How to reveal best candidates over the phone?
To find out the best candidates over the phone, here are 8 best ways for recruiters to follow.
With the current aftermaths of the pandemic striking worldwide, most of the companies are carrying out remote hiring to fill in the job openings. While having a lot of candidates to choose from can be a tedious and time-consuming task, it is necessary to find the best candidates for the job. In such a scenario, conducting interviews over the phone or video conference can prove out to be beneficial for finding out the best among the lot.
In the current world where jobs are not restricted by political and geographical boundaries, shortlisting candidates based on conversations over the phone can have various advantages. It takes lesser time and space for a typical walk-in interview and is economical to organize. The availability of Applicant tracking systems has made the task even easier for both parties.
Here’s all you need to know on how to conduct over-the-phone interviews and find the best candidates!
Keep the discussion conversational
An interview that is more like a conversation between two individuals and less like a question-answer session helps to find out a lot more about the candidate and weigh various traits. It should be comfortable on both ends.
Ask about previous experiences
It is always advisable to ask about the candidate’s past experiences in a particular field, whether it has been fruitful and what all values have it added to his career and life till that point. Talk about any particular instances and ask their opinion about it. This will help in finding out their way of thinking and rationale.
Ask about other job interviews
A recruiter can also ask a candidate about what all jobs are they currently interviewing for and share instances from the recruitment process. It will always be beneficial in realizing where all the candidate has applied and what all is he expecting from this job. It will also help in reviewing the recruitment process for the best.
Take insights on expected salary
Even though this may seem a bit awkward, it is always beneficial to ask for a candidate’s expected salary range so that you can match it with your own budget. It is highly possible that a candidate might overprice, so keep room for negotiations later if at all the candidate gets selected.
Match their LinkedIn profile and resume
Running a fact check for you candidate is a crucial step towards verifying whether everything mentioned in his Resume matches with his LinkedIn profile and vice versa. Getting to know the candidate beyond the resume can go a long way in hiring the right one.
Schedule and follow up
Always make sure to ask for the candidate’s availability at a particular time and schedule interviews accordingly. Combine this with a proper follow-up and update pieces of information so the candidate remains on loop and is informed in every way about the changes in his application status. With the help of an Applicant tracking system, you can send the automated response to the candidate after every stage change.
Watch for loopholes in responses
For example, if a candidate mentions a number, note it down and bring it up later in the interview to check if the candidate remembers what he/she said or whether it is embellished. Ask them specific questions related to any skill or course that they have done to verify your own facts.
Always listen to your instincts
There might be a lot of instances where a candidate might have outperformed in an interview but there are still certain things that the interviewer is not satisfied with or has doubts about. In such a case, it is always advisable to follow their instincts and use their judgments to arrive at decisions.
As important as it is to have an interview over the phone, all the other processes of the recruitment process also need to be executed efficiently so as to yield the best possible results. Competition is huge. Openings few. So make your decision wisely!
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