Phone Interview Tips: How To Ace a Remote Interview

Ever more companies are using phone interviews for both remote and on-site roles. But for candidates, they can be daunting. You might feel uneasy about the lack of face-to-face interaction—no body language or eye contact to guide you—or be unsure about how to approach them. Or maybe you’ve got accessibility issues that make them more difficult.

Mastering phone interviews is a critical skill in today’s job market, and the key to advancing in the hiring process—especially for remote jobs. The good news? coming across well in a conversation over the phone is easier than seems, as long as you prepare for the interview properly. Below, we walk you through seven essential steps to nailing your next phone interview.

Key Takeaways

• As for in-person, so for the phone: Know the company and role inside out, and practice answering interview questions in advance.
• Ensure that your interview space is quiet, you’ve got good sound quality, and you’ll be free of interruptions for the duration of the call
• Master verbal communication by speaking clearly, confidently, and enthusiastically—without relying on body language
• Actively listen to your interviewer and respond thoughtfully

The Role of a Phone Interview

Phone interviews cover straightforward information about things like salary range, job responsibilities, and start date availability. Recruiters also use them to screen candidates before inviting those shortlisted to an in-person or video interview. For remote and virtual jobs, the entire interview process may take place without any in-person meetings.

While it’s tempting to think phone interviews are less important than “the real thing,” they actually carry a lot of weight. It’s your chance to make a strong first impression and demonstrate top-notch communication skills and role fit.

If you can ace the phone interview, it gives you a good chance of continuing to the next stage of the process.

7 Phone Interview Tips To Help You Stand Out From The Crowd

1. Prepare like it’s an in-person interview

Research the company and review the job description. What does the company value? What skills are they looking for? Tailor your responses to show that you’re the perfect fit.

Preparation shows you’re professional and boosts your confidence during the interview.

Consider mock interviews with friends: perfect for honing your communication skills. Practice speaking out loud to ensure you’re speaking clearly and not rushing too much, and take your friends’ feedback on board.

When the real call happens, you’ll be more comfortable and polished. You don’t want to sound scripted, but if you’re confident and ready to discuss your strengths, weaknesses, and relevant achievements, you’ll pass with flying colors.

2. Create a quiet, distraction-free environment

Technology is essential for a successful phone interview. For in-person interviews, employers and recruiters control the environment: During phone interviews, you do.

Make sure you have the best possible sound quality and time and space with zero interruptions—ideally no people (or pets) around.

If you’re not on an old-school landline, fully charge your cell phone and make sure you’re somewhere with a strong network signal or Wi-Fi connection (depending on how the interviewer calls you). Nothing disrupts conversation flow like bad audio or, worse, dropped calls. If you’re using a headset, test it ahead of time.

3. Use the power of your voice

Without visual cues, your voice is what carries you in a phone interview, so use it to your advantage.

How you speak can show interviewers that you’re confident, enthusiastic, and professional—all traits you want to demonstrate as early in the hiring process as possible. This means you need to be aware of your tone, pacing, and clarity.

Standing while you talk in a phone interview can boost your confidence, energy levels, and perception of control—just like eye contact in video and in-person interviews. Even smiling while you speak can positively affect your tone of voice, and your interviewer will feel this even if they can’t see it.

Equally, be wary of speaking too quickly—which can come across as nervous—or speaking too slowly, revealing a potential lack of energy. Leave a small gap at the end of each question before you answer so you don’t talk over your interviewer. By pausing after questions and taking a deep breath, you’ll fall into a natural pace and avoid rushing your answers.

4. Listen actively and engage thoughtfully

Active listening is a great skill for any interview, but it’s critical over the phone. Without visual cues like body language and facial expressions, you rely solely on your interviewer’s tone of voice and the words they use.

Never interrupt while they’re speaking, and pay close attention to what they’re asking you. If you need clarification, don’t be afraid to ask. This shows that you’re engaged in the conversation and committed to providing a strong answer.

Do this, and you can give higher quality, thoughtful, and relevant responses that raise your chances of impressing the interviewer and making it through to the next round.

Active listening also means verbally acknowledging your interviewer’s points. Over video or in person, you can nod and smile. But in a phone call, you need to instead rely on small verbal cues like “I see” and “that’s a great question.” They keep the conversation flowing and demonstrate your attentiveness.

5. No visual feedback? No worries

Unfortunately, one major drawback of phone interviews is being unable to gauge your interviewer’s reactions to your answers. Did they hit the mark or not?

But there are ways around this. You can offer follow-up questions—such as “would you like me to go into more detail?” or “did I answer your question fully?”––to clarify whether your answer was received well or not. This shows you’re engaged, helps you better feel the flow of the conversation, and gently nudges your interviewer to engage with you.

6. Interview questions: Prepare for the classics

Whether your interview is over the phone, in person, or via video, you’re going to get them: the classic interview questions.

You can expect to discuss your previous work experience, strengths, weaknesses, and your interest in the role. You might also get quizzed on workplace behavior, so get ready to talk about specific situations where you’ve demonstrated your skills. Practice answering how your past experiences align with the job you’re applying for.

Since you can’t rely on body language to emphasize your points, make sure your answers are clear and well-organized. Consider using the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to structure your responses in a way that’s easy for the interviewer to follow. Even if they can’t see you, they’ll be impressed that you’re demonstrating important skills.

7. Close on a high note

As your phone interview wraps up, you need to leave a strong final impression. Thank your interviewer for their time, and ask about the next steps in the interview process. This shows that you’re proactive and genuinely interested in the role and working with the company, making it more likely that you’ll be shortlisted for the next round.

Better yet: Follow up with a thank-you email, reiterating your interest in the position and mentioning something specific from the conversation for bonus points. The same applies to successful video and in-person interviews, reinforcing the impression you made during the interview.

Conclusion

Acing a phone interview is about preparation, communication, and focus—just like it is in person.

The difference is that there aren’t any visual cues so it’s crucial to rely on voice, environment, and active listening to project your winning character and impress your next employer.

Follow the seven tips above, and you’ll be well-prepared to tackle your next phone interview and land your dream job.

To learn more, check out our 39 Job Interview Questions to Expect, with Answers and The 13 Things You Should Never Do In a Job Interview (But Everyone Does Anyway).

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