For many small business owners, hiring is one of the great time sucks of their entrepreneurial existence. Regardless of the type of business, companies with more than a few employees can find that hiring happens frequently enough to become a drain on business resources. Companies with more than 15 or 20 employees will find, in many cases, that hiring is a constant process. Companies at this level simply must establish efficient and effective hiring practices; it is a survival skill.
"I'm really looking for something after lunch and before happy hour."
Owning brick and mortar service-based businesses, we have seen the effect inefficient hiring can have on operational effectiveness. Every minute one of our managers spends in the hiring process is a minute not spent on sales, customer service, or training. Anything we can do to streamline the hiring process can have an effect directly on the bottom line.
The hiring protocol for most small businesses tends to be pretty standardized:
- Place an ad
- Filter responses and email or call to setup interviews
- Begin interviews
- Rinse, repeat.
Many years ago, we added a step to the process that has dramatically reduced the time wasted interviewing inappropriate candidates: the phone screen.
Phone Screen, with Interview Questions
The phone screen is essentially a mini-interview. Without delving into anything too specific (please check with a human resources professional in your area to understand what questions you can or cannot ask a job applicant), some basic items we use the phone filter for are as follows:
- The hours for the job are such-and-such, are you available to work that schedule on a consistent basis?
- The job is located at here-and-there, would you be able to be on time and punctual at that location?
The number of applicants that filter themselves out just on these two basic questions is stunning. We hear all kinds of interesting things: “Well, I’m actually only available on Monday and Tuesday mornings.” (For a position advertised as full-time, including nights and weekends.) Or, “Actually, I live about an hour away from there. I didn’t look at the location.”
Besides filtering out the I-didn’t-bother-to-read-the-ad-or-use-common-sense crowd, the phone screen is useful as a pre-interview. We often ask one or two interview type questions just to test the person’s basic skills. The beauty of doing it on the phone is that the person has not had time to prepare — no time to Google “best interview answers.”
For the most part, you’re going to hear the person’s actual skill set.
We’ll often use a theoretical and a situational question. For example, what is your customer service philosophy or a client complains that he had a bad such-and-such, how would you respond. Obviously, the questions you ask should be relevant to the position offered, but a few interview-style questions thrown in the mix can give you a useful quick glance at whether an applicant might be a potential fit for the position.
In most small business interviewing, it is the succession of actual face-to-face interviews that are the greatest time suck. The more you can limit the number of unqualified people that are interviewed, the more efficient your hiring process will be. In the end, you want to make sure that everyone who gets in the room is a qualified candidate. The phone screen is a simple and effective way to do just that.
What techniques have you found to expedite the hiring process? Have you shied away from screening people over the phone? What’s your funniest interview story?
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Very good tip. Because most of my workers are virtual contractors, I don’t do in-person interviews. But I usually modify this same tip to do a “Skype-chat” screen before our phone interviews. Most of the time chatting like that the person is more relaxed and will show their true personality. Because we work mostly through a project management software with infrequent calls showing how well they can express themselves in a written manner but in a time bubble is very helpful to show me how well they can communicate on a virtual level.
Erica, that’s excellent. Same principle, different industries. I like how you are using the Skype chat feature; I am sure that is saving you a lot of time on the phone.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience!
Twitter: bdorman264
Interesting, but certainly practical. One of the things we do in talking w/ prospects and customers what are you doing to make sure you hire the ‘right’ person. We are able to quantify to a certain degree what a bad hire costs you. All of this impacts bottom line so you want to be as efficient and effective as possible.
Hire for attitude and not just from a piece of paper. A phone interview might help you cut this number down.
I like this; we deal w/ a few restaurants and car dealers who typically go through a lot of people and have worked with them in these areas.
I will keep this in my arsenal; thanks for sharing.
Hope your weekend has gone well.
Bill Dorman recently wrote about this…Life as a splendid torch
It’s funny how technology has put us in this box. Online job apps are so easy that tons of people apply for positions for which they are not qualified simply because it only takes a push of the button on Careerbuilder or Monster. We have to find quick ways to determine outlook/skills as you said, not just from a “piece of paper.”
I’m definitely curious to hear more details about how you work with your clients in this area when we speak.
Thanks for stopping by Bill. Hope your weekend is excellent!
Adam Toporek recently wrote about this…Effective Small Business Hiring Practice: The Phone Screen
Based on your statement, “the candidate has not had time to prepare,” I’m thinking you’re suggesting that you call someone without having set up the time beforehand.
One cautionary statement I’d like to make – if you DO call someone up for a spontaneous phone screen, please ask them at the start of the call if they have a few minutes to speak with you. When I’ve been on the receiving end of one of these calls, I’ve realized it’s from a job I want, so I’m polite, but a few times it has been a really terrible time! One of these times I was driving to another interview, I was lost AND late, and someone wanted to do the whole “let’s put you to the test” thing. If she had let me know that she was going to keep me on the phone, I would have asked to call her back.
Hi Jenn, first of all, I’m sorry to hear you were treated that way. While I didn’t spell out our process in detail obviously, you are so right. Our script basically is “this is __ from __ calling about the position ___, I have a few questions etc. is now a good time?” We certainly realize that in today’s environment almost everyone gives their mobile number, meaning you can catch them at very bad times. You need to ask if it is a good time to talk — it’s only fair to the applicant.
I should note, lest the post be misunderstood, the goal of the phone screen is not to catch someone off guard; it is to save time by asking a few key questions before committing to a face-to-face interview. However, like anything in life, there can be a secondary benefit. In this case, it is asking questions of someone before they have had a chance to put on the prepared mask that applicants often wear to interviews.
Ironically, since we DO ask if it is a good time for the applicant and disclose that we have some questions (unlike what was done with you), it is amazing how many people lack the professional judgement to simply say, “now is not a good time.” Can’t tell you how many phone screens we have done while people were talking to store clerks, yelling at pets, etc.
Oh Adam, I’d expect nothing but professionalism from you!
I have to admit, I was so caught-off guard that one time in particular I didn’t say, “may I call you back?” I definitely learned from the experience though!
I recruited for a small recruiting firm for two weeks one time – I know exactly what you mean by the phone screen being so useful. It’s amazing how strange people can come off, and we saved a lot of time through that phone screen.
I appreciate that Jenn! And you’re so right, it’s easy for conversations to come at a bad time when mobile phones are always with us.
Companies should bring back phone screening to avoid wasting time on unqualified applicants. It’s good to catch the applicant off guard and start asking questions about their past job, skills, and knowledge. This way, everything will come out naturally. You can tell then and there, if they are attentive, sharp, focused etc.
Phone screens certainly save time. While our goal is not to catch people “off guard,” I know that is standard for a number of companies. And you’re right, you can learn a lot from the phone.
This must be the most efficient way to minimize the time to interview persons to the job. Thanks for sharing. But I would think those questions really hard based on the position available cause for some positions people are not good at the phone and still are great for the position. This would apply for the tech and software industry where I’m in particurarly.
Mary recently wrote about this…Phuket Thaimaa
Hi Mary, I think that is similar to Erica above. For some technical positions, it sounds like chat or skype would be better ways to do quick screens than phone. Thanks for the comment.
I see it as a digitalized form of the questionnaire based filtration. PizzaHut has been doing it form since 10 years (at least in my area) or more. Of course, using phone obviously saves a lot of time. In IT industry, the skype based interviews have been a norm for quite some time too. Previously, skype based interviews were just to save resources (read cost cutting), but now a days, it’s more like for saving time on both sides. Recently launched iWowWe (not exactly pertaining to the interview part) is a advertising/marketing/communication solution based upon similar underlying solutions. So yes, we are missing out on something if we don’t put technology to apt use.
Hope that makes sense. Thanks for the good read Adam.
K.
ken recently wrote about this…Six Pack Abs Pitfalls: What Went Wrong?
Hi Ken,
It is impressive how digitization can be used in these practices. Inevitably, in most industries, you eventually need to get to direct person-to-person contact, like a phone screen. But as you point out, technology tools like Skype or IWowWe (I’ll have to check that one out further) can facilitate the process.
Thanks for stopping by!