Got your number: using telephone interviewing

Author: Noelle Murphy

The use of telephone interviewing or screening of candidates is growing, and research shows that it can be a valid screening and selection tool.

Key points

  • The use of telephone interviews is on the increase, either as part of the initial screening or the main selection process.
  • While it is a cost-effective way of communicating with candidates, it requires skilled interviewers to make it work well.
  • Telephone interviews require preparation on the part of both the interviewer and the interviewee, and in ways that are subtly different to those required for a face-to-face interview.
  • Telephone interviews lack the non-verbal aspect of communication that is abundant in face-to-face interviewing; however, research shows that this aspect does not drive the decision-making process.

All the indicators are that telephone interviews as a selection tool are set to continue to grow in popularity. More than half (55.9%) of the 208 employers we heard from in 2003 are using telephone interviews in the selection of employees at one stage or another.

The latest research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development suggests that almost one in three (30%) of the HR practitioners in its poll are using telephone interviews as part of selection.

Both surveys indicate that interviews over the phone are most likely to be used by service sector firms.

We know from our own research in this area over the years that telephone interviewing is used for two distinct purposes. Employers are turning to this technique to help screen candidates out of the selection process. And it is also used as an integral part of the main selection process itself.

In the latter case, telephone interviewing is used to aid the shortlisting process by asking screening questions, to facilitate an in-depth interview with overseas or senior managerial candidates, or to evaluate telephone or marketing and sales skills - for example, when recruiting for call centres or sales roles.

Using the telephone is a relatively inexpensive way of communicating with candidates, in terms of cost and time. It should not be a substitute for face-to-face interviews or other forms of testing, but instead acts as a supplement to the main selection process.

Types of telephone interview

Telephone interviews as part of the recruitment process can take a variety of forms. We have given some structures below, and divided them into either screening or selection-based interviews.

Screening:

  • short, rigidly structured interviews, used for screening purposes. An interview schedule is usually based on essential criteria that has been identified; or
  • a screening, competency-based interview, where the candidate is asked a number of multiple-choice questions to gauge suitability for the job role, based on identified competencies.

Selection:

  • a structured telephone role play, suitable as a selection tool when the role requires advanced telephone communication skills. When acting as a work skills test, such role plays can identify those with the core competencies or identified skills and attributes required to move to the next stage of the selection process;
  • a sales telephone interview where a candidate is asked to sell something to the interviewer over the phone - suitable for selecting call centre or telesales staff;
  • an in-depth, semi-structured interview for senior or managerial positions. Where it is more difficult to capture and explain previous experience and skills on paper, a semi-structured telephone interview can help both parties to ascertain suitability for the next stage of the selection process, which is most likely to be a face-to-face interview; or
  • initial interviews with people who are based overseas or unavailable for long periods of time.

What about the non-verbal?

One of the common criticisms of the telephone interview focuses on the absence of non-verbal communication - including facial gestures, gesticulation and body language - which has been quoted as accounting for as much as 60% of total interpersonal communication messages.

However, a significant body of research contradicts this commonly held view and, instead, asserts that it is the content of the dialogue that influences the "accept" or "reject" decisions when recruiting staff.

In research with graduates, Jo Silvester, professor of the university of London, contends that people interviewing using the telephone are able to concentrate more on the content of what is being said. We would suggest that this is the case, provided both interviewer and interviewee are in a quiet and stable listening environment.

Research on face-to-face interviews supports this by demonstrating the importance of content and cadence in the decision-making process. It shows that it is the content and how it is said - including tone, pace, inflection, and all forms of verbal behaviour - that exerts the most influence in "accept" or "reject" selection decisions, rather than interpersonal, non-verbal clues.

So, while 60% of communication may be non-verbal, it would appear that the remaining 40% that involves verbal communication is key to selection.

Here's some we prepared earlier

Over the past few years, we have conducted case studies with many organisations that have been using telephone interviews, in one way or another, as part of their selection process. We quote three examples below.

Selfridges

Retailer Selfridges uses telephone interviewing as the first phase of its selection process. The "televet" screening tool aims to avoid discrimination against those candidates who do not have direct sales experience.

Having identified the key attributes required of ideal candidates, the "Five Ps" (passion, presentation, promotion, patch and people) form the foundation of the telephone interviewing process. For example, candidates are asked about their enthusiasm for a favourite hobby to demonstrate passion, rather than their love of retail, because Selfridges considers the attitudes to be transferable. With regard to the people attribute, the telephone interview focuses not on the customer relationship, but on what motivates candidates' wider interaction with people.

The 20-minute telephone interview has been very effective as an initial screening tool. More than two-thirds of applicants do not achieve the required pass rate under all five of the criteria. However, of those who do make it through this stage, almost two in three are offered positions.

Department for Work and Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions uses telephone interviewing as part of its selection process for contact centre recruitment. Telephone interviewing was introduced to help speed up the recruitment process and reduce the time to hire. Used primarily for contact centre recruitment, it involves a short telephone interview to determine the suitability of applicants for shortlisting to the next stage.

Candidates are asked questions about their career history to identify relevant skills and experience and are also asked to provide examples of experience gained in the relevant areas.

Home Service

Household emergency insurer Home Service launched a "mature candidates" campaign in November 2003, targeting people aged 35 and over for call centre jobs, so as to address its growing recruitment and retention difficulties. A psychometric questionnaire was used to build a profile of the right candidates, and telephone interviews were used to test them against 14 areas of behaviour, such as resilience and sales focus.

Pick up the phone

We have reproduced guidelines for conducting a telephone interview in box 1 from assessment consultancy Wickland Westcott. Telephone interviews used for screening purposes should be used consistently for the whole recruitment campaign. Likewise, the same questions should be asked of all candidates, and a consistent rating scale has to be applied.

While it is recognised as being a cost-effective way of processing a high volume of applicants, there are hidden costs that should be built in to any budget set aside for such a campaign. Research from Silvester, cited above, shows that it often takes more than one phone call to arrange a date and time for the telephone interview, and candidates are not always available.

There is also the issue of contacting candidates in their workplace. From a practical point of view, this might be viable when initially arranging an interview time. However, the interview itself should take place at the candidate's home or residence out of their normal work hours. This may mean arranging for interviewers to work outside their normal hours too.

Mobile phones are not the ideal medium for a telephone interview. Reception quality is not yet of a good enough standard across the board for telephone interviews.

Telephone interviews are covered by the same legal requirements and restrictions as any other selection process. One of their advantages is that it is less likely to result in discrimination in terms of race, age or disability.

Silvester's research into the effectiveness of telephone interviewing, compared with face-to-face interviews in graduate recruitment cited above, indicates that telephone interviews are more task-focused and therefore less likely to be influenced by interpersonal aspects. This should mean that the selection decision, at this stage, is more likely to be based on the content of the dialogue, rather than being clouded by intervening bias created by appearance and other non-verbal issues.

But it is not necessarily easy to measure the level of discrimination that could take place when using the telephone in selection. Interviewees' regional or national accents, for example, might be accentuated when there are no visual distractions, and interviewers might consciously or subconsciously associate particular characteristics with their speakers. Warmth and trust, for example or, conversely, deviousness and unreliability.

And where an interview is conducted by telephone purely for the convenience of the interviewer, perhaps because of time pressures, there is a greater risk that interviewees with slower speech, speech difficulties or hesitancy caused by a lack of confidence may be discriminated against.

There should be a clear distinction made between using telephone interviews to recruit those who will need to use the telephone as part of their role - such as those working in call centres, where an assessment of their performance is justified - and those who will not.

The interviewee

A telephone interview can be a daunting prospect for candidates, particularly if they have not experienced one before. Providing them with as much information as possible prior to the interview on what they can expect will be useful in reducing their anxiety and helping them to prepare for the process.

This information can be anything from some general guidance notes on how to prepare for telephone interviews (see box 2), to a list of questions applicants can expect.

Wickland Westcott, in selecting 75 candidates from 3,500 applicants across Europe, developed a four-part multimodal telephone interview. The first part involved a self-assessment questionnaire, distributed pre-interview and containing competency-based questions for candidates to prepare a response for discussion during the interview. Advance preparation, it was felt, would take some pressure off the candidates and help them to feel that they were more prepared for the interview.

Box 1: A 20-point checklist for effective telephone interviewing

Before the interview

1. Clearly define the criteria to be assessed (such as qualifications, work experience, competencies, values), ensuring that they relate closely to the demands of the role.

2. Identify standard questions and some follow-up probe questions to assess these criteria.

3. Define key behavioural indicators that candidates will be assessed against. Trial the interview structure with a mock candidate to check that it works.

4. Send candidates some of the competency-based interview questions in advance to allow them time to prepare their answers.

5. Choose a venue for conducting the interview that will be free from distractions for its duration - remind candidates that they should do the same.

6. Ensure that candidates are clear about the amount of time that they should set aside for the call.

7. If working internationally, take time differences into account when organising interview schedules. 8. Check in advance with candidates that they will be available on the agreed phone number at the agreed time.

During the interview

9. Ensure that both parties can hear one another clearly - reschedule the interview appointment if this is not the case.

10. Be clear with candidates about what to expect, outlining the structure of the interview at the outset.

11. Explain that there may be periods of silence in which notes are being taken by the interviewers.

12. Pay attention both to what the candidates say and how they say it.

13. Obtain considered answers rather than immediate reactions; for example, encourage candidates to pause for thought before answering.

14. Show sensitivity to candidates whose first language is not English.

15. Use a combination of question types, such as CV-based, competency-based and situational questions, to bring variety.

16. Follow the structure closely throughout.

17. Take clear, detailed interview notes that you can refer back to later.

After the interview

18. Classify and evaluate the data gathered against each selection criterion.

19. Write up notes and make your evaluations as soon as possible after the interview - and certainly before conducting another interview.

20. Build evaluation time into your telephone interview schedule, rather than scheduling interviews back-to-back. Bear in mind that if you undertake the evaluations at a later date, trying to recall who said what is much harder when you have not got a visual image of the candidate to act as a reminder.

Reproduced with permission from Madeleine Owen and Tessa Webb, senior consultants with Wickland Westcott. Their checklist first appeared in another IRS journal, Competency & Emotional Intelligence, vol. 12, no.2, winter 2004/05

Box 2: Guidelines for interviewees in preparing for telephone interviews

Prepare beforehand as you would for any interview and, if possible, practise answering questions with a friend, asking them in particular for feedback on how your voice sounds.

During the interview, be aware that there will be no visual clues for the interviewer, therefore the tone and rhythm of your voice will become more important. Try to slow down if you have a strong accent or one that is unfamiliar to the interviewer.

It helps to smile while you are talking - amazing as that might sound. You will come across as more friendly and confident. Try to be as normal as possible, including the use of gestures. It has been suggested that you should stand up during your conversation, as it can make your voice sound stronger.

Have a pen and paper ready in case you need to make notes or think of questions you have for the interviewer.

Expect the interviewer to pause as they are likely to be taking notes. And don't worry if you don't get much feedback from the interviewer, as they are likely to be sticking to a strict interview schedule and making notes as they go.

Let the employer manage the pace and content of the interview. Don't interrupt, and try to give full responses - "yes" and "no" replies are usually inadequate if the question is open-ended.

Listen carefully to questions and, where appropriate, ask for clarification or check that you have understood the question before starting to answer.
If you get a question that needs a bit of thought, either repeat it back to yourself or ask for some time for reflection. Try not to leave long pauses on your part.