Phone interviews have long been a staple of the interview process, especially for white collar professional jobs. These days, just as often, you’ll find yourself in a Zoom interview or a Google Meet interview or some other video meeting interview.
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However you talk to an interviewer or recruiter, on the phone or on a video conference, it often starts with a no-frills, basic interview with some questions — and maybe a lot of them.
Assuming the phone interview goes well, then you might be brought in for a multi-person meeting for a videoconference or an in-person interview.
In other words, the lowly phone interview is more important than you might realize.
So if you have a phone interview in your future or believe you will, you’re going to want to take this seriously and really prepare for it. Here is a list of some of the most common phone interview questions that you’ll probably get asked by a human resources professional, recruiter or hiring manager — along with suggestions of how you may want to answer them.
Keep in mind that these answers are generic sample answers. While our answers sound professional, if you use language exactly like this, you may come off robotic. Strive to personalize your answers.
— Why did you apply for this job?
— What do you know about this role?
— Why do you want this position?
— What skills do you have that make you best person for this job?
— Why did you leave your last job?
— Tell us about yourself.
— What relevant experience do you have?
— What is your preferred work environment?
— How would your previous colleagues describe you?
— What is your typical role when working on a team?
— What’s a work accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of?
— What are your weaknesses?
— Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
— Do you have any questions?
— If you were offered this position, when would you be available to start?
[READ: 3 Steps to Change Your Career at Any Age]
Why did you apply for this job?
It’s a straight-forward question, and you’ll probably get some variation of this at the start of the interview. This phone screen interview question also gives the interviewer a chance to determine if you are serious about the job, so you’ll want to be prepared to have an answer. They will be looking for details and genuine expressions of interest about the organization’s mission and tasks you’ll be required to perform.
Sample Answer: “Your organization’s goals and mission truly resonate with me. I have X years of experience with tasks and requirements for this role. I believe in the mission for the organization and the services you provide because of my history serving clients in this way. I think that I would be a great fit for this position and a great addition to your organization because I bring the skills of A, B and C to the table.”
What do you know about this role?
Again, they are looking to see if you did your homework, and if you are genuinely interested in this job or if you just randomly sent out your resume.
Sample Answer: “From the job description, I see that you are looking for a skilled operations manager who has strong leadership strengths and is able to communicate clearly and effectively. I have been an operations manager for five years and am extremely familiar with the tasks required of this role including managing a team, developing and implementing systems to ensure the organization runs smoothly in all areas and supporting the business mission.”
Why do you want this position?
An interviewer is hoping to gauge your interest for the job here. This is another question that is so straight forward, it would be easy to not prepare for a question like this.
Ideally, you want to sound interested in, and excited by, the job. Hopefully you’re in the right mindset when you answer this question — or any of the questions, says Christina Curtis, founder of Curtis Leadership Consulting and author of the book “Choosing Greatness: An Evidence-Based Approach to Achieving Exceptional Outcomes.”
“The emotions you project during an interview can be the difference between getting the job and missing your shot,” Curtis says. “Science has shown that emotions are so contagious that they move from one person to the next in under 10 minutes, without anyone saying a word. Determine how you want the interviewer to feel in your presence, and bring the energy that will generate that outcome.”
Sample Answer: “The job description states that this position allows room for professional growth. Professional development is important to me, and it seems that this is also important to your organization. I would be glad to work for an organization that truly cares about the overall happiness and professional development of its employees.”
What skills do you have that make you best person for this job?
Now we’re getting into a question that deserves a pretty meaty answer. It’s time to sing your praises — and remember to be energetic and enthusiastic.
Sample Answer: Oh, you can come up with something. You know your skills. We don’t. But while you want to offer up information about your career and skills, you want to try to not offer up too much.
“When we speak in paragraphs, the listener not only gets lost but ends up quickly forgetting what they heard,” Curtis says. “Have three to four key competencies you want them to remember, framing them in 25 words or less. That way they will remember what you said long after you have left the room.”
Why did you leave your last job?
This is a question that could reveal a lot about your loyalty to an organization. Avoid telling any negative stories about your previous role, even if you feel you were dealt with unfairly. (Otherwise, you’re pretty much letting your future employer know that someday when you move onto a new job, they, too, may be bashed in front of complete strangers.) Regardless of what occurred in your previous role, try to put a positive spin on the situation and discuss what you learned and how that makes you a better professional. Focus on what you want now versus hashing out the past.
Sample Answer: “I worked for my previous employer for five years. Unfortunately, due to a reduction in staff, my team and I were let go. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to work there and build my leadership skills and work with a strong team. I am looking for new opportunities in my career to enable me to enhance those skills even further.”
[READ: Why Software Developer Is the No. 1 Job of 2023.]
Tell us about yourself.
True, this is not a question. But it’s almost a guarantee that an employer will state something like this.
In other words, the hiring manager wants to know a little more about you and your personality. That said, they aren’t really looking to hear about your personal life so much as learning about your professional life.
And while it sounds harsh to say that they don’t want to know about your personal life, it isn’t that they don’t care who the person is they’re talking to. But in a first initial phone interview, it is kind of all business, and the person talking to you just wants to make sure that they’re going to be recommending somebody competent, talented and an overall good fit for the job. So this is your chance to reassure them of that.
Whatever you say, keep it short, suggests Jessica Sweet, a Boston-based career coach. “No more than a couple of minutes,” Sweet says. “Talking too much is not great in an interview, but some people tend to babble when they’re nervous. Wait for follow up questions or offer to elaborate on any parts of what you say.”
Sample Answer: “I have worked for the past 10 years as a data analyst. The past three years I worked with Company X analyzing their marketing program. My feedback allowed the company to make significant adjustments in their marketing efforts, resulting in an uptick of sales by 3% each year. I have also trained 10 new employees in the newest methods of analysis. I enjoy seeing how good data promotes overall business growth and positive changes in our industry. Is there anything else you would like to know about me?”
What relevant experience do you have?
It’s a reasonable question and an easy one to anticipate. Mostly, the hiring manager wants to know if you are able to identify relevant experience from what you read in the job description. Make sure to include specific examples of the type of work you’ve done when possible.
Sample Answer: “The job description states that you are looking for someone with experience in launching new products. In my previous position, I oversaw the launching of three new products. My strong communication skills and work ethic contributed to positive revenue in all three launches. Some of my methods were implemented into all new product launches at the organization.”
What is your preferred work environment?
This phone interview question will give the hiring manager some insight into your work personality and what kind of tasks you enjoy. It’s also a question that is likely being asked more often with remote work being more popular. You really just want to give whatever answer you think will make the hiring manager happy, and if you don’t know what they’re looking for, you may want to make it clear that you do pretty well working with people and without.
That said, you really should be honest. If you tell somebody what they want to hear (“Oh, I’m happy anywhere.”), you could find yourself working in conditions that you’ll end up hating.
Sample Answer: “I enjoy working with others when brainstorming and discussing how to implement processes. However, I do find that I am very productive when I work on my own. That is one reason why I am interested in this position.”
How would your previous colleagues describe you?
This is the chance for the employer to try and get a sense of whether you’re a team player, a lone wolf or a toxic employee. Obviously, you should try to give off the team player vibe, though making it clear that you don’t mind working on your own isn’t a bad idea either.
Sample Answer: You know you. We don’t. But whatever you tell the employer, keep it upbeat and positive, if you can. If you think your coworkers would call you “hyper” or a “hothead” you might say that they’d say you were “energetic” and “passionate.” Or you might say something like, “Well, I would hope they would say …” and then fill in the blanks with some upbeat description of what you hope they would refer to you as. You aren’t lying, and you’re keeping it positive.
What is your typical role when working on a team?
Similar to wondering how your previous colleagues would describe you, the employer wants to know if you are a team player. Understandable. Most workplaces do involve a lot of teamwork.
Sample Answer: If you don’t have a ready answer, you might say something like, “Sometimes I take the lead, and sometimes I follow, but what I really love is the collaborative process …” In this way, you’re covering all your bases — you’re good at leading and following, and you enjoy working with people. You also may want to share an anecdote of some team project you participated in.
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What’s a work accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of?
This should be easy to answer — provided you’ve given it some thought beforehand. So do that.
Sample answer: When you respond, you may want to speak generally and not mention any specific client’s name, since you don’t want your employer thinking you’ll be tossing out the names of their clients in job interviews someday.
What are your weaknesses?
Yes, the question everybody dreads. It’s understandable that your employer wants to know where you’re weak, but you aren’t exactly excited about possibly taking yourself out of contention for this job.
Whatever you say, you may want to think about this question. It seems to come up a lot in job interviews. But that is why preparation is key.
“What you say matters. Speak clearly, have your notes in front of you, have a glass of water nearby in case your mouth gets dry and make sure you do not have any distractions around you,” says Lisa Sánchez, vice president of human resources and a certified professional life coach at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.
“Via Zoom, same advice,” Sánchez says, “but make sure your backdrop is neutral such as a non-distracting photo, a bookshelf or a plain wall. If anything, use a neutral background setting. And, skip the pajama bottoms. Whether the interview is in person or via Zoom, dress for the job and interview. It will change your demeanor and mindset, and will help you answer the questions more formally and professionally.”
Sample answer: “I just care about my clients and colleagues so darn much …” “Sometimes, I work too hard …”
Actually, while those are answers designed to make you sound strong and desirable and not weak and unhirable, you should probably steer clear of those tired phrases since your employer will see right through you.
Arguably, you should mention some weaknesses. We all have some, and by addressing them, you can frame things in a way that set you up for success later. For instance, if you’re shy, you might say, “I’m quite introverted, and that may be seen as a weakness for roles that require a lot of team brainstorming.”
You might also impress your employer by showing that you’re not only aware of your weaknesses, you are actively trying to improve them. You may add something like: “I’ve been working on being introverted by coming to brainstorming sessions prepared with a few talking points and a handful of ideas. Being an introvert also means that I’m a great listener, so I’ve been using my active listening skills to come up with some feedback for my colleagues during our meetings as well.”
You could also mention some general weaknesses that have nothing to do with the job you’re applying for. For instance, if you are applying for an in-office job after years of working remotely, you could say, “Well, I’m not crazy about working alone and only being able to talk to my houseplants.”
You also might try humor: “Well, I’m pretty bad at answering questions about my weaknesses.”
Still, everybody has flaws, and if you think you can share any without torpedoing your chances for the job, share them. But focus on the solution and avoid oversharing and overexplaining — unless you’re sharing and explaining your action plan for working on this weakness if it comes up on the job.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
The employer wants to know if this job you’re applying for is a stepping stone to something greater elsewhere. There’s really only one right answer, and it better not involve being at a different company. (The one exception, of course, is if you’re a high school or college student applying for a summer job. Then you can probably answer honestly, but you still might want to leave the door open that you could be still working for this company.)
Sample answer: “I hope to still be here at this company, but within the next five years, it would be great if I have moved up the corporate ladder and am working in a higher position.”
That’s a good answer because there is nothing wrong with having ambition. It’s an admirable trait and most employers aren’t likely to want somebody who wants a dead end job. They’d just like you to funnel your ambition into their business.
Do you have any questions?
This is the time that you may want to ask about the next steps in the job interview process and how to follow up with the hiring manager, especially if you’re excited about landing this position. But also, maybe you can now learn something about the company.
“This is an opportunity for you to determine if the organization is the right place for you. The interview works both ways. It’s the beginning of the employer-employee relationship if you get the job offer,” Sánchez says.
Sánchez recommends having three to five questions ready.
Asking questions is also a good chance to show that you’ve been engaged in the conversation and have questions.
Sample answer: “Sure, I do have questions. Thanks for asking.” Then you can plow into your questions, which may go along the lines of:
— What type of person best succeeds in this role?
— What is a typical workday like for someone in this position?
— Do you have any hesitations about moving me to the next level of the interview process that I can address?
On the other hand, if the interview was thorough, and you have no questions, or if you realize now that you are probably not interested in the job after all, there’s no shame in saying something like, “You did such a great job explaining the position and were so thorough that I don’t have any further questions.”
But if you do want the job, Sánchez recommends not asking the questions that we all want to know the answer to, like, “How much will I get paid?” or, “So, can you tell me about the benefits and how much paid vacation I will get?”
“That will come later in the process if you advance to the job offer phase,” Sánchez says.
If you were offered this position, when would you be available to start?
This is the type of question you want to hear. Maybe you aren’t a lock for the position, but the interviewer probably likes what they are hearing from you.
Sample answer: “I can start now” is what you may want to say, but don’t say that unless that’s actually the case. There’s nothing wrong with saying something like, “I will want to start as soon as possible, but I will need to give my employer two weeks’ notice first.”
The interviewer will likely be happy to know that you’re being considerate to your current employer. There’s really no wrong or right answer here. You just want to have some answer ready, so you can get started with your new job on the right foot.
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Phone Interview Questions to Prepare For originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/28/23: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
