I've received some great tips from colleagues, fellow job hunters and recruitment consultants regarding telephone interviews. I've since tried them out and been really pleased with the end results. I decided that the best way to capture and consolidate the advice would be to create a fishbone diagram as a checklist. I hope you find it useful. Following the steps in the fishbone diagram should give you a fighting chance of getting through to the next stage of the interview process. On the other hand, if you don't get past the telephone interview this time, you can use it to pick through the bones, identify the root cause and improve your chances of success next time. Please use the following link to check out my full article on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/preparing-pass-telephone-interviews-using-dr-fishbone-jon-stephenson

1. Job Hunting – pick over this fishbone for telephone interviews!
Jon Stephenson
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stephensonjon
• Prepare thoroughly for every telephone interview – give yourself the best chances of success
• Eliminate or reduce the risks of things going wrong – don’t just leave it down to pot luck
• Produce a fishbone diagram as a checklist – use the next slide as a template & tailor it
 People – research the role, the organisation, and your interviewer(s), and use your network
 Plant & Materials – consider the best location and the equipment that you’ll need
 Process – assess end-to-end logistics, alternative options, and follow-up actions
 Method – plan the approach you’re going to follow during your interviews
• Review it after the interview – what did and what didn’t work?
• Identify the root cause if unsuccessful – pick over the bones!
• Refine your fishbone – to give yourself a better chance next time
• Remain positive – remember, there are plenty more fish in the sea!

2. Jon Stephenson
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stephensonjon
Job Hunting – pick over this fishbone for telephone interviews!
Method
Plant & Materials
People (Role)
Process