Recruiting is a process we must all go through when we are growing. It’s inevitable, our businesses will reach a point were we need more people to handle the work load. Most of us have a system we follow to find new people – let people we know we are hiring, place an ad, interview and hire the best person.

You are on the right track as this is essentially how recruiting works. I would like to add an extra step that many people skip either because they don’t feel it’s necessary or it’s a waste of time – the phone interview. Our tendency is to jump straight into the in-person interview based on the resume.

Has this happened to you? Five minutes into the interview you realize the person is not a fit and then wonder what are you going to talk to them about for the next 30 minutes.  After all it would be rude to end the interview after five minutes when they made the effort to dress up and drive to your place of business. You have to remember the resume speaks to skills and work history. You typically find people are not a match for your company based on personality or attitude.

This is where phone interviews can be a great help. You can schedule a 15 minute interview to determine if they meet the basic requirements of the position and if they will fit in with you and your team. I know many of you have probably been warned about interviewing based on personality – you have told me. The rule of thumb to follow is this – only ask questions pertaining to the work environment, getting along with co-workers and clients pertains to work so go ahead and ask.

I recommend only asking about five questions during the phone interview. Also to get the most of the call, ask the questions before you tell them about the position and the company.

The questions you ask will be more about the essentials a person must have, these are the items you consider non-negotiable. For example:  How would you rate your Excel skills? Why? or Tell me about the most difficult customer you have to work with?

I recommend and use the following format for phone interviews:

Greeting.  As with the in-person interview, you want the person to be comfortable and themselves. Take a few minutes to do this.

Ask Questions. The 4 or 5 questions you create beforehand so you are asking everyone the same questions.

Information. Lastly, tell them about the position and the company

Next steps.  Let them know when you will get back to them about next steps in the interview process

The 15 minutes you spend on the phone to screen candidates will save you 30 minutes or more per person who is not a good fit for the position or your company. Now during the in-person interview you can learn more about their background and how the person will fit in.

Please – Don’t skip the phone interview. It will save you time and will show you how necessary it is.

Do you do phone interviews? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below.