http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124390348922474789.html
Until recently, candidates could often breeze through most phone interviews in 10 minutes or less by answering a few softball questions. Little preparation was necessary, and most people could expect to be invited for a “real” interview before hanging up.
These days, job hunters are finding that they need to reserve an hour or more for a phone interview. They may be asked to discuss their full work history, including the exact dates of their experience in various business areas. They may also be expected to cite examples and exact stats that illustrate their strengths and offer details on how they would handle the position.
I love that this is a) newsworthy and b) whinge-worthy for the people in the article. If it takes an economic crisis to drum some practicality into HR departments, it’s worth it.
I love phone interviews. Not because I’m particularly good at them – I’m certainly no worse than in a face to face – but because it lets me get a sense of the position and the company without having to dress up, schlep out, and get all stressed over a job I probably won’t get anyway. (Can you tell I’ve been job-hunting for 5 months, with too few phone calls in that period?)