As an easy conversationalist, I am never afraid to pipe up and give my two cents’ worth when I meet a stranger. Not on the phone, though, when my performance drops by about 25%. On cold sales calls, I often fumble and stumble such that I am quite amazed the person on the other end of the line actually agrees to see me.
In a face to face chat, I pick up visual clues that give me comfort and confidence to communicate smoothly. And they just aren’t there over the phone.
I don’t know what I’d do then if I had to meet the industry email list challenge of the latest change in phone interviewing!
Speed Dialling Speed Dating?
In an effort to speed up the recruitment process, companies are replacing the traditional phone interview with one where there is no human at the other end. You listen to a series of standard behavioural questions such as, ‘Give us an example of a time long content vs short content: which should you create? when you…’ and you leave your answer. It’s a bit like voicemail.
In 2018 the internet job site Indeed offered employers a set of text and audio-based skills tests including the option for a one-way phone interview. This is free for employers so it’s likely to quickly spread to smaller companies.
Larger companies are tapping into the services of companies such as which offers ‘automated machine scoring of 11 emotions and sentiments’. Sounds a bit like an oxymoron to me – a machine that rates emotion. What strange times we live in!
Some candidates do prefer one
Way phone interviews to video interviews and apparently, there mobile lead is a higher take-up rate for this new style of interviews.
However, if you are a hiring Manager wanting to jump on board, think twice about using remote phone interviews for senior roles. Executives usually have high expectations about how they are treated in the recruitment process. They expect professional respect. Watch that they don’t hang up in disgust at having to respond to a disembodied voice down the end of the line. You may well alienate your best prospects.