How to hire a telephone representative

How to hire a telephone representative, step by step

Here's a step-by-step telephone representative hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a telephone representative job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new telephone representative
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a telephone representative job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The telephone representative hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a telephone representative to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a telephone representative that fits the bill.

   This list presents telephone representative salaries for various positions.

   Type of Telephone Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Telephone Representative	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$15-33
   Account Services Representative	An account services representative is responsible for responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns regarding their financial accounts and statements. Account services representatives also offer new products and services from the financial institution, handling customers' complaints, assist in developing marketing strategies and promotional offers, and identify business opportunities to generate more revenues and attract potential clients... Show more	$12-19
   Customer Care Representative	A customer care representative is responsible for providing resolution with the customer's concerns, following the business' procedures and strategic processes. Customer care representatives must have exceptional customer service skills to address their clients' concerns efficiently and accurately, as well as having extensive knowledge of the products and services their company offer... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Outbound Calls
   • Inbound Calls
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Telephone Calls
   • Credit Card Payments
   • Customer Interaction
   • Alumni
   • Computer System
   • Customer Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Medical Facilities
   • Cold Calls
   • Customer Complaints
   • Customer Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Conduct telephone sales and interviews, compile and enter information into database, manage documents and insure customer satisfaction.
   • Demonstrate superb organizational and multitasking abilities
   • Verify credit information for Comcast customers.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your telephone representative job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A telephone representative can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, telephone representatives' average salary in mississippi is 48% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level telephone representatives 52% less than senior-level telephone representatives.
   • Certifications. A telephone representative with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a telephone representative's salary.

   Average telephone representative salary

   $48,039yearly

   $23.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level telephone representative salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

4. Writing a telephone representative job description

   A job description for a telephone representative role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a telephone representative job description:

   Telephone representative job description example

   Founded in 1963, FirstBank maintains more than $20 billion in assets and operates over 110 branch locations across Colorado, Arizona and California. Its growth can be attributed to one simple philosophy: do right by customers, communities and employees, which is at the center of the company's "banking for good" mantra. FirstBank believes that a company is nothing without the people that comprise it, and prides itself in hiring and training a diverse and talented group. By joining the FirstBank team you will experience its great team culture with ample opportunity for growth. There's an opportunity for everyone with positions all across the company, from Teller and Call Center to Technology and Lending. Apply today to learn more and join the team!
   
   Telephone Wire Representatives are responsible for accepting and processing wire requests received via telephone. The representatives are also responsible for speaking to customers and other FirstBank departments including branch employees. Multitasking and attention to detail are heavily emphasized in this position due to representatives having to record wire information while speaking to customers simultaneously.
   What you will do
   
   * Process telephone wire transactions.
   * Verify customer identity on all telephone wire requests.
   * Balance outgoing wires throughout the day.
   * Manage inventory of telephone wire agreements.
   * Perform research and inquiries to assist customers and branches with their wire requests.
   * Perform a daily review and reconciliation of the Telephone Wire Centralized Account.
   * Perform a daily audit and verification of wire forms and reports.
   * Work department reports.
   * Perform other duties and projects as assigned.
   * Understand and comply with all provisions of the Safety in the Workplace Policy.
   
   Minimum Requirements
   
   * Entry-level job with little or no prior relevant work experience in the function
   
   Preferred Requirements
   
   * Strong knowledge of internal applications including CICS, FirstView, and FirstView Wires application
   * Good understanding of FirstBank policies and procedures
   
   Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
   
   * Exceptional customer service, strong multitasking skills, and strong attention to detail
   * Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
   * Ability to work both independently and in a team
   
   Working Conditions and Physical Requirements
   
   * Frequently remains stationary throughout a typical business day
   * Frequently operates a computer and other office machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer
   * Occasionally moves about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, and other rooms
   * Occasionally positions self to access drawers and shelves of various heights
   * Frequently reaches for and handles paperwork and files
   * Constantly communicates with customers, coworkers, and management in-person and on the phone
   * Must be able to exchange accurate information
   
   Salary Range
   
   $20.00 to $22.00 Per Hour
   
   Statement of Benefits
   
   FirstBank offers a suite of benefits that support our employees' professional, financial, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Benefits currently offered with our positions include: Paid Time Off/paid leave programs, 401K/Employee Stock Ownership, United Healthcare medical, MetLife dental, VSP vision, Employee tuition reimbursement, Volunteer Time Off, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Group Life Insurance/AD&D
   
   FirstBank is an EOE/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other applicable status protected by state or local law. FirstBank does not permit pay inequities. Anyone who believes they have been subject to pay inequity should immediately report their concerns to the Human Resource Department.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right telephone representative for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your telephone representative job on Zippia to find and recruit telephone representative candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting telephone representatives requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new telephone representative

   Once you've decided on a perfect telephone representative candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new telephone representative. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a telephone representative?