Phone anxiety..... is this a thing

[Firefightress1]

I'm prepared to be educated but I've been helping a friend recruit for a job in a hotel. She created a job advert and we posted it online and on social media.

It gave details about the job and she had put her phone number to call to apply or for further info. She wanted to talk to candidates as its the way she has always recruited. It might be old school, I don't know.

Anyway, She had a lot of responses on Facebook and through private messages but no calls.
I replied on the post just to say to call the phone number as its quicker and she might not monitor replies and I was met with a barrage of unkind comments.

A majority saying they cannot phone as they have phone anxiety, this is a recognised trait and I should be more understanding. The job involves answering the phone in occasion and making outgoing calls to suppliers.

I'm so confused, I've never heard of it!
Everyone has a mobile phone but does no one actually make calls anymore?
I'm only 40 so not ancient but I'm no spring chicken either.
Just wondering if I'm totally unreasonable? How can they do the a job if they can't even call to apply. I'm 😕

Aww I remember that nervous feeling but you're right, it soon goes away the more you do it. I was shy and quiet till I started working in the fire control room, I became a professional as soon as I answered the phone x

If someone already has a job they might find it difficult to find a suitable time to call privately. They can send a message at any time without colleagues finding out

I cannot speak on the phone but also have autism and huge trouble with verbal communication (I still use communication cards a lot of the time) and auditory processing issues
I would never apply for a job that has phone use that would be worst nightmare!
I do not need to make calls in my job, everything is done now via email if a call needs to be made there is a reasonable adjustments that my colleagues who love talking on the phone will make the call for me and I will help them with other things cos we are a team who help eachother

That's great that you have such a supportive team!

I would say yes. There are lots of things you can do to make interviews more accessible.
They might be able to do the job, but the phone interview is inaccessible.
Your friend could look at sending details of what the call would entail, and booking a time for it, so they know what to expect and can prepare.
On the job itself they will have the same kind of calls regularly and can use strategies to cope, it's not the same with this initial call.
She might dismiss some great candidates by making this first part inaccessible to neurodivergent people.

I'll make calls if I have to and take a lot at work. I still hate it though.

I wouldn’t say I have phone anxiety, but I hate talking on the phone. I don’t know why, I just do. I’m fine face to face though.

Really, it's just an initial call to get to know the person, ask about their experience, there's no real structure to it or pre defined interview questions. That's the next stage.

You said It says call to apply or for more details. I thought that was quite clear.

Thanks, Yes, you're right but you only mentioned more info and that wasnt the main purpose of the call.

Well they won’t get the job if it involves speaking on the phone.

Bollocks

It is part of social anxiety and panic disorder for people of all ages.

A member of my family who is middle-aged suffers from it and will have a panic attack if forced to make phone calls, especially the type of calls that involve providing details on request. For years he would travel to visit places to deal with things that can easily be done over the phone.

Mobile phones were a godsend for him as he could text and now things like app based banking, web chats and appointment booking online are even better.

He wouldn't apply for a job that required him to use the phone though.

Yes, of course it’s a real thing. A lot of people hate speaking on the phone and it causes them a lot of anxiety to do so.

However, when you are at work you are taking on a “role” so to speak, so can answer the phone in a work capacity which is entirely different.

This is totally a thing. I have always struggled on the phone. I don’t like answering them. Much better now as have had years of practice working, but when I was younger I always joked I had ‘phone phobia’ and when texting became common, I was delighted!!

Not unreasonable at all… I say this as someone who has to psych myself up to ring friends and relatives- I often let it ring and stare at it if they call.

My problem to deal with, it shouldn’t be an issue for everyone else.

Hate phone calls with a passion. I avoid at all costs. I never answer them either. People know to text me.

I could have written this. I also have adhd.

It's become a thing since texting apps/customer service portals got more widespread. People have got out of the habit of talking on the phone and now experience feelings of discomfort when they do it, because it's an unusual activity for them, and those feelings are labelled as anxiety. There's also an element (ironically) of social contagion as there is with much self diagnosis.

Totally agree, OP. The world has gone completely mad.

If the job involves using the phone, then they need to demonstrate their competence, so YANBU on that point.

However, I hate using the phone and will avoid it wherever possible. I use it, as necessary, at work and for official stuff but NEVER for speaking to friends or family. My mobile is always
on silent, and it baffles me when I see people yacking away about trivial stuff. I have got worse with age, but it's not "anxiety" (a vastly overused word to describe normal emotions!). I just enjoy writing so much more, so an email or even a text is so much more satisfying than voice communication.

I’m 42 and hate talking on the phone. Not to friends or family, but strangers. I’ve actually worked in a contact centre no problem and am pretty ok at using phone at work. But then I know what I’m calling about/I’m the expert in that situation.

I’ve been meaning to arrange an activity for months for dd. But the only way to do it is on the phone. So I keep putting it off. I have adhd and struggle without body language. Even at work I would much prefer a Teams call.

I just wouldn’t contact if the only way to do it is over the phone. Even though I’m very proficient at using phone at work.

See, whenit comes to work related matters, phone calls are no problem to me.
Do I fu** answer my own mobile or call out, unless its my OH😅😅

I work in recruitment, It's common in the younger generation as they don't speak in the phone or call anywhere, they just message. Also socially they dont interact the same. I didn't like using the phone in my early jobs but I certainly didn't have a fear, I accepted it was part of my job and my confidence gree.
I was a teen in the late 80s/early 90s. I had friends who didn't even have house phones! We used to call each other to arrange plans but then would just make sure we were there. Out with friends we had no phones so we interacted fully with each other. Technology has some negative sides.
How many posts do we get here that mums want to call their kids employer, parents ringing in sick for them. They need to do it themselves

I'd definitely say I have phone anxiety & will always an alternative way of making contact if possible.

However, if I was interested in a job that involved using the phone & the advert specifically asked for contact to be made by phone then I would phone.

I see lots of jobs advertised on FB, where the advert is giving specific application instructions, followed by a string of "more info", "inbox me" etc etc type posts. That just strikes me as rude & surely following the application instructions is a basic for being considered for a job?

Same. And still work in a contact centre
But that's probably why I hate talking on the phone outside of work
I'm better now but even after 5 years in 999 work I still hated ringing up for a takeaway or something