A presentation on the crucial skills you will need to nail your interview

1. PHONE INTERVIEW
SKILLS
Evelyn P. Hronec
CPA, MSA
Certified Personnel Consultant
Managing Director

2. Phone Interview Skills
Increasingly being Very hard to
used as the prepare for
1st step in the
interview process
Your goal during the
phone interview is to get
a face-to-face interview!

3. Steps to Acing
The Phone Interview
Close
Ask Questions
Set Yourself Apart
Highlight
Qualifications
Build Rapport
Prepare
Setting up
the Interview

4. You get the call to
schedule a phone
interview
…What do you do?

5. As happy as you are to get
that call, you need to
think clearly so you can
set yourself up for
success.

6. Setting up for the Phone
Interview
The key is to get as Know with whom you
much information as will be interviewing.
you can about the An interview with HR will be
interview up front so different than an interview
can prepare. with the Hiring Manager.
Clarify that you will be Ask if they have a job
phone screening for the description for the
same position you applied position that they can
for. send you before the
phone interview.

7. Why…
So you can determine
what skills you
possess that make
you a fit for the job

8. Do your homework on the company.
Research them. Look at their career pages
to see how actively they’re hiring, etc.

9. Prepare for the Interview
 Try to find your interviewer and/or hiring
manager on Linked In. Maybe you two
share some commonalities.
 Review the job description and list
examples of how you’ve performed each
required skill set
 Have specific examples of results and
accomplishments handy

10. Before the Interview
 Make sure you are somewhere where
you are undisturbed
 Dress for the interview
 Have in front of you:
 Your resume
 The job description
 Your list of accomplishments
 A list of references
 Have handy:
 A glass of water
 Pen and paper
 A calendar to schedule the face
to face

11. Make a Good Verbal
Impression
 The biggest disadvantage with phone
interviews is that the only
communication is verbal.
 You will need to show your enthusiasm
and sell yourself through the tone and
inflection in your voice

12. Make a Good Verbal
Impression
 Be enthusiastic
 Try to have fun

13. Make a Good
Impression
 How do you do that?
 Sit up or stand up so your voice projects
 Put a smile on your face
 Speak confidently
 Don’t interrupt
 Listening skills are especially important here
 Say “Yes” or “ I see” periodically so they know you are
following their conversation.
 Avoid using “um” or “uhs”

14. Build Rapport
 As in the face to face interview, the first
five minutes of the phone interview are the
most important. They will dictate the
subsequent line of questioning.
So….try to build rapport!

15. Think of this as your verbal handshake

16. Build Rapport
 If you found the interviewer on LinkedIn and have
some commonalities, make a comment about it.
 If you found something interesting or a good article on
the company through your research, make a
comment.
 Try using Tonal Parity…
 A technique where you match the interviewer’s rate of
speech, volume and tone.

17. Highlight
Qualifications
 Most phone interviews will consist of a
run down of your resume.
 As with any interview, make sure you can
explain gaps, reasons for leaving, why you
liked or didn’t like a job, what you learned,
etc.

18. Highlight
Qualifications
 Your skills list will help you here to highlight
things you did in previous positions that directly
relate to requirements of the position you’re
interviewing for.
 Remember, this is a phone interview, so don’t
ramble on. Make your answers succinct and
interesting enough so the interviewer wants to
ask you additional questions (or bring you in for
a face to face to hear more!) Listen for signs
that they want you to stop talking.

19. Set Yourself
Apart
This is your chance to begin the close process. Let the interviewer
know that, based on your discussion, you feel qualified to step into
the role and highlight your reasons for thinking so.

20. Ask Questions
 Hopefully, you’ve been doing this
throughout the phone interview and
there are no real urgent questions that
need to be asked here.
This is a good time to ask:
Clarifying questions
 Chain of command type questions
 Company culture questions

21. The Close
The Close
The worst thing
you can do is
hang up the
phone and have
no idea what
your status is.

22. Steps to Close
Reiterate your interest and excitement about the position
 Indicate that, based on what you’ve learned
about the position, you would be anxious to
meet face to face to discuss the
position in further detail
 Ask when they will be scheduling
in person interviews

23. Steps to Close
Reiterate your interest and excitement about the position
 Look at your calendar and indicate when you
would be able to meet during that time period
and can you set something up now?
 If they stall on setting up an interview,
ask when you can expect
to hear from them again

24. Interviewing Styles
 A Human Resource Interview:
 Most likely a rundown of your resume to
confirm facts and explain reasons for
leaving
 Will be evaluating communication skills
 Will be evaluating cultural fit (sometimes
based on reasons for leaving)
 DO NOT treat them as if they are
unimportant. They will not pass you on.

25. Interviewing Styles
 The Hiring Manager Interview
 Will be more skills based
 Will be most interested in hearing about
your past positions that most closely
resemble the open position
 Will be evaluating communication skills
 Will be evaluating likeability and ability to
get along with other in their department

26. Avoid The Most Common
Mistakes
Being distracted
(dogs barking, kids screaming, other
calls coming in…)

27. Avoid The Most Common
Mistakes
•Not getting the facts beforehand
•Not knowing what the position is
•Not knowing who is calling
•Not doing your homework
•Having to admit you didn’t do your
research on the company
•Not able to highlight qualifications
for the position

28. …Most Common
Mistakes
•Not being prepared when a
surprise (qualifying) call comes in
 Watch out for this one.
Sometimes you’ll get a call out of
the blue. If you’re busy and can’t
focus on the qualifying phone call,
ask if you can call back.

29. …Most Common
Mistakes
 Poor communication
skills
 Using slang
 Interrupting
 Not coming across
enthusiastically
 Not expressing
interest in the
position and selling
yourself

30. Regardless of your interest in
or suitability for the position,
send a Thank-You email.

31. SPECIAL SITUATIONS:
Multiple Interviewers:
 Don’t get nervous, have fun with it.
 Whoever asks the question, face them to initially
answer and then turn to the others to complete
the answer.
 Move your attention from one to the other.
 Understand what each person’s position is in the
company and address them when speaking in
their area of expertise.

32. Questions?

33. Canton Akron Independence
(330) 490-2175 (330) 237-0100 (216) 674-4200
www.CFStaffing.com

34. Creative Financial Staffing
Evelyn Hronec opened the CFS of Northeastern Ohio, Ltd. office in 1996
after working as a CPA for Bruner-Cox LLP. She has more than 16 years
of internal auditing experience in the financial services industry, holding
various managerial positions including Director of Internal Audit. Evelyn
holds a BSBA degree in Finance from The Pennsylvania State University,
and a Masters of Accountancy from The University of Houston. She also
holds the Certified Personnel Consultant designation.
She is a member of The Ohio Society of Public Accountants, The Institute
of Internal Auditors, the Institute of Management Accountants and the
Society for Human Resource Management.
Evelyn is a Treasurer for the Ohio Association of Executive Search
Professionals, and co-chair of the Cleveland Chapter. She is an At-Large
Board Member of Akron Chapter of The Society for Human Resources
Management and also serves on the Advisory Board for Stark State’s
College of Business. Evelyn is a Founding Member of the Stark County
Women’s Impact Initiative and also speaks to various audiences on hiring,
employee relations and career issues.