Making the Most of Your Phone Interview

February 21, 2018

How does a candidate even land a phone interview? If you’ve ever been on a serious job hunt, you are very aware not every application you submit results in a phone interview, in fact it’s not even close.

Compass recruiter Cameron Black shares the main considerations she makes before and during the interview process. “Every manager has key qualifications they are looking for and I make sure the candidate possesses those key qualifiers, or at least a fair amount of them before proceeding,” Cameron shares. “Comparing the candidate’s resume up against the job description is the first step.” If a candidate makes it past the initial resume check, they advance to the phone interview.

Now comes the actual interview and Cameron tells us she first reviews the candidate’s experience with them to fill in any gaps from their resume. Other key considerations that she appraises include: energy, ambition, and whether it would be a good culture fit. “Those are all non-tangible things that certainly weigh into decision.”

After reviewing experience, the questions begin. “I always ask why a candidate is leaving their current role and then dive into their background and ask them to walk me through the skills and knowledge they gained from their experience and how that would fit with the position.”

One of the main red flags that Cameron and all recruiters keep an eye out for is negativity. “If a person is very negative that quickly spreads around a workplace and we don’t want that to happen,” Cameron shares.

Recruiters always finish off an interview by asking the candidate if he or she has any questions. And recruiters love getting questions! Some of Cameron’s favorites include when a candidate asks her what she likes about Compass Group. “It shows they want to learn more about the company and care about the culture.” Another question that is a good sign is when a candidate asks what the next steps in the process are, as long as this hasn’t already been covered. Requesting next steps shows interest in moving forward.

As a recruiter that is actively seeking talent every day, we hope Cameron’s insight helps your next phone interview to be a success!

Browse available Compass positions here!