Phone interview: Companies often use phone interviews as an initial way to narrow the number of applicants and identify candidates who they would like to invite for an in-person interview. Though this is the case for most jobs, interviewers hiring for remote positions often have to solely rely on video or phone interviewing to recruit ideal candidates. Skill assessment: Some positions may require that you take and pass a test that is designed to evaluate the technical abilities required for the job in question. For example, an employer might ask a candidate applying for a writing position to take a grammar test or write a test piece.