I had a phone interview yesterday. Since I have started writing this blog, I have become very aware of the actions and qualities of those around me in the retail world. After I had this interview, I collected my thoughts, and it occurred to me "WOW!! That girl really knows what she is doing!!"
A phone interview is a very unique thing. You don't have all the benefits of meeting someone face-to-face. You can't see their reactions, their mannerisms, or even if they present the right image for you. You also don't have the ability to control the level of distractions for the candidate. With all these things against you, how do you get it right?
I am simply going to tell how this person conducted this interview...cause THIS is how you do it!! She started off by introducing herself and very clearly explaining her role in both the company and in the interview process. Throughout that part, she used easy and energetic language as well as several different tones in her voice, all making me feel very comfortable. She then explained the outline for how she interviewed. She asked me to walk her though my resume from beginning to end and detail why I made those changes and what experiences I took away from each one. She then said, "So, go ahead and start with the first one." SILENCE.
Ok...I guess it is my turn to talk. I did exactly what she asked. I walked her through my resume detailing the highs and lows of my almost 15 year career. This took me almost 20 or 30 minutes! She NEVER said a word! I have mentioned that leaving that moment of silence is a very powerful thing, but I had no idea how powerful it is for a phone interview. I actually glanced at my phone several times while I was talking just to make sure the call didn't get dropped!
When I wrapped it all up with "Here I am!", she finally came back on the line, and described the things in my past that paired well with the qualifications she was looking for. She then described a Core Value for her company - Leadership (That's ALL I write about...I love it!!!), and said she had a few questions relating to that. Again she would ask her question, and leave it to silence until I was clearly done speaking. She wrapped up the interview answering a few questions for me and let me know that after a few more interviews and some discussions with the hiring manager I would be contacted by a certain date (I have already received a time confirmation to meet on that date).
Why was this so successful?
Here is the outline to what that looked like:
I. Clearly introduce myself
- My role in the company
- My purpose in the interview process
II. Explain my interview process
- Detail entire job history
- May have a few detailed questions
- Answer candidate questions
III. Question time
- Candidate details entire work history
-Leave candidate time to speak
-Take notes for inconsistencies, or positive experiences
-Note candidate behavior and ability to stay on topic
- Ask Candidate Core Focused questions
-Leave candidate time to speak
-Take notes on strengths/weaknesses
IV. Wrap up
- Answer candidate questions
- Explain the rest of the process.
- Thank candidate and set a date for follow-up
By following this, she was able to get a "real-deal" idea of me (candidate). She was able to test my confidence, my focus, and receive an accurate picture of my work history. As a candidate, I was prepared for the process by her letting me know how it would go. I was just a little uncomfortable talking for that long with no sound whatsoever, but it afforded her the chance get so many of the things that are typically missed in a phone interview.
A phone interview is a very unique thing. You don't have all the benefits of meeting someone face-to-face. You can't see their reactions, their mannerisms, or even if they present the right image for you. You also don't have the ability to control the level of distractions for the candidate. With all these things against you, how do you get it right?
I am simply going to tell how this person conducted this interview...cause THIS is how you do it!! She started off by introducing herself and very clearly explaining her role in both the company and in the interview process. Throughout that part, she used easy and energetic language as well as several different tones in her voice, all making me feel very comfortable. She then explained the outline for how she interviewed. She asked me to walk her though my resume from beginning to end and detail why I made those changes and what experiences I took away from each one. She then said, "So, go ahead and start with the first one." SILENCE.
Ok...I guess it is my turn to talk. I did exactly what she asked. I walked her through my resume detailing the highs and lows of my almost 15 year career. This took me almost 20 or 30 minutes! She NEVER said a word! I have mentioned that leaving that moment of silence is a very powerful thing, but I had no idea how powerful it is for a phone interview. I actually glanced at my phone several times while I was talking just to make sure the call didn't get dropped!
When I wrapped it all up with "Here I am!", she finally came back on the line, and described the things in my past that paired well with the qualifications she was looking for. She then described a Core Value for her company - Leadership (That's ALL I write about...I love it!!!), and said she had a few questions relating to that. Again she would ask her question, and leave it to silence until I was clearly done speaking. She wrapped up the interview answering a few questions for me and let me know that after a few more interviews and some discussions with the hiring manager I would be contacted by a certain date (I have already received a time confirmation to meet on that date).
Why was this so successful?
Here is the outline to what that looked like:
I. Clearly introduce myself
- My role in the company
- My purpose in the interview process
II. Explain my interview process
- Detail entire job history
- May have a few detailed questions
- Answer candidate questions
III. Question time
- Candidate details entire work history
-Leave candidate time to speak
-Take notes for inconsistencies, or positive experiences
-Note candidate behavior and ability to stay on topic
- Ask Candidate Core Focused questions
-Leave candidate time to speak
-Take notes on strengths/weaknesses
IV. Wrap up
- Answer candidate questions
- Explain the rest of the process.
- Thank candidate and set a date for follow-up
By following this, she was able to get a "real-deal" idea of me (candidate). She was able to test my confidence, my focus, and receive an accurate picture of my work history. As a candidate, I was prepared for the process by her letting me know how it would go. I was just a little uncomfortable talking for that long with no sound whatsoever, but it afforded her the chance get so many of the things that are typically missed in a phone interview.
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