Introduction

If you’re looking to conduct a phone interview, it’s important that you prepare properly. You need to find a quiet place with no distractions, prepare for the questions in advance and pay close attention during the interview itself. Here are some tips on how to conduct an effective telephone interview:

Find a quiet place to talk.

Find a quiet place to talk. Don’t do it in the car, or in a noisy place (like a coffee shop), or in public. This can be hard to find, especially if you’re working from home and have kids running around all day. If you’re having trouble finding your own quiet space, try asking someone else who has one–a coworker with an office might let you use theirs for an hour or so at midday; otherwise, ask if there’s an empty conference room where you can go uninterrupted during the day.

Prepare for the interview.

• Get the name of your interviewer.
• Ask if it’s ok to record the interview. If so, make sure you have a recorder ready and turn it on before starting the call.
• Find out if you can take notes during the call (this will help with follow-up questions).
• Ask if they have a copy of the job description available so that you can refer back to it during your discussion

Answer your phone professionally.

Before you even pick up the phone, make sure that you’re answering it professionally. Answer with your name, not “hello.” And don’t say anything else until after the interviewer has finished speaking.

If possible, avoid answering while eating or drinking (or chewing gum). It’s also important not to answer while driving or in any situation where there is a risk of being distracted from what’s happening on the other end of the line–for example:

• You should never conduct an interview over speakerphone unless all participants are able to hear each other clearly without any background noise or echoes from an open mic pickup source (such as when using Skype)
• If there are multiple people involved in this process (yourself plus someone else), try having only one person speak at a time instead of trying out both sides simultaneously

Stay focused on the interview.

The most important thing you can do during a phone interview is stay focused on the interviewer and his or her questions. Don’t multitask, and don’t get distracted by noise in your environment (even if it’s just background music). If you find yourself getting distracted or bored, take a break from the call until you’re able to focus again.

Don’t forget: You should always take notes during interviews–even if they’re over the phone! It’s also important that you ask questions so that the interviewer knows that you are interested in learning more about what they do or how they can help your business succeed.

Follow up after the interview.

Once the interview is over, be sure to follow up with a thank you email. You can also ask for feedback on your performance and what they liked about it or didn’t like about it.

Ask if they’d be willing to speak with other people in the company who might be looking for someone with your skillset. This could lead to an opportunity for you down the road!

If everything went well and it seems like there was mutual interest in hiring you, consider asking if there are any openings currently available at their organization (or at another company). If so, inquire about how soon those positions will become available–and offer yourself as an option!

You can conduct a phone interview and make it as effective as one done in person

Phone interviews are a great option for companies that want to save time and money. For example, if you’re interviewing people across the country or even in different parts of the world, it makes sense to use phone interviews instead of flying everyone out.

Phone interviews also make sense when you can’t meet with candidates in person because your office doesn’t have enough space (or any at all). Phone interviews have their limitations–you won’t be able to see how someone dresses or how well they speak on their feet–but they’re still worth doing if you want an accurate assessment from the candidate before moving forward with them further into the hiring process.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully conducted a phone interview. It can be nerve-wracking at first, but with practice, you’ll get better and better at it. Remember to keep your focus on the person who’s asking the questions and not get distracted by other noises around you. Once you feel confident in this skill, try conducting an interview over Skype or Google Hangouts so that both parties are able to see each other as well as hear each other clearly without distractions from background noise like phones ringing or traffic noise outside windows during calls made through VoIP services like these two options listed above