Interview Body Language: Tips, Tricks, & More
An interview is as much a test of personality as it is of technical skills. To accurately gauge your abilities in a short period of time, the interviewer analyzes every aspect of the communication. They examine both verbal and nonverbal cues which is why body language in an interview is of utmost importance. To help you maintain good body language in an interview, we have made a list of things you need to be on the lookout for, so that, you can make a great first impression on the interviewer.
What is Body Language?
Body language is a form of nonverbal communication in which physical behaviors such as facial expressions, hand gestures, body posture, and eye contact are used to express emotions and convey messages without the use of words.
Body language expresses emotions that are intended to be kept silent through nonverbal elements and these cues can appear in body posture, voice tone, pitch, facial appearance, etc. Further, nonverbal cues can be subtle or explosive. Let’s take a look at some examples below for a better understanding of the concept:
- Your friend narrates a sad or unfortunate story to you and concludes by saying, “I am alright,” but starts crying immediately. Regardless of the fact that you are being assured in verbal words that your friend is alright, you know that’s not true. That’s the power of body language.
- You are supposed to go out with a friend but can’t make it due to other personal reasons. So, you later reach out to your friend to apologize and your friend says it’s okay. However, your friend doesn’t respond in their usual way and gets abruptly silent. In this scenario, regardless of how many times your friends say, “There is no problem,” you know your friend is still annoyed based on their reaction.
Thus, body language presents the complete message that an individual wants to convey. This is why interviewers and recruiters pay attention to body language to gauge all the non-verbal messages you may be trying to tell them. However, sometimes you can also send across the wrong message unconsciously. You can practice for interviews to increase your chances of selection.
Positive Interview Body Language Cues
Interviews are the most exciting part of the hiring process. Once you are done filling out a job vacancy you look forward to your first meeting with your potential future employer. Below are various types of body language cues to incorporate during an interview to make you stand out.
1. Incorporate Smiling at Intervals
Avoid being rigid and too professional. Know when to smile during an interview. The idea is not to be scary or weird but to portray confidence and warmth to the recruiter.
2. Project the Body Language of the Interviewer
People are different in personality, and this is what brings their uniqueness to a profession. It is, thus, essential to study your recruiter and balance the energy so as to build a bond with them. In order to build a bond or connection with a recruiter you have to equate the temperament in the room. Avoid being too excited, show enthusiasm but be moderate about it, and balance your energy with that of your interviewer.
3. Maintain Eye Contact
Although this can be tricky, always maintain adequate eye contact. While trying to appear confident, understand the line between keeping eye contact and glaring. You don’t necessarily have to look at a recruiter at all times. It is important to know the right amount of eye contact that is needed for every context. Also, your eye contact should be engaging and attentive.
4. Handshake
Perfecting your handshake is an important part of preparing for the interview. Extend a welcoming and confident grip when you make contact with your interviewer’s hand, ensuring that it isn’t too weak or overpoweringly strong at the same time. Make sure to respond quickly if they initiate this gesture so as not to leave them waiting.
5. Appear Confident
The first impression of every situation can influence the outcome of the event. From the entrance of the building to the office of the recruiter, endeavor to:
- Keep an upright posture.
- Do not put your hand in the pocket or stutter when speaking.
- Present yourself to appear calm, collected, and organized.
- Speak in an even tone and talk moderately when spoken to.
- Keep your head and chin high.
Interview Body Language to Avoid During Interview
Here is a list of body language you shouldn’t portray during an interview:
1. Don’t Fidget
It’s common to fiddle with pens and items in your hand when listening to someone, but that can be detrimental to you. It might give the recruiter the impression that you are bored and uninterested in what he is saying. Avoid shaking your feet or hands or stomping your legs continuously. Playing around with your stuff makes you appear nervous.
Endeavor to calm yourself when you get the urge to stomp your feet or ramble through your items or items on the table.
2. Steer Clear of Overconfidence
Excessive self-confidence can be displayed in a variety of ways. Sitting back and trying to take up as much physical space as possible is one such example, while attempting to interrupt or talk over the interviewer may signify an attempt at masking low self-esteem with arrogance. This type of behavior should absolutely be avoided.
3. Monitor Your Reflexes
According to a study conducted at an Australian university, people touch their faces around once every 2.5 minutes without realizing they are doing so. This behavior may indicate nervousness, restlessness, or even deception in some cases. Unless you need assistance from both hands for coughing or sneezing, keep both hands comfortably by your sides.
Importance of Body Language During an Interview
Body language is an essential tool recruiters use to get a full assessment of candidates during an interview process. This tool enables the recruiter to deduce qualities and attributes such as the seriousness and interest level of candidates.
In addition to this, body language also permits the recruiter to study the discrepancies between your words and the truth. This will guide the recruiter in making an informed decision at the end of the interview process. Therefore, it is very important to exhibit appropriate body language during an interview process while making it seem natural from the onset of the interview to the end.
Conclusion
During an interview, exhibit a positive attitude both in your body language and speech. Sit up straight to display confidence. Incorporating the tips listed above will enhance your chance of securing your dream job as exhibiting positive body language in an interview will give the recruiter a good impression of you.
Also Read: What is Mock Interview?
