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Top 10 Tips for Maximizing Candidate Telephone Interviews

By Julie Sherriff – President, Sherriff & Associates

After receiving curriculum vitae or resumé responses to an open position and selecting your top candidates, the next step is to conduct telephone interviews. Here are 10 tips for maximizing telephone interviews:

1. Define your goals ahead of time. Make a list of criteria for the position and use the list to prepare your telephone questions. This will help you evaluate if the candidate meets your hiring goals and it will ensure that each candidate is fairly assessed.
   

2. Don't delay in contacting candidates of interest! Competition is fierce for the best candidates, so by not acting quickly, you are leaving the door open for your competitors. To minimize this risk, contact the candidate the same day you receive the CV/resumé (even if it is just to set an appointment).
   

3. Make the phone interview the most important item on your calendar. You will impress a candidate by scheduling an appointment for the call. Also, let candidates know the expected length of the call so they can plan accordingly.
   

4. Just prior to the call, take time to again review the candidate's CV and become familiar with their education, experience and their interests outside of medicine. It is important to refer to these items during the conversation, as it is an indication of your interest as well as your attention to detail.
   

5. Initiate the call with pleasantries by briefly discussing the weather, sports, an appropriate current event or another topic to break the ice and create an interest. This will make both of you more comfortable throughout the conversation.
   

6. After pleasantries, describe the position including duties, hours, call responsibilities, colleagues, and place(s) of service. Explain why you are recruiting and briefly discuss the goals and criteria for the position.
   

7. Briefly and honestly (but not negatively) describe any challenges that resulted in the decision to hire. Also, don't dwell on, but never hide, problems that might be obvious during a site visit. Your fair and honest assessment of the opportunity can preclude future surprises or disappointments. And remember, the challenges can actually be opportunities for the candidates considering your position.
   

8. Review the CV/resumé for evidence of achievement in their specific field including awards, research grants, publications, and other accomplishments.
   
   
9. Next, ask the candidate to visualize and discuss how he or she would see themselves in the position. If it is favorable, sell the candidate on your practice and community. You will have learned by now what their professional and personal needs are, so provide specifics about how you see them matching your criteria and fitting into the community.
   
   
10. Last, invite the candidate to ask questions, and then ask for honest feedback on the candidate's perception and interest in the opportunity. If it is positive and the candidate meets your defined criteria, invite the candidate to interview and set a date. If the feedback is negative, but you are interested in the candidate, don't give up. Take time to probe further to determine if there is a misconception about anything or if simply the job and/or the community are not a fit. If it is obvious that the candidate does not meet your criteria or has minimal interest, thank the candidate for his or her time and politely end the call.

In next month's issue of Focus: Physician Recruitment, we will examine the Top 10 Specialties Being Recruited.