Exploring Telephone Interviews: What Can We Really Learn About Candidates?

In the past, I've read about several companies that arrange telephone interviews with candidates. Besides the obvious reason (distance being the biggest factor, therefore the candidate is unable to attend a face-to-face interview), how can a telephone interview be beneficial? What judgments and decisions can you make about a candidate based on a phone interview?

We are in IT staffing and consulting. Ninety-nine percent of our client interviews are conducted via phone. If you have the position description and your performance parameters, tele-hiring is becoming very standard, and you can surely hire based just on tele-interviews. There will be exceptions for critical company positions and for positions that require in-person interaction. Companies would want to have a final face-to-face meeting. However, for positions where filtering could be done via phone, this trend is here to stay.

Telephone interviews can help identify applicants who have the requisite skills and who may fit the company culture. However, a fit for the job cannot be assessed over the telephone or during a face-to-face interview.