9 Biggest Phone Interview Mistakes To Avoid

October 15, 2018 in Career and Job Search Tips, Interview Tips

 

 

Avoid these 9 Phone Interview Blunders

A phone interview is usually the first step in the hiring dance. We’ve done the interview ‘waltz’ with a lot of prospective food and beverage candidates through the years! Some have left us with metaphorical foot blisters while others have swept us off our feet.

To assist food and beverage professionals with putting their best interview foot forward, we’ve crafted over 30 interview tip articles on the subject alone! When we spied Glassdoor author Julia Malacoff’s tips on phone interview mistakes, we just had to share, supplemented with advice from our executive recruiters. So let’s get down to it.

The 9 biggest phone interview mistakes include:

Never Conduct A Phone Interview In A Noisy Environment

We’ve heard barking dogs, screaming children, and flushing toilets in the background while on phone interviews. Moving to a quiet place not only helps you focus, but also demonstrates your considerate nature. Take some time in advance to identify a quiet place. If the only quiet place is inside your automobile, hold your phone interview there!

Don’t Talk About Your Personal Life

When we ask, “Tell me about yourself”, we’re not asking for your life story. Once, a candidate told us about their recent trip to Hawaii and goal to retire there. What we really want to know is why you are a perfect fit for this position. Before the phone interview, it’s a good idea to practice your response and have it memorized.

Resist The Urge to Multitask

You’ve heard the saying about mom’s having eyes in the back of their head? Well, we have a sixth sense and and can tell when your attention is elsewhere during a phone interview. Our most memorable instance of phone interview multitasking was the candidate standing in line for U2 concert tickets! Needless to say, multitasking during a phone interview doesn’t reflect well on your level of interest in the position you’re interviewing for.

Skip The Money Conversation – We Disagree With Julia Here

As Julia Malacoff stated, “it’s simply too early in the process for you to be the one who brings up salary expectations.” We disagree.  In step four of our process to help you find your ideal food or beverage position, we WANT to  know what salary and benefit package you will accept so we can negotiate the best offer possible!

Never Put Your Interviewer On Hold

Treat the phone interview as a business appointment. If your call waiting tone sounds, please do not ask us to hold while you answer. The exception is if you are truly expecting an urgent incoming call. It’s best to preface that in the early minutes of the interview, so we’re aware of the situation. We will willingly work with you to reschedule if an emergent interruption does occur.

Never Skip The Q&A

It is standard practice for us to ask, ‘Do you have any questions?’ at the end of the phone interview. Asking questions shows us you are interested in the position. Even if you truly cannot think of something to say, stating, “Thank you for your time. I’ve enjoyed learning more about this role. What are the next steps?” demonstrates you are interested.

Don’t Be Late

Sophie Cikovsky, who handles U.S. recruiting for Infinite Global uses this tactic. “I ask candidates  to call me as opposed to calling them at an agreed-upon time. That way, if I hear from them at 1:13 p.m. or 12:49 p.m. instead of our planned 1:00 pm interview time, I have an early indicator that they might not be a great fit.” It may seem basic, but being on time counts. 

Don’t Assume Reception Is Good

Can you hear me now? In today’s cell phone connected world, ‘dead’ zones can occur. It is frustrating when we need to repeatedly ask the same question over and over because we could not understand your answer due to static or dropped signals. Kindly test call a friend or family member beforehand to make sure the signal strength is strong.

Never Talk Over The Interviewer

We get it; interviewing can be stressful and exciting all at the same time. The takeaway here is to listen. Don’t rush to answer a question before we’ve stopped talking. The way you interact with us is a glimpse into how you will interact with future work colleagues.

Leverage Kinsa Group’s 30 Years of Interviewing Experience

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