Phone Screening Candidates

Many start out the interviewing screening with a phone call to the candidate.

Text candidate that you are interested in:
In the text you can set up a time to talk, give them your website address and tell them a little about the position or provide them a link to the job description. This may better prepare the candidate.  They may text you to schedule a time after normal business hours. 

Setting the stage:

• Ask the same questions of all candidates
• Write candidate responses down
• Provide candidate with your undivided attention
• Have a copy of candidate resume in front of you
• Establish  trust and rapport, show them you care
• Be appreciative of their prior experience
• Tell candidate about your company and why they should want to work there

 
Questions you can ask:

• What type of environment does candidate enjoy working in?
• What did they find most interesting in the job description and what made them apply?
• Ask candidates about gaps in their work history (if any).
• If it is a different industry from previous work, ask them how they feel about that.
• Why they want to leave their current position?
• What are their salary expectations?

Get a feel for candidates’ enthusiasm for the role and the depth of their responses to your questions.

Give candidate an opportunity to ask questions:

• This shows their preparedness and interest in the position/company.
• It gives the interviewer an opportunity to share additional information about the role or company

​Next steps for candidate:

• Invite selected candidates in for an in-person interview
• Provide or confirm interview instruction in detail, including any parking or location specifics
• It is a smart idea to send these instructions via email

 
Please share your phone screen best practices with us! Send an email with the subject line "HR Corner" to jobs@industrialcouncil.com.