I am on an interview with (we’ll
call her) Gina. She applied for a position with my company, and so far she
looks like a great candidate. Her resume is great, her assessments thus far
have been a perfect match, so when we get to the phone interview, I am wildly
optimistic about her as a potential hire for my company. As the interview
begins, she starts off with strong responses and seems to be exactly what we
are looking for, but after about 10 more minutes of conversation, I am
convinced she is no longer my unicorn candidate. What went wrong? How did she
go from being the lead candidate in the role to a downgraded bottom-tier
applicant?
She made a few mistakes along the
way that could have been avoided, and since she is not the first person I’ve
interviewed to make similar mistakes, I figured this would be information worth
sharing. I have been writing in my blog High Gear Career
about how important it is to know a company, have passion for what you want to
do, and really make sure that you are not wasting your time on opportunities you are not interested in. However, how you handle yourself through
the interview process is just as important as the interviews themselves. While
the items listed below may seem obvious to some, I can assure you that yes,
these things still happen, so I find it absolutely necessary to commit a brief
few words to explaining some phone interview faux pas for you to avoid in the future.
1.
Time.
Gina started this interview off on the wrong foot by not selecting the right time to get the interview done. I find I am pretty
flexible with candidates because I work in multiple time-zones, so I expect
them to maintain the same commitment to finding a time that works well for
their schedule. What you want to do is find a time when you are going to be
alert, aware, and present to deliver the best possible responses. Don’t
schedule a 6 am interview if you are typically not up until 7:30 am, and don’t
schedule an interview for after lunch if you know you will be dragging, unless
you have absolutely no other options. Also, make sure that you have an
appropriate amount of time set aside for the interview. You don’t want to have
to cut your interview short when it’s only half done, nor do you want to be
late to starting the interview. In the ideal scenario, selecting the right time
for the interview will enable you to have the most
energy and time to focus on the questions without being rushed to finish.
2.
Location.
In my interview with Gina, she later confessed that she was
at work. This is not a problem if you are in a situation where you company is
going out of business, and your manager knows you will be interviewing for
other positions. However, attempting to interview under the radar will require
a little more creativity for locations (i.e. interviewing at home), but
interviewing while you are “on the clock” is a completely unwise decision. During
my interview with Gina she began whispering to someone else while we were on
the call (which turned out to be a customer) and asked to put me on hold. This actually tells a little bit of a
story about Gina as a candidate.
What does this simple act tell us
about Gina? Well, I’m glad you asked. It says that she is comfortable using
company resources for her own benefits. In
an interview, everything you do and say is a reflection of not only your
ability to do the role for which you are applying, but it is a test to
determine if you are a good fit for a company. If you are spending time at
your current company to interview for jobs now,
then what are you going to do when you start working at my company? Probably
the same thing. Of the hundreds of candidates I’ve interviewed, whenever a
candidate needs to put me on hold it is typically the first of many other
challenges that would prevent me from selecting them. It’s not because they are
no longer qualified for the job, it’s because this simple act ends up being an
indicator of the overall type of candidate they are.
Sometimes locations can be a little
tricky because many people who are interviewing for jobs are already employed.
I have interviewed many candidates over the years who have conducted interviews
and taken phone calls in their cars to avoid the experience I had with Gina. The
main difference in those situations is that the candidates openly shared, “I am
at work and am in my car.” Having the wherewithal to inform your interviewer of
your situation is actually a smart move because they can be understanding and
accommodating to your situation. This can go wrong, however, if you schedule
your interview for the drive home. Do not interview while driving.
Another situation you may be faced
with is if you are not working and are at home. You need to ensure that you
have a quiet place to have the conversation. If you have small children at home
or particularly noisy animals, consider going to a friend’s home or alternate
location. People will understand that you have kids, but having a conversation
with a candidate when their small child suddenly wakes up screaming in the
middle of the interview leaves the impression that you are the candidate with
the screaming baby. Once again, understandable, but is that really the impression you want to make?
3. Language
There comes a time in an interview when things start to go
downhill, and a candidate who started off strong is now suddenly giving
responses like, “um, sure,” or “ya, I guess,” or “or something like that.” When
I am hiring someone, unless this is for an entry-level role, I want them to be
confident in their abilities, and by using these weak, indecisive responses,
they do not present assurance in what they are doing. Most frequently,
candidates start strong, but after several poor responses, I can see them throw
in the towel, thinking they’ve already eliminated themselves. I can even
imagine them, sitting at their desks, slumped over, and thinking, “well, I blew
this one.”
Amy Cuddy, body language researcher and social psychologist,
explains in her TED Talk the impact of body language communication. Typically when people think of phone interviews, they don’t
think of body language since the interviewer can’t see them. But, the
interviewer can certainly hear them, so preparing yourself physically is going
to pay off by helping you maintain a heightened state of energy for the duration of the interview. My method for
this is to start strong and stay strong.
A few minutes before your interview
starts stand up straight, smile big, and keep your confidence high. Standing
will help you remain energized, but if you can’t stand then pull your shoulders
back, sit up straight and smile just the same. This is going to sound a little
odd, but keep a mirror in front of you, and become aware of your posture and
language as the interview proceeds. Stay aware of your language, and respond
affirmatively to questions with words like absolutely, definitely, etc.
(instead of “I guess” or “sure”). If you notice during the course of the
interview that you encounter a few difficult questions, make sure you still
smile, look at yourself in the mirror and sit up straight (or stand tall) to
avoid weak responses. Rest assured, you don’t have to get every question
perfect, but you do need to remain professional and confident. This simple act,
though seemingly unimportant will actually be a great tool in helping you
mentally get back into the right frame of mind for finishing the interview
strong.
Next time you are offered a phone interview, really think
about it before you accept the first available time the recruiter offers. When
will you be energized? Where can you conduct the interview in a
distraction-free location? And how will you keep the interview energy upbeat
with positive communication. By getting these 3 items right, you will set
yourself up for a successful phone interview.
