Stop Telephonin’ Me

March 31, 2011

While at work, I receive and make far fewer unexpected phone calls now than I did 4 years ago. In fact, almost every unexpected call I receive is a sales call, and is not someone I am working with or a candidate following up on an application. It seems that the way we as a society handle phone calls has shifted dramatically over the past several years.

A recent article in the New York Times, aptly titled “Don’t Call Me, I Won’t Call You,” discussed this cultural change, and made me think about its impact on business.

In general, we have become uncomfortable with the unscheduled phone call. Calling someone without a prior arrangement and interrupting what they are doing now comes across as more rude than commonplace.

The New Rule of Phone Calls: If what needs to be discussed can not be communicated over email, and is not an urgent matter, schedule a time to speak.

More often than not, if a call is not scheduled, a game of phone tag will begin, wasting time on both sides.

When I worked for a recruiting firm several years ago, if I received a resume of a candidate I wanted to speak with, I immediately gave them a call. Now, when providing recruiting support to OpenView’s portfolio companies, if I called a candidate without a scheduled call, I would feel as though I was unfairly putting them on the spot and was being too demanding of their time, as well as wasting my own.

Have you noticed a change in your phone habits at work? Has a change in phone usage led to any alteration in your company’s business development strategies? If so, please comment below!

VP, Human Capital

<strong>Diana Martz</strong> is Vice President, Human Capital at<a href="http://www.ta.com/">TA Associates</a>. She was previously the Director of Talent at OpenView.