Telephone interviews need to change.

Hiring a Data Scientist — Telephone Interview

How I handle a telephone interview.

Telephone interviews are a way to assess a candidate early on in the interview process. Candidates pass telephone interviews often, with few filtered out by the process.

Phone by Pexels

Bad interviews are often given a free pass as interviewers know they are stressful. So why do we still do them? I am not against telephone interviews. A Telephone interview determines a culture fit without a large time cost.

I am currently contracted to write up and carry out a Data Science interview process. As such the following outlay my logic and recommendation for telephone interviews.

Problems

Audio Discrimination

The incessant need for an audio or video call is stressful for candidates. A candidate should never feel they are being judged on anything other than aptitude for the job. As such I recommend a move to a text-based “telephone interview”. Inviting a candidate to a Slack or Skype chat gives more flexibility to the process. If a candidate, or interviewer, has to attend to something at work or home then the interview is no longer over. This adds accountability to the process.