Sam Bradshaw, Head of People at Astute, shares 4 tips on:
How to prepare for a call with an employer
Prepare for a call by being on time
If the call is scheduled, make sure you answer!
If you need to reschedule for any reason, let the recruiter know as soon as possible so that you don’t waste anybody’s time.
Recruiters work to tight schedules and will appreciate transparency.
Not answering the phone instantly shows the recruiter that you are not interested and have some trouble with time management.
The first step to prepare for an initial phone call with an employer is to always be on time and answer.
Find a quiet space when you prepare for a call
When looking at how to prepare for a call with a potential employer, good practice is to ensure you’re in a quiet space with limited background noise.
This way your voice will sound better, and the recruiter will hear you clearly, without the need for repetition.
Make sure you aren’t in the car driving.
Your recruiter would prefer you to concentrate on the road rather than speaking to them so arrange this for another time.
Also, make sure you are not on a walk/doing exercise or in a windy area.
It will be harder to hear you for one!
Do your research
Research the company!
This is possibly the most important consideration when you prepare for a call with an employer.
If you research the company you are applying to work for, you will be able to base your answers on their values.
It is very easy for a recruiter to identify if you have pressed the ‘apply’ button on every other posting on job boards, so do your research!
When your recruiter asks you, ‘What you know about the company?’ don’t sat ‘nothing’ or ‘I don’t remember’ or ‘What company are you?’
The majority of the time you would have applied for the position or had some form of contact with the company before the call is booked.
It takes 5 minutes to briefly look on the website and have some form of understanding.
Understand the role
Understand the job position.
Don’t just apply for a job, just for the sake of it!
If you are looking for a career, ensure you are only applying for certain jobs.
The more applications you send out, the harder it will be for you to show genuine interest in certain roles and companies.
Your recruiter will ask why you applied for the position or why you are interested in a particular vacancy.
Make sure you have some understanding about what you will be doing.
If in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
With these small tips you will increase your chances of securing an interview.
Make yourself stand out from the other applicants/potential employees.
About the How to prepare for a call with an employer blog author
Sam heads up Astute’s People team, responsible for the HR department, internal recruitment, learning and development and corporate, social responsibility.
Sam has a CIPD Level 7 in HR Development and Talent Management, a Level 7 CIPD award in Employment Law and a Masters degree in HR Development.
Sam first started working in sales after completing her media degree, working in advertising sales for a sailing magazine.
Since then, Sam has worked within a recruitment setting for nearly 20 years.
Sam started as an internal recruiter for the NHS, moved into agency recruitment and progressed to a Principal Consultant.
Later on, Sam worked as a Senior Recruiter for Staples UK.
After joining Astute, Sam has moved across to training and developing recruiters and in more recent years, taking on the HR department as a whole.
In Sam’s spare time she likes to spend time with her husband and children, running, going sailing and long walks along the seafront.
If you enjoyed her blog on How to prepare for a call with an employer, connect with Sam on LinkedIn.
