Resumes can only tell you so much about a person. Or more accurately, they only tell you what the person wants you to know about them. Aspects of their lives or careers can be hidden or glossed over – vital information you need to help decide whether to hire them or not.
That’s where the interview process comes in. But doing formal interviews with too many applicants can put quite the dent into your schedule. The initial phone interview is increasingly becoming a vital step in the hiring process. It’s less time consuming and far less stressful for both the applicant and the employer.
It is therefore important to craft your screening questions carefully to get a clear picture of the candidate’s qualifications for the job. You’ll want to ask questions both specific to the job and to the candidate, not just a list of generic questions you find on a random Website.
For example, if a resume lists computer proficiency as a skill and you’re looking for someone with expertise specifically with Excel – pointedly ask a question to that end. To avoid any potential “knowledge inflation,” ask a question about the program an expert should know.
If you’re looking for an inventory analyst and the jobseeker lists inventory manager on his/her resume, ask questions about that job. It’s best to ask what a typical day was like on that job or what responsibilities were day to day. You’ll get a better picture of what their duties actually were rather than what their resume wants you to think they know.
Resume books teach job seekers to maximize their experience with strong language; the goal of the phone screening is to undo that and actually get to the reality of the candidate’s experience.
~Career “Creature Feature” Writer
