one in the works, that would be right for you. Recruiters always save their notes and often reconnect with candidates who make a good overall impression.