Hello Vikas:
Well, when a recruiter is using only the telephone to interview, he/she is getting only a two dimensional perspective on the candidate. Let me identify some areas you should think about in a telephone interview.
Whichever side you are sitting on--recruiter or recruitee--you have to understand that your voice and the words you use in the discussion have to carry the conversation from your side. If you are the recruiter, you must be able to communicate enthusiasm for the assignment. If you are the recruitee, the ability to communicate enthusiasm for the potential position is critical.
My best advice to you is that when doing an interview on the telephone, from either side of the desk, you position yourself, manage your tone of voice, analyze your answers, and speak more slowly and deliberately than you might in person. Why? It's important that both parties have a complete understanding of what is being communicated, and unless you speak a bit more slowly and deliberately than usual, some items may be lost in the communication process.
It's imperative that if you are being interviewed, you have your notes well organized in front of you so that you do not appear scattered, or the interviewer/recruiter hears a large amount of paper rustling in the background as you scan for notes.
It's imperative that both parties leave time after responses for notetaking. If you're the recruiter, you want to be able to trigger your recognition of the responses of a specific candidate; if you're the interviewee, you absolutely want your responses remembered. Keep in mind this is not a situation where someone must fill the available silence with talk; excessive talk may actually hinder your chances if you are the interviewee.
If you are part of a teleconference--an interview with a number of participants, and you are the person being interviewed, it's certainly not rude to ask the participants to identify themselves when asking questions so that you can address them directly.
One of the keys for a great telephone interview, I've found, is to be sure that everyone participating gets a copy of instructions, and understands the reasons for the call, the questions to be asked, etc., prior to the interview. Otherwise, you frequently waste a significant amount of time in the call.
As to the "mind" or "psyche" of interviewers who conduct interviews by telephone, there can be a variety of issues at work, impacting their presentation and discussion. Perhaps the Consultant or Interviewer has been given a large number of candidates to interview in a short time, and the purpose of the interview is to reduce the number of candidates to a workable number, based on specific criteria. In situations like this where I have found myself in the past, I generally cut through the facade and ask the recruiter specifically what he/she might be seeking. If they are rushed, speak quickly, ask yes/no questions, it's a pretty good indicator that what you are going through is a "screening interview."
I've never been a good interviewee, because I see though many of the devices and methods that poorly prepared or poorly trained interviewers attempt, generally with little success, to use.
On the other hand, I've come to realize that to many people, an interview can make or break a career--at least in their minds; this is generally a good reason most interviewees are a bit nervous when they speak with a recruiter about a different job.
Conversely, I've conducted probably 2000+ personal interviews in my career, and I always try to learn at least one thing new from every person I interview. Job candidates try to polish resumes and make themselves notable to interviewers when they should simply be trying to present themselves as the successful applicants they are.
Think about it this way...if you are being interviewed, your resume and/or your networking abilities have gotten you in front of a decision maker. It may not be the final decision maker, but it is a decision maker.
The telephone interviewer, as I said previously, is looking for specific feedback and once receiving it, will generally either move on with more in-depth questions, or will schedule another interview either with him/herself or with the person in charge of the process.
I hope this answers your questions, Vikas. If not, feel free to redefine the question and I'll be happy to help.
With best wishes.
Alan Guinn, Managing Director
The Guinn Consultancy Group, Inc.