With the amount of applicants for a single job, the hiring manager often enlists the help of a certain person to screen out what seems be an endless pile of resumes for unqualified candidates, or those that don’t have the right fit. That person is the HR manager.

Let’s assume for a second that you spent the time to write a stellar resume and caught the eye of the HR manager. You have arrived at the gate keeper’s front door. The next step would usually be a phone interview to go over what you have done, and more importantly to see if you are a good “fit”.

The phone interview is much like a dinner date. Suppose your date was just a pain to the waiter/waitress, chances are you won’t be seeing that person again. Think of the HR manager as the waiter/waitress, if you aren’t on your best behavior, chances are you won’t be seeing the hiring manager.

During the phone interview, it is wise to be sufficiently prepared. With today’s technology, it should take more than 15 minutes to look up the company on the web, and get a general feel of what they are trying to accomplish and possibly the culture. More importantly, it will give you good questions to ask her when the tables are turned around.

To score extra points, try to make the whole process easy and if possible fun for the manager. You are most likely not the first candidate they called, so by actively engaging the HR manager would show enthusiasm which may go a long way. It will also build rapport in the event where you don’t get the job.

There are often long term benefits if you have made a good impression with the HR manager. Even if you aren’t the right fit for the current role, many recruiters will consider you for future roles. Though HR managers don’t make the final hiring decision, they play a vital role in the process and could be the key to future opportunities.