How to hire telephone operators
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information. • Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections. • Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations. • Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls. • Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail. • Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information. • Update directory information. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service, telecommunications and administrative • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $20.07 an hour ($41,740 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for telephone operators
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What telephone operators do
- Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.
- Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
- Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.
- Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.
- Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.
- Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
- Update directory information.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for telephone operators
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -27.6% over ten years, declining · about 200 openings a year (BLS)
Related hiring guides
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
- Receptionists and Information Clerks
- Telemarketers
- Office Clerks, General
- Customer Service Representatives
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers
- Public Safety Telecommunicators
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.