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Phone Interview
Recruiting & Staffing
Phone Interview
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What are some good questions to ask during the phone screening for a callcenter position? I always have a hard time with this. Any suggestions?
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Forums » Topic Forums » Recruiting & Staffing » Phone Interview
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Phone Interview
posted at 12/7/2007 3:02 AM EST
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Posts: 237
First: 7/10/2007 Last: 8/31/2011 |
In my view, the purpose of a pre-screen is to establish that the applicant has the basic qualification for the position and, if so, set up an interview. We in retail we ask about such things as availability, expected compensation, minimum age, any issues with a background check and such. Some companies go into a lot more detail in a screening interview. Basically youre looking for red flags and save yourself the time needed to do a face to face with the applicant. |
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Phone Interview
posted at 1/10/2008 2:01 AM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 4/27/2006 Last: 1/10/2008 |
The general purpose of a pre-screen over the telephone is to talk about the position you are hiring for and to listen to the way the applicant communicates. The answers to the questions you ask are secondary to how the applicant answers them.
I would keep the pre-screen very brief and to the point. How did you hear about us? Are you currently employed? What was your previous place of employment? How long were you there? Why would you be interested in doing this type of work? Are you comfortable using a computer and telephone? How fast do you type? How many hours per week are you seeking? When would you be ready to start? If the pre-screen goes well, invite them to come in for an application or skills testing session or an interview. |
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Phone Interview
posted at 1/10/2008 2:03 AM EST
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Posts: 6
First: 4/19/2005 Last: 7/24/2008 |
We use phone interviews to look for fit in key areas. For example, if a candidate can not resolve conflict, they are not a good fit for our organization, so many of my phone interview questions revolve around, "Give me an example of a conflict you had with a customer (or co-worker, or supervisor) and how you resolved it.
In the long run it saves time. No matter how good that person is, or how strong her background and experience, without this ability, there is no point in doing a face to face interview. |
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Phone Interview
posted at 1/10/2008 2:36 AM EST
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Posts: 3
First: 9/7/2006 Last: 1/10/2008 |
We use the phone interview to create a short list so we can reduce the number of candidates we bring in. We strictly keep to behavioral type questions designed for each position. For example: "Tell me about a time when you had to rely upon a team to get something accomplished? How did you motivate them? How would they describe you?" Or "Can you give me an example of time when you proposed an idea that was later implemented to streamline a process for simplify a procedure?" We also ask them to highlight the three top things they have accomplished in the past that would best enable them to be successful in this position.
If nothing else, a phone screen will let you know how they communicate and present themselves. Some people look great on paper but have difficulty verbally expressing themselves but in many jobs, this is a must! Good luck. |
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Phone Interview
posted at 1/10/2008 2:38 AM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 11/9/2006 Last: 1/10/2008 |
I have four basic questions...
* What skills would you be bringing to the company? * What are some of the things that are important to you in a job? * With what computer programs are you familiar? * What are your salary expectations? There is a lot of information that can gleened from these questions. These provide an opportunity to see how the candidate thinks on his/her feet. And, I am able to get a sense of the candidates communication/phone skills. |
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Phone Interview
posted at 1/10/2008 2:51 AM EST
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Posts: 3
First: 8/10/2007 Last: 7/10/2008 |
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) such as https://mystaffingpro.com' >myStaffingPro can eliminate the need for a manual prescreening process. The applicant tracking system allows you to qualify your applicants, so that during the interview process you can ask more detailed questions and reduce your time to hire. Clients who utilize an ATS usual ask initial qualifying questions online, and follow-up with a phone interview which is focused on more situational questions. Typical phone interview questions include:
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Phone Interview
posted at 1/10/2008 2:55 AM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 7/25/2007 Last: 1/10/2008 |
I worked in customer service for 4 years and then later in my career had to recruit for those positons. I always found it interesting how candidates pictured this type of position. They often think it is a very easy job that just gets them in the door and then they can move on to something more exciting. I liked to ask how the applicant thought a typical day would be like in a call center to see if they had any idea what they were getting into. I have had many candidates that once I explained a typical day to them they backed out of the job because it was clearly not what they had expected. It was very beneficial to me to have worked in the exact job I was recruiting for because I could tell candidates that I knew exactly what the job was like. You also want the candidate to know that if there is a waiting period before they can even look at job posting because their reaction to that can also get at how much they really want this job. |
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Phone Interview
posted at 1/10/2008 3:01 AM EST
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Posts: 6
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 1/10/2008 |
I'm looking at the thread, and there are two very different questions being answered. First of all, I do not think it matters whether the interview is in-person or over the phone - the same suggestions apply.
Prescreen - If we are discussing a prescreen (i.e., a brief interview before the in-depth interview), I agree that we should focus simply on basic qualifications, and not try to assess competencies, with the exception of perhaps verbal skills. Indepth Interview. First and foremost, we need to define the job and determine a handful of critical competencies. For example, in an interview we designed for a financial call center organization, traditional service was important as well as recognizing sales opportunities. A question under the Service Orientation competency was "Share with me a time you had to deal with an extremely frustrated client." A question under Influence was "Tell me about a time when you had to overcome resistance to your ideas. What did you do to win the person over?" For each competency, we also provided examples of "what good looks like". Feel free to contact me if you would like further information about creating interviews, telephone-based simulations, or testing programs. Regards, Steve Torkel, Ph.D. Industrial Psychologist Torkel Research www.torkelresearch.com |
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