Telephone interview / telephone screen
Companies receive lots of responses to jobs they post, be it online or in the newspaper. It is usually the in-house recruiter or human resources department that is responsible for determining what candidates the hiring managers should meet with during the interview process. Often the way they accomplish this goal is through the use of a telephone interview.
A telephone interview (also known as a telephone screen) is a brief conversation between you and a representative of the company to determine if there is enough interest in your background and skill set to bring you in for a formal interview. A telephone interview will usually fall into one of two categories. It can be an initial screen or it can be a technical screen.
An initial screen is exactly what it sounds like. You’ll spend a few minutes on the phone with a recruiter or human resources representative who will ask you basic questions about your background, skills, work experience, education, and salary requirements. This person most likely will not get in-depth into your skill set. He/she wants to determine if you meet the basic requirements of the position.
A technical screen is a more complex conversation. You will most likely be speaking with the actual hiring manager or a person in the department that is expert in the skills required to perform the job that is advertised. You’ll be quizzed on your specific knowledge of a software program, process, procedure, etc. You still may have to answer basic background questions, but you’ll need to be prepared to answer tough technical questions as well.
If you receive a call from a company asking to set up a telephone interview, ask them what kind of conversation you should be prepared to have. You might also want to ask how long the conversation will last to allow you to schedule enough time to have a good conversation without being worried about time constraints. You want to be able to concentrate on the conversation you are having and not nervously looking at your watch hoping the conversation will be over by the end of your lunch hour.