Who calls and why#
Usually HR calls, sometimes the line manager directly. The aim is not a deep technical assessment but a comparison of five points.
- Availability: when you can start, which notice period applies.
- Working hours and place of work: whether the position fits your situation.
- Salary expectation: a rough placement within the range.
- Work permit: a standard point for foreign nationals.
- Motivation and manner: whether the application sounds consistent.
Preparation in ten minutes#
You do not need to practise for hours – but these five things should be within reach.
- Job advert: printed out or open, with the requirements marked.
- Your own application: short profile and last position at hand, so that you do not answer inconsistently.
- Three figures: years of experience, team size, one measurable result.
- Salary range: a figure with a justification, not ‘market rate’.
- Two questions of your own: about the team, the process or the first tasks.
Typical questions and good answers#
The questions repeat themselves – the answers should be short and concrete.
- ‘Tell me briefly about yourself.’ 60 seconds: current role, relevant experience, reference to the position.
- ‘Why are you applying to us?’ A concrete reference to the company, not to the sector.
- ‘What do you earn today, and what do you have in mind?’ State a range with a justification and stay friendly.
- ‘When could you start?’ A concrete date including the notice period.
- ‘Do you have any questions for us?’ Two questions – not ‘no, that is all clear’.
The salary question on the phone#
The salary question is the point at which many applications fail – not because of the amount, but because of uncertainty.
- Prepare: know your current salary situation including the 13th monthly salary and allowances.
- State a range: ‘I have 92 to 98 thousand in mind, depending on additional benefits’ comes across as factual.
- Do not evade: ‘I would rather discuss that in person’ is permissible, but only once – after that a figure should come.
- Not below your value: a figure that is too low is hard to correct later.
Your manner on the phone#
On the phone only the voice counts – and it reveals more than one thinks.
- Stand or sit upright: the voice sounds more present.
- Smile: it can be heard, even if it seems absurd.
- Quiet place: no street noise, no children’s voices, no echo.
- Pace: speak more slowly than in conversation, make short pauses.
- Notes: write down keywords; note the name of the person you are speaking to.
One detail that is underestimated: anyone who only answers on the phone comes across as passive. In the last third, ask a question of your own – about the course of the process or the first tasks. That shifts the conversation from checking to interest.
After the phone interview#
The call is over – now the follow-up decides on the next step.
- Make notes: what was asked, what was promised, which next step was mentioned.
- A short email: thanks for the conversation, confirmation of the availability you stated – two to three sentences.
- Follow up: if there is no feedback after the stated deadline, ask politely.
- Keep applying: a phone interview is not an offer; until you sign, the search remains active.
Keep the notes: at the actual job interview the same points will be picked up again – availability, salary range, notice period. Anyone who repeats the figures stated then comes across as consistent; anyone who deviates has to explain it.