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Why You Should Phone Interview Everyone

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Okay, maybe you shouldn’t phone interview everyone, but what about those people on the cusp? The candidates whose resumes you review and think, “they’re so close but….” Our recruiting professionals have partnered with hundreds of clients and talked with thousands of candidates, and their biggest tip for staying competitive in today’s hiring market? Invest 15 minutes into a phone interview. Don’t simply discount someone because they don’t check every box. You could be missing out on incredible candidates with great attitudes, motivation to achieve, and passion for your work.

Your wish list might be unrealistic

When you craft a job description, you include all skills and experiences that you think are necessary. But have you ever stopped to take a closer look at what are your true must-haves? JSG Senior Vice President, Perry Paden, elaborates, “In today’s market, clients need to realize that the candidate that meets all the must-haves and the wish list may not be obtainable in today’s market. When a client looks at a resume and doesn’t see a particular skill, does not mean the candidate doesn’t have the skill or possess the ability to learn it quickly.”

Not everything fits on a resume

Many professionals’ careers are complicated webs of qualifications and experiences intricately woven together to make them who they are today. A simple resume can’t always display hundreds of projects and those subtle nuances that make all the difference. “You shouldn’t discount candidates based only on a resume because that doesn’t show the full picture!” shared Hayley Kancius, Recruiting Team Lead at JSG. “Often, people have been told to have a 1-page resume, and it can be challenging to fit 5+ years of experience and qualifications on 1 page.”

There’s always more to the story

A resume only tells a portion of someone’s story. Matt Owens, Business Development Manager at JSG, clarifies, “From a recruiting standpoint, we deal with a lot of hiring managers who focus a lot on employment gaps and/or job-hopping and don’t want to interview someone based on that. We fight for them since you never know the circumstances. Someone could have had a child and wanted to be home with their baby, medical reason, or just wanted a year off to go find out what they want to do, travel, etc.”

“Resumes only tell half of the story, and it’s up to you to complete the rest!” Kancius agreed.

People are more than their resumes

Many factors make a person hirable beyond their qualifications on paper. Kancius explains, “People have special projects, volunteer experience, and skills that are sometimes left out of a resume. Plus, you can’t show personality on a resume!”

Owens elaborated, “Some of the best resumes in the world don’t translate to being a good fit. (Soft skills are huge in the business world!).”

What traits do you value most when you look at your current team? We’d be willing to bet you’d list a variety of soft skills like passion, self-motivation, and communication. So, when you add your next employee, why not prioritize those same traits? “There are a tremendous number of candidates on the market that may fit the attitude, desire, and drive to make an impact, and if companies would invest in a 15-minute conversation, I think they would be surprised they may have uncovered a great employee. A team member that can adapt, has a thirst for knowledge and mentorship, and will impact a company’s bottom line,” Paden explains.

Have a conversation

As you seek to compete in an unprecedented hiring market, it can only benefit you to take a deeper look. Kancius concludes, “Hopping on the phone and taking a few minutes out of your day to prescreen a candidate is always worth the time.”

Still not convinced? Think of it from a different perspective as Owens explains, “As a hiring manager in my previous employment, I always wanted to interview someone. My philosophy is I always test drive a car before buying, no matter how good it looks on paper….why wouldn’t you do the same with a potential employee?”

We understand that you’re busy and can’t spend all day conducting phone interviews. That’s what we’re here for. Partner with JSG to fill your critical roles, and we will help whittle down candidates to the best fit for your company, team, and position. We look beyond the resume and have those conversations, so when we submit a candidate, you can trust that they will be a great fit. Ready to get started? Contact us today!

How to Prepare for A Phone Interview in 2021

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Congratulations! Your hard work is paying off, and you are finally getting some traction with your job search. You have a phone interview scheduled, and you are starting to get a little anxious. Don’t fret – with a bit of preparation and practice, you can enter your conversation feeling confident. If you are looking for a refresher course on how to prepare for a phone interview, here are five simple tips to make an excellent impression on the hiring manager.

Set up a professional voicemail

When was the last time you reviewed your voicemail? We typically don’t call ourselves, so your voicemail might be out of date or a little too casual. Take a few minutes to listen to your voicemail and update it if necessary. Make sure it’s professional yet friendly and that there is no background noise. You never know when you for some reason might miss an interview call or play phone tag with each other. 

Check your battery and cell reception

Since you will probably be using your cell phone during your phone interview, make sure the battery is fully charged. The last thing you want to happen is your phone to die halfway through your conversation. Have the battery charged up and silent your phone to not receive any distracting notifications buzzing in your ear. Also, ensure your phone reception is strong, so the call quality is impeccable. Your voice must come out crystal clear, and for you, you must have strong enough service to be able to hear your interviewer without any hiccups.

Have important documents at the ready

Since you can have this phone interview in your home, you can access important application documents. You can pull up your resume, cover letter, job description, the company website, and other essential documents. If you do this on your computer, close all your other windows and mute your computer so you can silently switch between them. If you want to print them out, have them organized so you aren’t struggling to shuffle through them on the phone. Having these documents at the ready can help you brilliantly answer any questions that might otherwise catch you off guard.

Take notes

During your phone interview, you should be taking notes. Jot down important things the hiring manager says or something you want to discuss further in your interview. In an interview, time flies by, and you can easily forget an excellent question as quickly as you can formulate it. Have a notepad and pen within arm’s reach to write down notes, questions, or anything else you might find valuable throughout the interviewing process.

Show enthusiasm in your voice

A crucial part of a traditional face-to-face interview is body language – nodding your head, smiling, and other non-verbal cues that illustrate your excitement and personality. In a phone interview, you don’t have this opportunity, so you must demonstrate your enthusiasm in your voice. To make sure there is excitement in your voice, don’t forget to smile! It’s true what they say; you can hear someone smiling in their voice. Also, remember it is okay to laugh if there is a funny moment in your interview.

Are you looking for more interview advice?

With social distancing and more people working from home, you can almost bet one of your interviews will be conducted through the phone. These are just a few easy ways you can prepare for a phone interview in 2021. If you are looking for more interview advice, check out our interview insight page for dozens of helpful tips, tricks, and suggestions to nail your interview!

How to Pull Off Your Next Phone Interview

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If you’re hunting for a new job, chances are you’re going to have an upcoming phone interview. Many job seekers tend to brush off the phone interview and think it’s just a simple screening process. That may be partially true, but a phone interview is nothing to take lightly. It’s often your first impression with a hiring manager (aka your potential boss), and you must prepare accordingly. Here are four simple tips to help you successfully pull off your next phone interview.

Have your resume and job description in front of you

Even after doing some thorough research, you want to ensure you have a copy of your resume and the job description in front of you. You obviously know what’s on your resume, but it’s always a good idea to have it next to you so you can answer any questions the interviewer may have. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, things can slip your mind, so be sure to have it by your side! Also, having the job description in front of you will help guide you through any interview questions to ensure you communicate that you are capable of the key functions of the position.

Be next to your computer or tablet

Additionally, it’s a great idea to be near your computer or laptop. Have a couple of internet tabs open before the phone interview: the company’s website, their “about” page, their social media pages, and any blogs or news releases. You want to have as much information as possible to help you answer (as well as ask) questions intelligently.

A typical phone interview question is, “What do you know about our company?” Having these resources at your hand will help you navigate this question successfully!

Communicate professionally and clearly

This goes for every type of interview, but you always want to ensure you are communicating professionally and clearly on the phone. Now, some of these may be common sense, but it’s still good to remind yourself of these before the interview nerves start kicking in:

  • Don’t chew gum or have anything else in your mouth
  • Speak slowly and clearly
  • Never interrupt your interviewer
  • And speak professionally (no slang)

And don’t forget to smile! It may sound weird, but you can typically tell if an interview is bored or disinterested during a phone interview. So, put on your best smile and let the interviewer hear some of your personality and excitement!

Don’t forget the thank you!             

A lot of candidates brush off a thank you note for a phone interview. However, sending a nice thank you note can really make a difference when employers are discussing each of the candidates. Send a nice thank you note shortly after your phone conversation. Thank them for their time and highlight a few of the things you enjoyed discussing. And if you like what you hear, don’t be afraid to let them know that in your thank you!

Need some help crafting your thank you note? Here are some helpful tips that might help!