Sailing through phone interviews 

Sometimes, a job recruitment process may include phone interviews where the applicant may be called to answer important questions in relation to the job. As much as it is a phone interview, it is crucial that a notified applicant prepares thoroughly well for it. 

Depending on how this phone interview goes, it may play a role on whether you get hired or not for a particular job. For this reason, it is very important that you prepare thoroughly well for it. Here are tips on how you can thoroughly prepare for that phone job interview. 

Do background research
In case the recruiting organisation arrives at the decision of conducting a job interview via phone, chances are the applicant will be notified days or weeks before the interview. Within that time (before the phone interview), one can utilise it for doing thorough background research on the position and the hiring company. 

“Do detailed research as chances are always high of getting asked a few questions about the role (one is applying for) or about the recruiting organisation,” says Joseph Musoke, a human resource manager, adding, “Research thoroughly well so as not to be caught off guard during the interview.” 
The internet is a useful resource when conducting any kind of research on either a role or organisation. 

But also, if one knows a person working at that particular organisation they are applying to, they can reach out to them as well for guidance. 

Mind the background sound 
Patricia Nansikombi, a project officer, has previously undergone a job interview via phone.  Describing her experience, Nansikombi says in 2018, she had the phone interview from home and things were going pretty well until mid-way when her teenage son suddenly began playing loud music from another room.
 
“I was horrified. Imagine, there I was on phone responding to questions being asked by the human resource manager and then abruptly, loud music begins playing in the background,” Nansikombi says. 

At first, Nansikombi kept ignoring the loud music and proceeded on answering the questions. But along the way, she became distracted and was failing to hear some of the questions well. 

“I was eventually forced to ask the human resource manager for permission to go turn off the music and as I did that, I told my son to keep away until when the interview got done,” she says.

When Nansikombi got back on phone, she got a brief lecture from the recruiting human resource manager advising her not to allow such interruptions from reoccurring again as they can end up affecting one’s chances of getting hired into a particular position. Fortunately, the mother of two got the job. So besides music, what other kind of background noises or sound should an applicant try to avoid during a phone interview process? 

Well, the sound of children, a flushing toilet, rain, television sound, people murmuring in the background, to mention but a few. Comfortable and quiet environments will enable one to be very attentive and focus well on the interview. 

Mind your phone manners 
Observing the best phone etiquette is very important during such interviews, says Sarah Kyeyune, a human resource manager. 

“One mishap on phone can cost you that job opportunity,” says Kyeyune. 

For this reason, Kyeyune advises applicants to exercise politeness while they speak, mind their language or choice of words, tone of their voice, among other important aspects. 

“Mind the basics like greeting the other person, not interrupting them when they are speaking, listening attentively and not raising your voice at them,” Kyeyune emphasises. 

One can practice so that they are thoroughly prepared by the time the actual date of the phone interview arrives. 

Take everything about this interview seriously 
As much as it is a phone interview, take it seriously. Don’t think that because you are not being seen, you can do whatever you wish. Everything you do has a tendency of having an overall impact on the interview. A case in point, if you serve two masters at ago (do the interview while doing something else), chances are high that you will get distracted at some point and in the end cost you the opportunity of landing that job opportunity.