Telephone Screening Interviews - Do's and Don'ts

To get the most out of the time available, here's a list of do's and don'ts you should follow:
Do's

• Ask specific carefully prepared questions. This will allow the candidate to provide examples and/or to demonstrate their knowledge in a specific area.


• Communicate clearly the position and what it entails.


• Clarify discrepancies or concerns. Each applicant is unique and so are their qualifications. After you have completed your list of questions, be sure to fill in any missing information and ask for additional information if needed.


• Start by asking "knock-out" questions. Salary would be an example of a "knock out" question.


• Use the KISS principle. Keep your questions short and easy to understand. Use every day language. Avoid acronyms where possible.


• Ask the candidate to clarify their answers or be more specific if they have not answered your questions to your satisfaction.


• With technical skill questions, test the candidate's knowledge. For example: "What is the purpose of the Auto Filter function in Excel?" Another approach with technical skill questions is to ask the candidate a question like the following: "Tell me about a time when you had to use an advanced feature of Word to complete a work related assignment. What was the feature and how did you use it?

Don'ts

• Don't allow the candidate to ramble on or control the interview. Provide boundaries or time limits in which to answer questions and politely bring the candidate back in line if they get off track.


• Don't ask leading questions. For example: "I bet you don't mind working long hours?" Instead, ask: "What type of commitment can we expect from you?"


• Don't break the silence. If the candidate responds to a direct question in a vague manner, tries to divert the conversation, has a long pause, or stumbles over answers this should not be ignored. These are all indicators that there might be something amiss. These are red flags and should not be ignored.


• Don't ask questions that yield low-level information. For example: "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" or "Did you enjoy working at your last job?" The information is nice to know but it does not tell you whether the candidate has the required skills to perform the job. You might want to ask these questions in future interviews. However, I would avoid using them in the telephone screen.


• Don't ask hypothetical questions. They result in hypothetical answers.


• Don't ask any illegal questions.

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