Specific types of interviews

Telephone interviews

Telephone interviews are increasingly used by companies as an integral part of the recruitment process. Most commonly, they are used as a method of initial screening but some use them as far down the line as third or fourth interviews. The majority of companies inform you in advance and usually pre-arrange a time with you but you should also be prepared for those who just ring!

The important things to remember about telephone interviews are:

it is just as important to make a good impression on the telephone; as with face-to-face interviews, first impressions count;
be aware of how you sound (there are no visual clues) - rehearse on the telephone with a friend or record practice answers on a tape recorder;
make sure you allow enough time - interviews can take up to an hour;
be prepared - you could be called at any time so make sure that the recorded response on your answering machine is suitable and that flatmates are briefed to take a detailed, sensible message;
keep a list of job applications by the phone, plus a copy of your CV, a pen, paper, diary (in case you are invited to a meeting/second interview) and a list of questions to ask potential employers.

Types of telephone interview:

Unannounced - someone from the organisation or their nominated recruitment agency calls you after receiving your CV or application form. Questions are often similar to those asked at a first face-to-face interview.

Prearranged - you are contacted beforehand to arrange a time to carry out the interview. You are likely to be briefed as to the style of questions at this stage. You may have an automated interview, where you are sent a personal identification number (PIN) and asked to call the company within a specified time period. You are then required to respond to various statements via a touchtone telephone. The time you take to respond may be taken into account.

Sales interviews - you may be asked to try and sell something to the interviewer (these are only likely if it is appropriate to the job for which you have applied).

Research interviews - some companies ask you to carry out a piece of research before the telephone interview and ask you questions on it during the call. For example, if you have applied to the graduate recruitment scheme of a supermarket, they may ask you to carry out some customer research on a certain product or aspect, such as store layout, and then ask for your findings.

Video interviews
These are rare but not unheard of, particularly if you have applied for an overseas position. As far as possible, you should treat them as traditional interviews: dress as you would for a conventional interview; address your answers to the interviewer (ie to the camera rather than the display screen); and listen carefully to the questions and instructions, asking the interviewer to repeat anything that you don’t understand.

Sequential interviews
These are several interviews in turn, with a different interviewer each time. Usually, each interviewer will ask questions to test different sets of competencies. However, you may find yourself answering the same questions over and over. If this does happen, make sure you answer each one as fully as the time before.

Panel interviews
These involve several people sitting on a panel. The actual number of interviewers can vary but there is usually a chairperson to co-ordinate the questions, a specialist who knows about the job in detail and an HR manager. These are popular in the public sector, including education and local government.