Phone Interview Questions

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Answering phone interview questions like you've heard them all before will quickly hurt your prospects in a job search. No matter how many times you need to field a question spun around your weaknesses, you need to approach your answer with thoughtfulness and engagement. This is the time to put your best foot forward. Not the time to let your frustration show -- or desperation show. An experienced interviewer will read between the lines. And trust me. You won't get points for letting attitude creep into your presentation.

Stay fresh in answering phone interview questions. Any one of our 100 interview questions and answers can be used as a phone interview question. Read through all of our question and answer advice and get some new ideas. Think about your background in a new light. Prepare like your next interview is your first. If you do well, it just might be your last!

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO STOP ANALYZING/ COLLECTING DATA AND MAKE A DECISION?

Analysis paralysis...have you worked in environments where there was always a need to see more data before deciding on a course of action? This is a bit of a balancing act, but understanding the time frame you have for making the decision usually plays a part. Identifying the key considerations and having some data behind each is helpful. When clear patterns emerge, it's easy to make the call. All of these things contribute to the decision making process. Your answer will give the interviewer insight into how you make decisions on a day to day basis. Is your decision making process more like "fire, ready, aim" or "ready, aim, ready, aim" or "ready, aim, fire?"

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO REPRESENT A POSITION YOU DIDN'T TOTALLY AGREE WITH? ARE THERE TIMES WHEN YOU WOULDN'T DO THIS?

This is really an ethics question. The real question being asked here is where you draw your own line in the sand relative to being a team player. As discussed above, it's common in business situations to support decisions that get made by senior management that impact staff and customers. Good team players will get on board and support these decisions, without pointing a finger back at those involved in making the decision.

Sometimes, you might be asked to do something that goes against your moral fiber. Maybe lie to a customer; misrepresent your company's capabilities; do something that's not in the best interest of your customer. How do you handle these situations? Do you stand up for what you believe, or blindly follow your leaders? You'll note that no examples are required in this response.

Talk about where you would draw your personal line in supporting a management decision. Hopefully, you'll come down on the side of doing what's right.

TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU STOOD ALONE TO STAND UP FOR WHAT WAS RIGHT.

Here's your example opportunity...another ethics related question that looks for a specific example of when you spoke against the will of the crowd. Think about a time when you said to the assembled group, "I'm not comfortable with this decision." This could come up in a project team setting, or a management or sales meeting. How willing are you to be the lone voice for what's right?