During the interview, we evaluate not only the information provided by the candidate, but also observe and analyze his body language (non-verbal communication) - hands, face, posture, tone of voice. All this gives us additional valuable information. Whether the candidate is self-confident, indifferent, or maybe nervous - these and other qualities can be conveyed precisely by body language.
Although non-verbal cues are often helpful, we understand that they can also be misleading as we all react differently to certain situations, especially stressful situations such as a job interview. Although human factors are unavoidable, they should not dominate and prevent you from pursuing your dream job. The most important thing is to remember that you speak not only with words, but also with your body signals, so take time to prepare.
Your preparation before the interview is half the battle.
When preparing for the interview, it is advisable to carefully study the advertisement of the position you are applying for and carefully review all the requirements. Also, we recommend that you take a closer look at the company, its activities, goals, values and assess whether all of this is in line with your values and expectations. It is advisable to write down questions that arise from the position, company presentation, and if you do not get answers during the interview, do not be afraid to ask them to the potential employer. (Read more about remote interview preparation here: https://bit.ly/2BKb8hB)
7 ha step-by-step memo that will come in handy when preparing for an interview
First contact. Hiring managers or recruiters often make a hiring decision within 10 seconds of first meeting you, so your strong posture and head held high will help you make a good first impression. Keeping your posture as natural as possible, we recommend walking directly towards the interviewer with every part of your body, maintaining eye contact.
Dress code. It is said "You are what you wear." therefore, it is quite natural that clothes can say a lot about your attitude and demonstrate self-confidence, reveal your attitude towards the position you are applying for, so before the interview you should ask about the dress code of a specific company. If you are not applying for a senior management position, we recommend you to choose smart casual – leisure and going out clothes the mix. Other appearance factors are also important: clean shoes, clean hands, neat nails and hair. As strange as it may sound, these factors are extremely important and the saying is not in vain "We meet by appearance, escort by mind.." often proves successful in the practice of selection specialists.
Good emotion and handshake.A handshake is often considered a basic element of behavioral etiquette, signifying the beginning of good contact. So, when you first meet a potential employer, don't be afraid to smile, because a smile always causes a positive emotion, and shake hands firmly (but not too strongly) guided by eye contact. Please note that according to traditional etiquette, the handshake is usually initiated by the person inviting you to the meeting, so do not rush to extend your hand first.
Social distance, seating and posture. It is said that the ideal social distance for normal daily communication with new acquaintances and strangers should be at least 122 - 366 cm, so if the meeting space allows, choose a place that is optimally distant from the interlocutor. Your posture is no less important, and one of the ways to reduce tension is to feel comfortable, so try to sit down so that you can feel the back of the chair and leave space for your legs. If you want to emphasize your interest more, you can lean forward a little while sitting.
Eye contact and head gestures. Avoid looking into the interlocutor's eyes very intently, but rather show your interest in other ways: every two seconds, look at different parts of the interlocutor's face from the eyes, nose, lips. In addition to eye contact, nodding your head while listening is an additional way to show attentiveness, but nodding your head should be a natural response to the information provided to show that you are an active listener.
Hand gestures. Your hand gestures can help you present yourself more vividly and make the interviewer listen, so try not to hide them under the table. If you involuntarily hide your hands, the interviewer can assess that you are very worried and do not trust yourself. If you have difficulty using hand gestures, try keeping them on the table. Using a notepad or pen to jot down important information or ask your own pre-prepared questions can help control your hands.
Influence of breathing. One way to reduce excitement is to breathe properly. Deep breathing activates our parasympathetic response, which calms us down, so we recommend taking 10 deep diaphragmatic breaths before an interview, as this will help lower your heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone levels. We recommend that you focus on breathing as an essential part of the interview process – breathe in when the interviewer asks you a question, then breathe out as you speak.
We hope you found these tips helpful and are one step ahead in understanding your own body language cues. We believe that by applying these practices, you will be able to present yourself more appropriately during the interview, strengthen your positive impression, reduce tension and have more chances to occupy the desired position.
