Waffling, interrupting the interviewer and freezing are the three key phone interview disasters that candidates face. Read on to find out how you can avoid making these mistakes.
How do I stop waffling?
Stopping the waffle is easier said than done. Generally, it’s a sign that you’re nervous and you’re having a fight or flight attack adrenaline attack. The number one way to combat this is to take a deep breath. Tell your brain that it’s okay, you don’t need to talk at warp speed.
For chronic wafflers, I recommend writing down the question as it is asked. Then if you find yourself waffling, take a breath and say, “I know the question was x, have I answered that for you?”
The key waffling prevention technique is to interview practice. Get a friend or colleague to ask you standard phone interview questions until you feel comfortable. The more competent you feel, the more confident you will sound and the less likely you are to waffle.
How do I Stop Interrupting the Interviewer?
The simple answer is don’t do it! If I need to get a really good candidate in front of the manager who’s stressed out and desperately needs a new team member the last thing, I’m not going to do is select someone who is hard to manage. By interrupting your interviewer, you are demonstrating that you are hard to manage. Listening is a key ingredient when it comes to successful interviews.
If you do find yourself interrupting, it’s a sign that you are nervous and eager to please. Just acknowledge that you’ve done it, apologise and move on. Say something like, “Oh look, I’m sorry I interrupted you. You were talking about x.”
What Happens When I Freeze?
Avoiding freezing up and not being able to answer a question is easier said than done. Especially, when you can’t see the person on the other end of the phone. There are three things you can do if you have no clue how to answer a question:
1. Say something like, “that’s a good question. I just need a minute to think about that.” Take out your pen and paper and write the question down. This will give your subconscious some time to kick up a notch and by taking control of the situation, you are demonstrating that you are a professional.
2. If the question is really broad, ask the interviewer to be more specific. For example, “do you want me to answer it with something from my work life or something from my peaceful experience”. Again, you’ve given your subconscious time to think of an answer and you will generally get one.
3. The final option is for ‘Blind Panic’ situations. Take a deep breath and say, “I know this is an important question. I can’t answer it right now. Can I have a moment to think, and I’ll answer it at the end of the phone call”. If you forget to answer at the end of the phone call. See the follow-up email saying, “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me today, I am still interested in the role. In regards to question x, here are my thoughts….” This response demonstrates that you are a professional adult who doesn’t makeup fairy tales.
Summary: How to Avoid Phone Interview Disasters
The three key things to avoid during a phone interview are waffling, interrupting the interviewer and freezing. You can avoid these phone interview disasters by choosing the right question management technique for you. Maybe you need to write the questions down to check that you are staying on track. Try practising answering phone interview questions and have your ‘Help I can’t answer that’ phrases on hand. Finally, if you do find yourself interrupting interviewers, the best way to avoid these phone interview disaster is to apologise and move on.