Blog

I have worked in Recruitment for about 5 years now, recruiting for a variety of roles from call centre & head office staff right through to paramedics & factory workers, working in large international companies through to the NHS. When my temporary contract with the NHS ended in February, it seemed like a natural progression to come in to O2 and gain some more experience working in a large blue chip company.
I started in the recruitment department here in February 2010, as a temporary Recruitment Assistant. I have been recruiting for Customer Service Advisors & Retail Sales Advisors and will be working on the Guru Recruitment campaign starting in May.

Applying for the job

• Always fill in the correct information, O2 will always ask for references from your previous employers and if you have filled this out incorrectly it could come back to haunt you at a later date.
• Read the questions correctly before you apply!
• Read your applications before you press submit, this is your last chance to ensure everything is correct – it can not be changed after.
• Check your emails and junk email for our reply; we will always email you to let you know if you have been successful to go through to Telephone Interview or if you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Telephone Interviews

• When you receive the email inviting you to interview, call us as soon as possible, this will stop you being disappointed if all of the allocated interview slots have gone by the time you call us.
• When you call for your interview, if you cannot do the date and/or time we suggest tell us! We can book you in for another day.
• Ensure you are in a quiet place; we need to be able to hear your answers so we can take them down correctly.
• Make sure you have plenty of battery life if we are calling you on a mobile, your interview will last approximately 20 minutes.
• Speak clearly and not too fast (some of us cannot type as fast as you speak!)
• Prepare for your phone interview, read up on interview questions on the internet especially if you have not had an interview in a while, this will stop you being nervous and you will know what to expect.
• If you are not successful, we will offer feedback, take it! We will always let you know what you need to improve on and what you did well.

Face to Face Interviews

• Check to make sure you have received the email and call us back if you have not, we do not want you to miss out on your interview.
• Plan your journey before you go, ensure you have enough time to get there, with time to spare in case anything goes wrong!
• Dress smartly, you will be judged on your appearance.
• Research the company and the role you are being interviewed for.
• Know your CV and make sure your details of previous employers and education are correct.
• Let the interviewers know your skills and what you are good at…. People usually don’t like to give themselves praise, but go for it!
• Don’t go off on a tangent, take a minute to think about the questions you have been asked and stick to the point.

Nikki

So you have a telephone interview booked…….
My name is Nicola and I work in the O2 resource team. My role is mainly conducting telephone interviews. I do complete other work but this is what I mainly do day in and day out.
I speak to many people who are terrified of the telephone interview experience and are worried, anxious and unnerved by the thought of it so I thought it would help if I gave some helpful advice and hints and tips to help calm those nerves and help you to make the most of your interview.
Here goes….
Telephone interviews take around 30 minutes to complete so always make sure when you have one you are in a quiet environment, indoors where you will not be interrupted. This way you can make sure you are focused and can concentrate on the situation fully.
Treat the interview as a formal interview as you would if you were being interviewed face to face. Be professional and polite and try to make a positive impression.
Relax, get comfortable and have a glass of water by you in case you get thirsty as you will be talking a lot. If you are nervous don’t be afraid to tell the interviewer and if you are unsure of anything and want the interviewer to repeat anything tell them.
Think about the role you are being interviewed for and what sorts of questions you may be asked and what skills the interviewer may be looking for.
 Try to think about different situations you have been in that you can talk about in detail to the interviewer use examples you can use to really sell your self and demonstrate your skills to the best of your ability.
When you answer the questions make sure you are clear, direct and concise and if you are talking about a situation don’t rush things. Stop take note of what is being asked and try to visualise the situation in your head. This will help you go through the situation stage by stage and it is more likely to flow and less likely for you to miss anything out.

Good luck if you have been invited for a telephone interview!

I originally joined Cellnet in 1996 as a customer services advisor, back in the day when car phones as large as your passenger seat were all the rage! I moved into training on a secondment basis and loved every minute of it! For me, there’s nothing better than the emotional reward of watching people progress and I’ve remained in Training/ Learning and Development ever since. I moved onto pastures new, working first for another mobile phone company, an insurance company and in the motor industry which included an exciting move to London. 12 years later, I came full circle, living back in the area and working for O2 again as L&D Operations Manager, looking after the L&D Delivery team in Leeds. I am now the Operations Development Manager for Business Customer Services. My team and I are responsible for the development and engagement for 300 staff. It’s a big challenge, but every day is different and that’s why we enjoy it.

Amy