How to Ace The Phone Interview!

Inevitably, part of the interview process of nearly every job is the phone screen. You would be surprised that so many candidates squander this opportunity. This is your first chance to use your subjective qualities to separate yourself from the pack. This is your foot is in the door. It’s time to make the right impression. It's a real interview. This is your chance to let your words speak volumes about your personality and to prove you are the best person for the job.

Mastering the art of the phone interview takes practice. Even the most experienced job seekers can fail to answer the often-complex questions. Rather than rant, I'm going to cut to the chase and tell you 5 ways to ACE your next phone interview.

1. Smile When No One Is Looking

Something so simple as smiling while talking on the phone has been scientifically proven to improve the effectiveness of communication—the other person can actually hear your grin. It is science. Just like the way the Earth revolves around the Sun, it's a fact - not a theory. Scientifically proven!

The reason is not psychological but rather physiological. When you smile, the soft palate at the back of your mouth raises and makes the sound waves more fluid. For those of you who sing in a choir (or in the shower), you know that the wider you open your mouth and the more teeth you show, the better tone you get. The same applies on the telephone. Smiling helps your voice to sound friendly, warm, and receptive.

2. Control your voice’s volume and cadence.

The next time you’re in a professional setting with a great leader, pay attention to their delivery.

They will surely add inflection and variation to their speech, but only in certain spots.

Experts reserve variation in speech for points of emphasis—maybe because they’re not sure that the other party believes them or because they want to convey emotion (kind of like how you shout at your TV because the Bachelor didn’t give a rose to Tiffany). You can apply the same principle to your phone interview, adding inflection and emphasis when you’re making your most crucial points.

When you work with hiring managers over the phone, you have a whole new set of etiquette rules. The minute you pick up the phone, body language disappears, and your tone of voice and the words you use become the entire story.

In fact, almost the entire message you project to a customer over the phone is communicated through your tone of voice. For example:

• A monotone and flat voice says to the hiring manager, “I’m bored and have absolutely no interest in what you’re talking about.”
• Slow speed and low pitch communicate the message, “I’m depressed and want to be left alone.”
• A high-pitched and emphatic voice says, “I’m enthusiastic about this subject.”
• An abrupt speed and loud tone say, “I’m angry and not open to input!”
• High pitch combined with drawn-out speed conveys, “I don’t believe what I’m hearing.”

It doesn’t take long after a recruiter or hiring manager hears the tone of your voice to pick up on your attitude. In fact, your hiring manager knows within ten seconds of initiating the call whether they’re talking to beauty or the beast.

3. Get to the point.

Hiring managers spend less than a minute glancing at each resume that crosses their desks, but now that you’re a little further down the hiring funnel, you’re afforded a few precious minutes to sell yourself. Your time is still limited, so don’t dilute your story with meaningless details. 

Just like all those lists you love on Business Insider, the brain measures quality by averaging out the data points it’s given. If you’ve made it to the phone screen, you can impress the hiring manager by knowing your top bullet points and being able to run through them succinctly.

4. Ask questions.

For all that is holy, you know that listening is more important than talking. Have a few questions prepared and try to come up with a couple of more relevant questions during the conversation. Research the company. Use LinkedIn. Use Google. Write out 4 questions.

At one point in any call, you will be asked some iteration of, “Do you have any questions?” Don’t come back with crickets. Be ready to ask the interviewer something powerful like "Why do you work here?"

Remember, this is not about them. That's right - this interview is about you. It's about your career. Asking questions of your potential employer puts you in a much better decision making position when you consider accepting their offer.

5. Prepare to Stand Out.

There will typically be quite a few other people getting phone screened for any job that you are interviewing.

If you don’t make a mark now, you may never get your chance to make it to an in-person interview. Whether it’s an insightful question or unique story, you need to stick out in the mind of the hiring manager when they’re deciding which candidates to choose for the next steps.

If you don’t make a mark now, you may never get your chance to make it to an in-person interview. Whether it’s an insightful question or unique story, you need to stick out in the mind of the hiring manager when they’re deciding which candidates to choose for the next steps. Plan before the call what you want to be remembered and make sure you prepare some concrete examples to leave that impression.

As a member of Relus' recruiting team, Brian Fink focuses on driving talent towards opportunity. Eager to help stretch the professional capabilities of everyone he works with, he's helping startups grow and successfully scale their IT, Recruiting, Big Data, Product, and Executive Leadership teams. An active keynote speaker and commentator, Fink thrives on discovery and building a better-recruiting mousetrap. Follow him on Twitter.