Phone Interview Questions

Interviews via phone contain almost the same types of questions that interviewers tend to ask in a face-to-face meeting. For many companies, phone interview questions are the initial screening process. 

Students! When you apply for a job, expect a phone interview and prepare for the following questions. 

1. Tell me about Your Strengths?

 The employer wants to know your skills that could be valuable to the organization you are giving an interview for. Make sure you discuss your skills relevant to the job description. 

2. What is Your Major Shortcoming?

It would be best if you gave an impression to the interviewers that you are self-aware and willing to improve yourself. It would be best if you conveyed your weakness won’t be a hurdle in your professional career. 

3. Why Should the Company Hire You?

If your answer to this question satisfies the interviewer, they may select you. To a more significant extent, your selection depends upon this question. Convey your strong points precisely. You have to prove that your experience or your qualification will enable you to perform your duties effectively. 

 4. Reason for leaving the Last Job?

This question can be a bit tricky, especially when you quit your last job after going through any unpleasant situation. In any case, do not say a negative thing about your previous company. You may say that the timings of your last job were overlapping with your classes. For this reason, you had to quit.

Also Read: Reason for Leaving the Last Job- How to Answer?

5. Tell Me About Yourself

You have to be precise while answering this question. Do not tell them about your birthplace or family details; instead, describe your academic and professional achievements and skills. In other words, you need to give a brief overview of your resume. However, do not start reading your resume. 

Also Read: How to Answer Tell Me About Yourself?

6. Why You Applied for this Job?

Please do not say: I applied because I need some work. Interviewers want to know the factor that prompted you to apply for this job. Convey that you think you can utilize your skills in the best possible manner in this company. 

 7. What are Your Current Job Responsibilities 

Prepare a list of relevant tasks and describe those. You do not need to tell them every task that you did. Relate the responsibilities of your last/current job with the position you are giving an interview for.

 8. Your Management Style?

This is one of the frequently asked interview questions. The hiring managers ask this question to evaluate your leadership abilities. Please provide them with an example when you successfully managed a team or project. 

9. Where Do You Consider Yourself in next 5 Years?

The purpose of this question is to know your planning skills. Individuals who have clarity in mind, they plan and define clear goals for themselves. If you are a future-oriented person, you can prove to be an asset for the company.

It would help if you answered this question confidently. Tell them that you see yourself on a top management position in the next five years. Additionally, convey to them that you want to equip yourself with the latest trends in the industry.

Also Read: How to Answer – Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

10. What Motivates You?

This interview question is generic, and there is no right or wrong answer. Nevertheless, there is a way to answer it appropriately. 

Recall your strengths and think about your interest and passion. Please acquaint yourself with the company’s values and use them as guiding principles for responding to this question. 

Situation-based Interview Questions

The interviewers tend to ask situational questions during the phone interview. The hiring managers want to know your approach and how you might act in a particular situation.

The best way to handle these questions is to discuss a query or problem that you may have solved in the past. Some jobs require quick decision- making abilities, and that is why recruiters want to know your capabilities to work under pressure. 

STAR technique for Behavioral Interview Questions

The STAR method is a great way to answer behavioural interview questions. The method will enable you to structure your interview. And, you may come up with a response that will inspire the interviewer every time they ask you a question. 

Also Read: Top 10 Behavioral Interview Questions

STAR is an abbreviation of Situation, Task, Action, Result. 

The recruiters want to evaluate if you are competent enough to take the initiative and action in a particular situation. The simple answer won’t serve the purpose. You have to come up with a detailed description of the similar situation that you handled in the past. If you do not have any professional experience, you can quote the example of your college or university project. 

The pattern of Behavior-interview questions

Following are the examples of behavioural interview questions start like this:

• “Tell us about the time when you have dealt with an angry client.”
• “Give us an example when you demonstrated leadership skills.”
• “Tell us about the situation when you have faced an ethical dilemma.” 
• “Provide an example when you had to go an extra mile to achieve the targets.”
• “Describe the instance when you have worked under pressure.”

Tips for Phone Interview Question 

Before attending the phone interview, make sure your connection is working fine. Also, your voice should be audible to the interviewers. Make sure there is no noise in your surroundings; sometimes, buzzers and the sound of barking dogs cause distraction. If you do not hear any question clearly, gently ask the interviewer to repeat that for you. 

When interviewers speak, do not interrupt them, let them complete and then answer the questions. Try to give an interview in a separate room so that you could focus on the questions.

You may keep notes of the essential points with you. You must provide all the answers honestly. Furthermore, confidence is the key, and your way of talking should demonstrate a confident approach. 

Final Thoughts

In the phone interviews, interviewers include the same questions as they ask during face-to-face job interviews. Students need to answer all the questions confidently. Apart from commonly asked questions, interviewers tend to ask situation based questions.

The purpose of asking these questions is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to how they act in a particular case. Before attending the phone interview, make sure your phone connection is alright, and you have blocked all the surrounding noises.