Despite advances in technology and the prevalence of video-based interviews influenced by the pandemic, the phone interview has maintained its position as one of the top interviewing methods. Why?
If they are used the right way, phone interviews can provide you with as much information about a candidate as a video interview, or even as an in-person interview can. The quick-yet-effective properties of phone interviews are what make the channel so attractive to recruiters and HR professionals.
However, because most are still using the method, those looking to stay ahead of the competition must ask themselves this: How can they use this opportunity to improve the way they conduct phone interviews?
One of the key ways recruiters and HR teams can make the most out of phone interviews is by finding ways to complete more high-quality calls in less time. And that starts with having a set list of strong phone interview questions to ask and build upon in each interview.
Read on to learn how to develop a killer set of phone interview questions that you can rely on, along with an example list of 10 best questions to ask in your next phone interview with a great candidate.
Why phone interviews are still used by recruiters and hiring managers
Before getting into how to craft the best phone interview questions, it is important to note why phone interviews are still used in such a widespread manner among recruiters and HR professionals.
At the core of it is how much time recruiters can save from conducting phone interviews, instead of via a video conference or in person.
The objective of conducting interviews in the first place is to qualify a candidate based on the requirements of each role, by reviewing their work experience, way of working, overall personality, degree of cultural fit, and so on.
Obviously, conducting multiple interviews in a day can take a large chunk of time out of a recruiter’s schedule. In fact, it can take up to 49 days to hire for a single job opening, according to LinkedIn data. All of that time falls on the person carrying out the recruitment process, and this is just for one successful hire.
When you break down what portion of the hiring process actually involves interviews, it becomes clear how much recruiters need to save time wherever they can. For example, this BBC article reports that a global company like Google takes an average of four interviews to hire one person.
Granted, the number of interviews required per successful hire can vary among organizations. However, a crucial factor to keep in mind is that no two interviews should be conducted with the same objective.
For example, if you can already use phone interviews to vet candidates and confirm everything that does not require visual qualification – such as a candidate’s language and communication skills, past work experience, or their short and long-term goals – then you should cover all of these topics within the first phone interview itself.
Doing so will help you save hours of time that would otherwise be spent repeating yourself in other interviews later on. It will also be beneficial for the candidate, as they would not have to face redundant questions as they progress through the hiring process. And if the candidate’s experience is positive and worth their time, it could also help with their final decision on whether to work for you or not.
On the recruiter’s side, phone interviews are a great way to screen applicants before spending more time on them with in-person interviews or video conferences. Even if you do not plan on selecting the applicant as a candidate for the role, you can also use these early phone interviews as a way to build rapport with each applicant.
Once you have already established that both you and the applicant know each other, it becomes much easier to manage them in your talent pool, in case you might have a new job opportunity for them later on.
YOU MIGHT LIKE: How to Maintain Good Relationships with Candidates
RELATED: Recruiting Funnel: Here’s What You Should Know
RELATED: 6 Ways to Ensure a Great Candidate Experience through Your Recruitment System
The basis for choosing impactful phone interview questions
Now that we have covered why phone interviews are a useful tool for recruiters in the hiring process, let us move on to learning the best ways to craft meaningful phone interview questions.
Typically, recruiters and hiring managers spend the first few minutes of a phone interview introducing themselves and building rapport through small talk. However, for the sake of both yourself and the interviewee, this period should not last too long, especially if you aim to make your phone interviews last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes per call.
Thus, consider the following criteria when framing impactful phone interview questions:
1. Make the questions about the candidate, but mainly in relation to your organization or the job opening.
People love talking about their passions and opinions, and giving them the space to express themselves in the interview will both contribute to a positive candidate experience. This might also tell you a lot about the person you are talking to.
However, always remember to prepare some key interview questions that connect the candidate’s thoughts to your needs for the role, such as what the job opening requires from them, or how their opinions align with what the company stands for.
For example, if they enjoy feeling valued in an organization, ask them how they would like to feel valued at your company. Or if they like certain hobbies, ask them how they manage their time for these activities. In addition to these points, you could also ask them about their values, and connect them to those of the company.
2. Make sure the phone interview questions cover the organization’s “must-haves” in hiring.
Some companies might wait until the final few interview stages to discuss company policies–or even, in some cases, until an informal offer is made.
But it does not always make sense for recruiters to spend days trying to convince a candidate to choose them, just to find out that the candidate requires certain working conditions or benefits that could end up being deal-breakers.
For example, if the candidate prefers a remote working model, but the company is currently using a full-time office working model or a hybrid working model at best, you could risk losing them to other companies that do offer those benefits.
Or on the career progression side, if a company holds one performance review per year, but a candidate prefers a minimum of two evaluations per year, it could also be a deciding factor for them.
This is why it is better to cover the fixed aspects of a career opportunity from the get-go in the recruitment process. You can also use phone interview questions to address these issues, by asking them if certain requirements are acceptable from the candidate’s side.
3. Over time, make sure you develop benchmarks for the answers.
While you are strategizing for job openings, try to develop benchmarks of what answers or opinions are acceptable in terms of an organization’s cultural fit.
This will help save time after you have made your phone calls for the position, and now need to decide who has passed your initial vetting process.
For example, if you have noticed that candidates who answer questions in a certain way tend to make the cut, use that finding as a benchmark for the position.
You will start to learn patterns from conducting interviews by default; The value here, however, lies in your ability to turn those patterns into actionable steps. Over time, you could use these patterns to develop phone interview questions that help you qualify candidates more accurately from the call itself.
The list: Top 10 phone interview questions to ask candidates
So far, we have covered the value of phone interviews for recruiters, and discussed useful criteria for developing effective phone interview questions. Next, it would be beneficial to see how these points can be applied in real circumstances.
Below is a list of top 10 phone interview questions that you can use as a framework for developing your own questions moving forward:
1. Tell me more about yourself.
Why to ask: Although it may seem like a basic question on paper, both what a person says about themself, and how they say it, typically says a lot about them as people.
This question will help you understand how outgoing, motivated, introverted, or analytic the interviewee is, which will give you valuable insight when you are matching the person’s characteristics to the desired traits of your role.
2. Tell me about your past work experience: achievements, what you enjoyed, and did not enjoy.
Why to ask: This question helps you learn more about how the person is as an employee, which allows you to more accurately predict whether they are actually overqualified or underqualified for the role.
They might have been the leader of an extremely successful project at their previous company, or might have played a key supporting role. This directly affects their qualifications for your role, as you will need to decide from the start whether you need a leader or a follower.
Furthermore, asking candidates about what they liked and disliked about their previous employer will help you gain a better picture of how they will fit into your or your client’s workplace.
3. What made you apply for this position?
Why to ask: Some applicants like to cast a wide net when they go job hunting. Recruiters ask this question to understand whether a candidate is really committed, or just looking for a way out of their previous job, for instance.
Also, in addition to helping you learn more about their passions in connection to your role, asking candidates what made them apply says a lot about their career path. This question tells you whether they are looking to further their expertise in a familiar role, or looking to start a totally different career with your job opportunity.
4. What do you know about the company?
Why to ask: While the answers to this question are usually not deal-breakers, they become useful when you are developing your candidate shortlist, especially when there are several qualified candidates.
Naturally, clients or employers will feel more impressed with candidates who want to join them specifically over other companies. And when many candidates already have the skills to fulfill the role, enthusiasm to join a company may provide the deciding factor.
5. What motivates you as a person?
Why to ask: This question helps you find out more about a candidate’s main motivators in life, such as money, supporting their family, or even starting one in the future.
Aside from this, you can also collect their motivators in your notes, and find out later on how the company’s values can align with those of the candidate. This helps create a mutual feeling of respect between the candidate and the company.
6. What hobbies do you have?
Why to ask: While knowing what a person does in their free time might not be absolutely crucial to a hiring decision, having this sort of information on hand can assist you in “winning over” a candidate.
For example, if your company is fully-remote, you could attract more candidates who live a digital nomad-type lifestyle. Or, if the candidate spends most of their time with their family on the weekend, you could match their hobbies with a more attractive employee benefits package that extends to their loved ones.
7. Where do you see yourself in the next 1, 3, or 5 years?
Why to ask: If you or your client needs someone to lead a new department with the goal of increasing revenue by X percentage in three years’ time, then they will need someone who is looking to stay long-term.
Conversely, if they prefer contractual workers, a candidate who sees themself being an independent freelancer in three years’ time could be a good fit.
Hiring the right person with matching tenure expectations is incredibly beneficial to the company, as it could cost up to two times an employee’s annual salary to successfully replace them. Thus, minimizing early departures would be the ideal goal to strive for.
8. Tell me about a time when you were faced with a moral dilemma, and how you handled it.
Why to ask: Learning how people handle certain situations can tell you about how they would possibly fit in your or your client’s existing team setup.
Furthermore, if you can ask them how they dealt with a high-pressure situation, their answers can also tell you a lot about whether they will fit in your role.
9. How do you handle feedback?
Why to ask: Feedback is a routine part of most jobs, and if a candidate has a hard time processing feedback, then it could potentially be a red flag for you as a recruiter.
Consider the role’s demands; How many people will the ideal candidate be working with? How many feedback loops are generally in the working process? How is the feedback normally given?
It is a great plus if the candidate’s way of processing feedback is similar to the established method in an existing team, or if it is in line with the company’s culture.
10. What are your initial salary expectations for the role?
Why to ask: Asking for initial salary expectations is a quick way to vet out those who your company or client will not be able to pay for, given the role’s scope of work.
On the other hand, knowing a ballpark estimate for a candidate’s expected salary will help you negotiate with the individuals making the hiring decision later on, especially if they are a great fit for the role and you need to convince them early on to consider them, despite higher or lower salary demands.
MORE RESOURCES: Industry-Specific Interview Question Templates (Free to Use)
RELATED: Before the Interview: Vetting Top Talent
RELATED: The Most Effective Methods to Assess Interview Body Language
How to take phone interviews to the next level: Streamline your recruitment process from the start
In this article, we have covered how to create effective phone interview questions for vetting the best candidates for your job openings. This will help you make the most out of your phone interviews, to maximize the quality of your candidate shortlists while saving time in each phone interview.
Once you have improved your interview process, the next step is to improve the way you source candidates, so you can conduct more interviews with the objective of getting more successful hires.
Manatal’s applicant tracking system (ATS) is a tool that helps recruiters and HR professionals automate job posting across multiple platforms, record applicant data and create candidate profiles, access AI-driven candidate recommendations, and even generate reports to track the success of each recruitment campaign.
As of to-date, Manatal is trusted by over 10,000 recruitment teams across 130 countries. Currently, its ATS is available for a, with no commitment needed to start. If you’d like to take your recruitment strategies to the next level, give Manatal’s 14-day free trial a try today.
.png)
.webp)
.webp){kind=logo}
.webp)
.png){kind=small}
