automated phone interview questions

Phone Interview Questions and Answers

What Are Your Strengths? …
What Is Your Greatest Weakness? …
Why Should We Hire You? …
Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? …
Tell Me About Yourself. …
Why Do You Want to Work Here? …
Describe Your Current Job Responsibilities. …
What is Your Management Style?

Your job is to find the best candidates for your business, but can you be sure that they are really the right person?

It’s not uncommon to interview someone who may seem like a great fit on paper. Only to discover later that they just aren’t a good cultural fit.

To help you avoid this problem with each hire and make sure it works out. We list some phone interview questions that will give you valuable information about each candidate.

PHONE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS! (A Real ‘LIVE’ Telephone Job Interview Example!)

What are you passionate about?

Understanding what you are passionate about or what motivates you might help employers decide whether you might be a good fit for the position. If you are passionate about helping people, for example, and are interviewing for a largely independent role with little interaction with others, the position might not be a good fit for you. To answer this question, think of broad ways you are motivated both in and out of work. Consider how your passions might align with the role.

Example answer: “I’m driven every day by the ability to create beautiful, innovative experiences for users all over the world. There is so much helpful, valuable digital information on the web. Designing it in a way that is easy for people to consume makes me feel like I’m truly making a difference for people to access whatever it is that helps them live to their true potential—even if only in a small way.”

Read more: Interview Question: “What Are You Passionate About?”

1 Tell me more about …

Recruiters or hiring manager might ask about a specific item on your resume to get more details on your experience. For example, they might ask you to talk more about your achievements or responsibilities in your last job. Make sure to carefully review your resume before the phone interview—it might be helpful to have a digital or paper copy of it in front of you to refer back to. You might also write notes on your resume to highlight the experiences, education and skills that make you specially qualified for the position.

Example answer: “Thanks for asking about my time at Crane & Jenkins. I was at the company for five years where I managed a team of five IT professionals to maintain, fix and improve our company systems. I developed network troubleshooting methods that reduced downtime and lower repair costs and worked closely with departmental managers to determine the maintenance and growth needs of the network. I feel that my time making innovative improvements would be particularly useful in this role as you look for candidates with experience speeding up processes.”

Why are you applying for this position?

Another common question, “Why are you applying for this position?” or “What about this job interests you?” tells employers whether or not you are serious and have a genuine interest in pursuing the position. To answer this question, use details listed in the job description that made you want to apply. This can be duties listed in the job description, details about the company or something about the job that aligns with your career goals.

Example answer: “I’ve been working for several years on gaining skills in your industry. I feel I have the knowledge, skills and qualifications you’re looking for, along with a unique perspective coming from a different industry. I am passionate about working in the environmental protection space, and it is time for me to make a change. I feel your company is the perfect place for me to do that.”

Read more: Reasons for Applying for This Job

“Tell me about yourself.” Or, ”Walk me through your resume.”

These two similar (but not identical) questions are common interview openers. Asking one of these helps connect the dots between you and the position, says Muse career coach Angela Smith, a former recruiter. Sometimes the person interviewing you won’t be the hiring manager but a recruiter or someone in HR who has little background in your field. In that case, they may have zero context as to what makes your resume a good fit. “And for people who have a really diverse background or random jobs,” she adds, “it can be hard for the person reading the resume to make those connections.”

Wascovich points out that what the interviewer is really looking for in your answer is: “Tell me about yourself as it’s relevant to the role you’re currently interviewing for.”

So focus on the skills and experiences that are most applicable. You can simplify your answer by using the “present-past-future” formula. Explain where you are and what you do now, segue into what you’ve done in the past, and end with a brief explanation of what you’re looking forward to doing in the future (and how it relates to this job!).

“Tell me about yourself” example answer

“I’ve been in the marketing industry for over five years, primarily working in account and project management roles. I most recently worked as a senior PM for a large tech company managing large marketing campaigns and overseeing other project managers. And now I’m looking to expand my experience across different industries, particularly fintech, which is why Im so interested in joining an agency like yours.”