Contractors in the UK have been warned of the dangers posed by phone interviews.
A Contractor UK guide to the issue states many candidates are inadvertently putting themselves out of the running for a role due to their conduct over the telephone.
It pointed to Post Office research, which found that over 40 per cent of agents who conduct regular phone interviews reported having rejected candidates for attempting to stealthily undertake other activities while being interviewed.
"Background noise, unavoidable or not, automatically disposes of candidates for a quarter of agents, additional to the 11 per cent who veto those whose mobile phones cut out," said the guide.
It went on to warn contractors that the most "fatal mistake" they can make during phone interviews is to attempt to do something else, such as driving, going to the bathroom or walking the dog, while on the phone.
A separate Contractor UK guide to phone interviews states that it is vital to leave a good impression and advises engaging the interviewer with questions.
