5.1 Why all applicants need to evaluate their communication skills
Unless you have already made yourself known to the interviewer via networking, they will know nothing about you beyond what is written in your CV and cover letter. Although they should already have an overview of your qualiβications and work experience, they do not have βirst-hand knowledge of your personality or communication skills. From the moment an interviewer greets you, they will be formulating their overall impression of what you are like as a person and as a candidate for the role.
Activity 1: First Impressions
Estimated time: 5 minutes
Imagine that you are an interviewer scheduled to meet with a candidate. They have been instructed to wait in the lobby.
As you approach the candidate, what would you be looking for?
How could they create a positive impression?
5.2 The interview
As they meet the candidate and walk them to the interview room, an interviewer will be asking themselves the following questions:
Does this individual understand basic business etiquette?
No employer wants to recruit someone who cannot be relied upon to behave in a professional manner. As long as you remember to act in accordance with social norms, you will have no problems. Always stand up to greet an interviewer and address them by their title and surname, unless invited to do otherwise. When they initiate small talk, always respond and keep the tone of the conversation light and friendly.
Even if you are nervous, try not to give the impression that you are intimidated by the interviewer. It is not only applicants who βind the process difβicult - a lot of HR professionals and managers βind interviews tough! It may sound strange, but thinking about how you can put them at ease can help keep you relaxed. This is because when you focus on someone else rather than your own thoughts and feelings, you will be distracted from your own worries.
Is this individual likeable and friendly?
No-one wants to work with someone who seems unable to smile and engage in normal conversation. There is no need to adopt a fake persona in an attempt to charm an interviewer, but remain conscious of your facial expression, body language and choice of words - they can all leave a lasting impression.
Do I think they will be a good βit for our organisation/team/department?
Even if an interviewer decides that you are likeable, they may not automatically conclude that your personality makes you well-suited to the role.
For example
You may be a charming extrovert, but if the interviewer thinks that a quieter, more self-contained personality is required to balance out a high-energy team, they may not think that you would work well with the existing members of the department. It is more sensible to be the best possible version of your true self, rather than putting on an act. This will make you happier in the long run, because you are more likely to βind a role that is suited to your needs.
5.3 How to create a positive first impression
For better or worse, human beings judge one another on the basis of looks, body language, accent and other subtle cues within seconds of being introduced. We tend to formulate βirst impressions quickly and, once they have been consolidated, are hard to shift. Recruitment and HR staff often receive training in interpersonal perception and bias, but they are still human and may jump to conclusions regardless of their theoretical knowledge. Ideally, an interviewer will undertake an objective assessment by examining your application and considering
the extent to which it matches the demands of the role, but it is hard to suspend the natural tendency to judge. Use it to your advantage by doing the following:
Allow enough time prior to the interview
Arrive sufβiciently early that you can sign in, regain your composure and take a few deep breaths before the interview is due to start.
Turn off your phone and any other electronic devices. If your phone goes off during the interview, you are unlikely to be offered the job.
Arrive well prepared
You should bring a copy of your CV or application form, a bottle of water, a pen and a piece of paper. A copy of your CV or application form will be useful if the interviewer wants to discuss any of the points in βiner detail. You may think that you would remember what you wrote, but the stress of the interview may make your mind go blank!
Dress appropriately
Dressing smartly will rarely place you at a disadvantage. Wear an outβit suitable for an office setting. Ensure that your hair is well groomed. If you are wearing makeup, check that it is discreet and natural. Try everything on a few days before the interview, to ensure that you are sufβiciently comfortable.
Look the interviewer in the eye, then maintain a suitable pattern of eye contact
People tend to assume that when someone else is willing to make eye contact, they are likely to be telling the truth. Looking away can cause someone to feel suspicious of you, even if you are nervous rather than deceitful. However, relentless eye contact can be intimidating. As a compromise, maintain eye contact for the first few seconds, then break away occasionally and look at their mouth or nose instead. Do not look away from your interviewer for more than a couple of seconds, even if you feel very nervous.
They will understand that an interview is a nerve-wracking process for most people, but they will think twice before hiring someone who appears to suffer with significant social anxiety.
Use positive language from the outset
Tell the interviewer that you have been looking forward to meeting them and thank them for inviting you in for an interview. In the opening few minutes, they are likely to make small talk with you - they may perhaps ask whether you had a good journey, or whether you are familiar with the local area. Keep your answers positive, even if you had a bad journey or got lost on your way to the site. If you complain during the first few minutes of your encounter, the interviewer may mark you down as a “moaner” or a pessimist.
Give the interviewer a brief but firm handshake
Let your interviewer initiate the handshake. If your palms tend to become damp when you are under stress, be sure to wipe them discreetly with a clean tissue or handkerchief before greeting the interviewer.
Monitor your posture
Stand and sit with your back straight but not rigid and relax your shoulders. Whether or not they consciously evaluate your body language, the interviewer will pick up on any signals that indicate nervousness or passivity. Keep your gaze steady and chin raised. If you have purchased new clothes for the interview, practise wearing them so that you feel comfortable during your visit. Squirming around and rearranging folds of fabric will not inspire conβidence in the interviewer.
Do not try to make jokes
If you tend to use humour as a means of lightening an atmosphere, it may feel natural to crack a couple of jokes. Unfortunately, unless you already know the interviewer well, it is a big gamble - if one of your jokes falls βlat or causes offence, you are unlikely to be offered the job. You do not have to be solemn, but convey your humour through smiles and friendly conversation instead. Should the interview prove to be informal, you can adapt to the situation and allow your sense of humour to shine through.
Always be polite to the receptionist or administrator
From the moment you arrive on site, other people will be drawing conclusions about you. You should note that an interviewer may well ask any receptionists or administrators who interacted with you for their feedback.
You should always be friendly to every single employee and visitor you meet when attending a job interview. There is no way of knowing who may be friends with your interviewer!
Activity 2: First Impressions In Your Last Interview
Estimated time: 5+ minutes
Think back to your last job interview. With reference to the points above, what kind of impression do you think you left on the interviewer and why?
What could you do differently in the future?
5.4 How to convey confidence and enthusiasm during a job interview
Use your regular speaking voice
Assuming that you speak at a normal volume, you do not need to deliberately change the way you speak for the sake of impressing an interviewer. However, if your voice tends to become squeaky when you are under stress, practise some breathing exercises in advance and take regular sips of water. As long as your vocal chords remain relaxed, you will be able to speak at your usual pitch.
Use open rather than closed body language
Along with eye contact, body language is a major determinant in interpersonal judgement. In other words, we look to someone's posture, position and facial expression when deciding what kind of person they are and what kind of mood they are in. It is helpful to think of body language along a spectrum from “Open” to “Closed”.
Open body language creates a sense of friendliness, honesty and comfort. Someone with open body language will sit or stand with their arms and legs uncrossed. Closed body language gives an impression of insincerity or defensiveness. Someone displaying open body language gives the opposite impression. By sitting or standing with uncrossed arms and legs, you will give an impression of transparency and honesty.
Use gestures
Gestures convey enthusiasm, because they entail movement. Small hand movements can illustrate your point. Sitting or standing with your arms by your sides does not communicate much enthusiasm.
Fact
Humans have the ability to make over 5,000 gestures.
Source: robertphipps.com
5.5 Watch out for vocal tics
We all have our own unique set of conversational quirks and vocal “tics”. Unfortunately, they can undermine your credibility in professional settings. Excessive use of words such as “like”, “literally” and “wow” may annoy your interviewer, even if the content of your answers is sound. Before your interview, ask someone you trust to help identify your personal tics, or record yourself in conversation with a friend and play it back.
Consider your choice of words
Hesitation and qualiβied statements will not inspire confidence in your interviewer.
For example
If you say “I hope to do X within two years” rather than “I will do X within two years”, they will assume that you are relying on luck or assistance from someone else to achieve your goals. Use words and phrases that imply self-belief, such as “I can”, “I will” and “I have already...”
Avoid inflection at the end of sentences
If you have a habit of raising your voice slightly at the end of each sentence, the interviewer may conclude that you lack conβidence. Speak in a level tone of voice. Make sure that your statements are readily distinguishable from your questions.
Keep your answers brief and to the point
Do not ramble, wafβle, or repeat yourself. You can always ask whether the interviewer would like more information if it seems appropriate. Watch their body language as you answer a question. As they listen, their facial expression or posture might suddenly shift or relax - this indicates that you have provided them with a key piece of information and you can begin to wrap up your answer.
Keep your language professional at all times
Even if you are applying to work at a company that projects an informal image, it is a good idea to err on the side of caution and keep your language polite and professional. Do not use colloquialisms or slang.
5.6 How to build rapport
two people are in a state of rapport, they are able to communicate easily and clear up any misunderstandings as they arise. Rapport creates a sense of comfort between two individuals and can create a sense of intimacy. If you can build rapport with an interviewer, you will enhance your likeability and subsequently improve your chance of getting the job.
Rapport emerges when two people talk as though they have something in common and are working towards a common objective. In a job interview, rapport develops between a candidate and interviewer when they both feel as though the interview is a chance for both parties to assess their compatibility. This is why you should approach an interview as a mutual discussion, not a trial that will find you either adequate or lacking.
You can build rapport using verbal and nonverbal signals. Here are some strategies to use:
Reflect the interviewer's words and phrases
From the moment we meet a new acquaintance, we automatically “size them up”. We want to know whether they are of similar intelligence, personality, social class and so on. The more similar they appear, the better. You cannot change yourself on a fundamental level to suit the interviewer, but you can give the impression of similarity via your choice of words.
For example
If they use the phrase “position” instead of “role”, you can do the same throughout the interview.
Reflect the interviewer's body language
You should not attempt to mimic the interviewer's body language at every turn, but subtly copying some of their movements fosters a sense of similarity and intimacy. This is known as “mirroring”.
For example
If you notice that they are sitting with their hands on the table, wait a few seconds and then adjust your position so that you are doing the same.
Match the interviewer's tone and energy levels
If your interviewer is full of energy and enthusiasm, you are unlikely to impress them if you appear sombre and stilted - and vice versa. Tune into their energy and match it via your own gestures and voice. Use “we” language: “We” creates an immediate sense of shared purpose and history. Use it instead of “I”, wherever possible.
Fact
There are six universal facial expressions that are recognised across all cultures - fear, anger, disgust,
happiness, sadness and surprise.
Source: robertphipps.com
5.7 Listening skills for job interviews
Never interrupt
If you have prepared answers to the most popular interview questions, you might feel the urge to jump in with a response the moment it appears as though the interviewer is asking you the exact same question. It is an understandable impulse, but people who interrupt are perceived as rude, not eager. Always wait until the interviewer has βinished speaking, before answering.
A common mistake candidates make during interviews is to answer the question they think an interviewer asked, rather than the question that was actually presented. Focus your attention on what the interviewer is saying, rather than rehearsing a readymade answer in your head.
Paraphrase a question or statement if you did not understand it the first time
It is better to ask for clarification than to risk providing an irrelevant answer to a question.
Never end a question or statement on a negative note
During a job interview, you should aim to generate an impression of positivity about yourself, the company and the position. Occasionally, you may have to deliver a piece of negative information, or discuss a time when things did not go according to plan in your last role. However, you should always wrap up an answer with a positive point. This signals to the interviewer that you are a positive thinker who is able and willing to βind the bright side to every situation.
For example
If you are asked to describe a time when you made a mistake and had to admit it to your manager, you could end your answer by reassuring the interviewer that although you wish that you had not made the mistake, it was beneficial to your career over the long run because it taught you the value of facing up to your mistakes.
5.8 How to give a great presentation
You may be asked to prepare a presentation to give as part of a job interview. The object of this exercise is to allow the interviewer to assess your verbal communication skills.They will also consider the extent to which you filled the brief, as this is indicative of your ability and willingness to follow instructions.
For example
If you have been told to give a ten minute presentation and you talk for nearly half an hour, you are likely to be disqualiβied as a candidate on the basis that you cannot fill a simple brief.
When you are preparing your presentation, bear in mind the following points:
Most people speak more quickly than usual when they feel nervous
Always rehearse your presentation and make sure that it fulβils the brief with regards to timing. In the interview, it is likely that you will take less time than usual to complete the presentation, because you will be nervous. There are two ways to handle this problem. The first is to create a presentation that takes you slightly over the time limit under normal circumstances, knowing that it will probably take less time on the day. The second approach is to make a conscious effort to slow down your speech during the interview itself. Choose the strategy that makes the most sense to you.
The interviewer's focus will be on you, not on a screen
Do not attempt to hide behind slides or a βlipchart. The primary purpose of a presentation exercise is to assess your communication skills. Whilst the interviewer will be judging your ability to present information in visual form, they will be more concerned with your ability to engage with the audience and describe your ideas in a natural, conβident manner.
Under no circumstances should you simply read the slides, or read from a script.
Visual aids should serve as starting points or prompts for your presentation - they should not be the backbone of your talk. Do not overload your slides - stick to three or four brief bullet points. Use a simple colour scheme that is easy and comfortable to read and only use images if they are relevant and of high quality.
You may be asked questions at the end of your presentation
You should anticipate at least one or two questions, even if you gave an excellent presentation that filled the brief, because the interviewer will probably want to see how you react under pressure. If you have followed the instructions you were given, there should be no unpleasant surprises - the interviewer may simply ask you to repeat a couple of key points, or to think about an idea from a new angle. If you are asked a completely unexpected question, it is acceptable to ask for a moment in which to think, or to admit that you do not have a ready response. If this happens, always research the correct answer and send a follow-up email to the interviewer afterwards.
A simple presentation style is usually a safer bet
Unless you work in a highly creative industry in which particularly aesthetically pleasing presentations are the norm, the best approach is to give a straightforward, clear presentation that sticks to the facts and does not attempt to use visual or audio gimmicks in place of substance.
Rehearsing in front of a live audience is the best form of preparation
Never give a presentation without having βirst practised in front of someone who can be relied upon to give you accurate feedback.
Most people have “tics” that need to be corrected
If you have watched many presentations in your line of work, you will have noticed that a lot of people make repetitive movements when under pressure. These tics can be distracting to an audience and do not create a positive impression. Common tics include rocking back and forth, earlobe tugging and face scratching. You might not even realise that you engage in these behaviours. The best way to uncover tics is to rehearse your presentation in front of a mirror, or to ask a friend whether you tend to show the same tics whenever you give a presentation. The only way to correct tics is through concentrated practice.
Take handouts with you
Your interviewer may wish to review your presentation later. They might record it, or at least ask you for a copy. Email it to them shortly after the interview and take along two printed copies of your slides.
Your communication skills are pivotal in determining an interviewer's impression of your confidence, social skills and personality. Conβident body language, including open body posture and relaxed shoulders, encourages an interviewer to believe that you feel capable of not only succeeding in the interview, but also in managing the role.
Along with body language, another key form of nonverbal communication are listening skills. Understress, many of us find it hard to keep track of what someone else is asking us and as a result, do not give answers that reflect our true ability. Focusing on the present moment and devising answers appropriate to the question, rather than reciting prepared answers, will create a more natural impression and build rapport with the interviewer.
If you have been asked to prepare a presentation in advance of an interview, practise several times in front of an audience before the day. Take along two copies of your slides, so that two interviewers can review them later if required. At all times, you should aim to develop trust and understanding between yourself and the interviewer. Mirroring someone's body language and reβlecting their vocal characteristics can be highly effective, but take care that your efforts do not appear contrived or mocking.
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