Phone Interview, a recruiter explains why 90% of candidates fail

Phone Interview, a recruiter explains why 90% of candidates fail Doesnt matter where you are or what you are doing, pick up the phone! Phone interview The phone interview is where you make your first impression.  Your voice and attitude are the ONLY qualities I have to go on during the phone interview.  Negative examples and rude behavior are only amplified over the phone because I take my cues from your voice. The voice tells all. You have sent out your resume and are waiting for the call from a recruiter for the phone interview. As a guy that has called hundreds of candidates, I thought it might help to let you know what myself and most recruiters are thinking as we  go through the process. Some of this won’t be admitted to publicly, but trust me, it happens. Therefore, I wear the mask and dark glasses. If your online profile checks out, depending on my timeline, my next step is either a phone call or email  to set up the first phone interview. At this point, I  just want to confirm that you are still looking for new opportunities and I want to set up a time for the first conversation.   What recruiters look for: I want someone to answer the phone when I call  and don’t want to leave a message.  If you have caller ID and don’t recognize a number, PICK IT UP!!!!  That could be your next employer calling. (I  am on a timeline to fill this position because  hiring managers are breathing down my back.) If I hear a message, I want it to be a message that would be appropriate  within our business setting.  I don’t want to hear Rod Stewarts  Do ya think Im sexy  and a beep. I dont want to hear an automated voicemail that has your +1 yelling in the background or some cutesy message where you are saying Hello?  Hello? I cant hear you! HELLOO?. If I get a message (totally understandable), I want to know I called the right person. Your message should confirm who I called.  I want something polite, energetic.  Nothing more, nothing less. I completely  understand that candidates are working or going to school. You may not be able to  pick up the phone. We all have lives and we are all busy people.  Please do everything you can to call me at your break or your lunch. I am not expecting to interview you for 30 minutes on this first call. Recruiters  just want to confirm your interest and schedule a time for the phone interview. We want to know if you exist  and are still looking for new opportunities. This confirms whether I should call the next person on the list.   Delight me If I do get a real person, I want to hear something that sounds business appropriate and would delight our customers. Yes, I said it, Delight. I want to hear a smile come through the phone. I want to hear the energy and would love to hear the candidate announce their first name.  A flat hello followed by silence is not business appropriate. Although I wont hang up immediately, you just earned strike 1, and the conversation hasnt even started. This is my very first impression of you. Like most first impression judgments, within the first 5 seconds, I am trying to figure out if I can bring you into the office. I dont want to embarrass myself. Remember, you are going to be representing me. I am going to put my reputation on the line  when I present you to the hiring manager. It is in my interest to determine if you are “with me,” or “not”. Harsh?  Yes, absolutely. Reality? Absolutely. As much as I want to find you a job, I need to protect mine. To minimize my disappointment on this initial call, I will announce myself and give you a hint.  I will literally say something like this: ”My name is HRNasty and I work with a company called Acme Publishing.  You applied for a position with our sales group and I was wondering if you were still looking for new opportunities. I realize I am calling unannounced, is this a good time?” Interview over I don’t know how many times I  have heard  the following after I  introduce myself per the above.  I often hear: Huh? Yeah Uh Huh What did you say? You finally called, what took you so long? (Yes, I get that) So many people answer the phone as if they are expecting a telesales person.  With any one of the above answers, the interview  is over. Why?   Because at most companies, we want people to answer every phone call like a customer is on the line.   We shouldnt have to  train someone on how to answer a phone. Great answers sound like: “Thank you for calling, I have been really excited about this opportunity since I first heard about it.” “Yes, this is a great time. I have heard so many great things about your company!” Thanks for calling, can you give me one minute, I want to move to a quieter place. Thank you for calling.  I am at a restaurant / I am in a meeting; can I call you right back in 15 minutes? I am really excited to talk about the opportunity. Sounds corny as I write it, and sounds cornier as I read it back, but trust me, this stuff works. The tone has been set: I don’t feel like I must explain myself You made me  feel welcome Passion for Acme Publishing was conveyed. I dont  feel like I have someone who will take just any job. See the difference in the two sets of bullet points? Excitement has been conveyed by the candidate and you created an emotional connection with me. Standard questions When it comes time for the actual phone interview, I will have a few standard questions. You should know these are coming and be prepared: Can you tell me what you know about the company?   (This is a test  which will prove  how interested you are in our company. If you cant tell me anything, that is an indication there  was no sincere interest.) What are you looking for in a new position? How much are you looking for?   (I want to know if we are in the same ballpark financially) When can you come in to talk?   (Hint, if you are really interested, you will move your schedule) When the hot girl called you up for a date, you dumped mom’s Sunday dinner to the connection. Send a thank you After you get off the phone interview, send a thank you email. Email “thank you”s are cool. If you didnt get the email address, send it via postal mail to the attention of the recruiter. Hand delivers it yourself if need be. Be like Nike here and just do it. If you are asked to come in to interview in person (congratulations!). Send a thank you email including the following: Reinforce that you are excited about the opportunity Confirm the time and date of your interview Keep it short We dont want to ask about  benefits, vacation, parking or pay. (The recruiter will bring up pay, we should not) See the theme?   At this point,  the conversation is about me,  the recruiter.  This phone call isn’t about the candidate “yet’. Dont get me wrong, I am trying to sell you, but the candidate should be selling their interest in the position vs. their interest in the benefits.   Questions  to ask in a phone interview What do you like about the company? Why were you  attracted to the company? Any advice for me? (you will be surprised how easy this is for recruiters, remember, you represent me) How did this position open up? Is it a new position?  (Don’t ask if someone got fired) This interview will probably last  about 30 minutes long.  Based on your social profile, resume,  and this phone interview, the recruiter is trying to determine your technical and cultural fit. This isnt meant to be an in-depth grilling.   A phone interview is to confirm what is already suspected. Based on the resume and social skills over the phone, I just want to confirm your skill set and  fits with our company culture so I can bring you in. Treat the conversation as you would if you were interested in the recruiter on a personal level and the interview will go a lot smoother. In summary, to be successful in a phone interview, do the following: Return a recruiters phone call ASAP Have a business-minded voice mail message Answer the phone with a business attitude Be excited, they want to hear you smile Ask the recruiter questions Why the Phone Screen is the easiest to prepare for AND Phone Screen Interview questions How to set the tone of the interview See you at the after party, HRNasty   nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone who is good at something. “He has a nasty forkball. 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