Hello there, talent acquisition pros!

Let's talk about something we've all encountered but rarely discuss in depth, the traditional phone intake interview. We all know it's a staple of the recruitment process, but is it the most effective way to screen candidates? More importantly, are there better ways to ensure you're spending valuable time talking to the right people?

What is the Traditional Phone Intake?

For those who might be new to recruitment or just need a refresher, the phone intake is that initial screening call you make to a candidate after their resume has cleared the first hurdle. Essentially, this is the step after the resume scan but before the in-person (or these days, Zoom) interview. The main goal here is to see if the candidate is not just good on paper but also culturally and professionally a match for your company.

Where it fits in the Recruitment Process

1) Resume Screening: Scan through the sea of resumes.

2) Phone Intake: Ah, the step we're talking about. Usually a 15-30 minute call.

3) Assessment Tests: Sometimes we need numbers and scores.

4) Interviews: The more formal, in-person or video discussions.

5) Offer & Onboarding: The end game, so to speak.

The Problems with Traditional Phone Intakes

- Time-Consuming

You can spend a whole day conducting these calls and still not find the right candidate. Time is money, people!

- Subjectivity

Let's be honest, we're human. We can be influenced by mood, biases, or even the weather.

- Consistency

It's tough to keep the interview framework consistent for each candidate, which affects the fairness and efficacy of the process.

- Information Overload

You're juggling multiple tasks, listening, asking questions, and often taking notes simultaneously. This multi-tasking often results in gaps in documentation or inconsistent data capture.

Possible Solutions: Make Way for the Future

- Chatbots for initial screening

A potential game-changer, chatbots. Imagine having a 24/7 assistant that can screen applicants with simple killer questions, answer their questions, and even schedule interviews.

- Voice enabled smart interviews (Audio Intakes)

Voice-enabled questionnaires that not only asks your pre-set questions but also follows up based on the candidate’s answers, automatically. No need for you to be on the line; the AI does the heavy lifting.

- Pre-Recorded Video Interviews

The possibility to come as close to a real time interview as possible. Record questions and let candidates answer them in video, making it very personal and giving you deep insights.

- Specific skill assessment platforms

Further narrow down the pool by using tests and challenges that measure job-specific skills.