Correct body language is of great importance during a job interview as well as during any conversation. Whether we realise it or not, we always use and recognise body language. Hand gestures, body posture and even the tilt of the head tell a person what they are thinking and worried about. Body language in an interview is equally important because the outcome of the meeting depends on it.
Job interviews aim to know a potential candidate for a position better. During the interview, your body language can reveal some personality details to a hiring manager. Negative body language can lead to the fact that you appear in the eyes of the interviewer as an insecure person who cannot cope with his duties. To avoid such mistakes, we suggest you read our article, where we tell you how to leave a good impression.
Why it’s essential in job interviews
Nonverbal communication is one of the ways to make hiring managers interested in your candidature. To get the job you want, you not only need to have an excellent CV, but you also need to be confident in the meeting. Feeling uncomfortable will certainly not get the conversation flowing in the right direction. Positive body language has many nuances – from facial expressions to how you sit or whether you jerk your knee.
Common Types of Body Language to Watch Out For
The interview process is nerve-wracking, but you should never show how excited you are during the meeting. Impressions matter; in this situation, it is what you say and how you hold yourself. It doesn’t matter whether you have a virtual interview or a full face-to-face interview. The following nonverbal cues are the most common during an interview.
Eye Contact
Direct eye contact is one of the most important aspects of the meeting. As we know, our eyes are the mirror of our soul. It is also a great way to demonstrate self-confidence. It is challenging to start trusting someone constantly looking away from you when you talk to them or focuses on something behind you. At the same time, constant eye contact can indicate that in front of you is a rude person or he is trying to knock the interlocutor down. Shy people do not maintain eye contact in principle. Note that it is pretty natural to interrupt eye contact when a person is trying to remember something or is thinking about something.
Facial Expressions
Facial expressions come next after eye contact. As we know, a genuine smile is one of the most potent tools of interview body language. If you smile sincerely after entering the interview room, your interlocutor will feel you are thrilled to meet and have been waiting for this moment. At the same time, you need to control your facial expression – don’t smile all the time, and stay serious and focused at times when the discussion concerns difficult areas of your expertise.
Posture and Gestures
Nonverbal cues such as body posture and movements during a meeting are also essential. Nervous movements, crossed arms, slouching and so on will certainly not create a positive impression. For example, if you constantly touch your hair or face, it indicates embarrassment. If one rubs the neck, it is an apparent gesture that one is trying to comfort oneself or to get rid of a feeling of frustration. Understanding body language is one of the specialities of hiring managers. The interviewer sees what the interviewee is doing during the meeting and makes an impression on the candidate.
Vocal Cues and Tone of Voice
Interview body language also involves a proper tone of voice. It would help if you were pleasant to talk to. Suppose a person speaks too quietly, mumbles, or on the contrary, answers questions in a hurry and speaks volumes. In that case, the right message will not be conveyed.
Tips on Improving Your Body Language
An interviewer’s body language affects how the meeting will end. If you want to attract a potential employer to pay attention, work on how you will behave during the interview before the meeting. Before you go to your following interview, use our tips.
Be Confident
Interview body language should create a common ground conducive to a fruitful conversation that will get you hired. Before the meeting, take a few deep breaths to calm down, as your breathing can give away your agitation. Also, don’t forget the firm handshake – it exudes confidence and says, “I’m ready to get to work”.
Make Eye Contact
Remember to maintain eye contact from meeting someone for the first time. In this situation, you will appear attentive and trustworthy. Otherwise, constantly averting your eyes indicates that the person you are talking to is nervous and dodgy.
Making eye contact also lets you demonstrate to the interlocutor that you are confident and ready to start fulfilling your direct work duties. It also shows that you are listening and fully engaged in the conversation. If there are several interviewers in the room simultaneously, it is better to do the following: when you are asked a question, shift your gaze to the person who asked you the question. You can then make eye contact briefly with the other people in the room before returning your eyes to the person who asked the question and finishing your dialogue.
Relax and Smile
To make you seem, you need to watch your facial expressions. Think to yourself who is more trustworthy: a smiling person or a frowning person. We like cheerful, smiling people the most in real life and job interview. Immediately during the meeting, you can make eye contact and smile.
Listen and Show Engagement
Verbal cues allow you to respond even in silence. Remember to nod occasionally during the interview to confirm that you are listening without interrupting your interviewer. This way, you will always stay in touch with your hiring manager. At the same time, if you lose focus, stare off into the distance or freeze in place, it shows that you don’t care about the interview.
Keep your head up
The partner site can also tell you a lot during the conversation. If you look down at the floor all the time, hunched over and tilted, there are better positions than this one. It’s best to lean slightly forward during the interview, keeping your head straight rather than sitting hunched over or slumped in a chair.
Take Up Space
If someone sits in a corner trying to take up as little space as possible, that’s a red flag for the hiring manager. You must take up as much space as possible to be noticed and listen to your words. In this situation, always sit on the chair in front of the person you are talking to, feet flat, posture straight. Of course, don’t brake personal boundaries, literally lounging at the table.
Use Open Gestures
Hand position is also worth controlling during the conversation. These gestures can enhance the story’s effect but do not overdo it. At the same time, control that nervous tics do not show themselves – you can not tap your fingers, fiddle with a chain, ring and other jewellery, pick your nails and so on. It may indicate that you are bored, or it may be a nervous habit.
Maintain Good Posture Throughout the Interview
It will help if you sit up straight during the interview. You should also be comfortable, but never take off your shoes or tuck your feet under. Small movements are allowed – you can lean forward while listening attentively to what the interviewer tells you. But generally, you should maintain a relaxed posture without jerking around and sit up straight.
Avoid Fidgeting or Slouching
Too deep breaths, or on the contrary, frequent and shallow breaths, tapping your fingers on the table, jerking your knee and other similar gestures indicate that you are too nervous. In this situation, you should try to tame your body – for example, keep your hands on your knees or the armrests of the chair, but in any case, do not squeeze your fingers too tightly to whiten (this indicates tension). Your fidgeting may make the interviewer nervous. It would help if you still need to do this. You may move around a little, but your gestures should be fleeting, small and as close to your body as possible. If you spread your arms a lot and gesticulate sharply and vigorously, it may indicate aggressiveness or something wrong with you. It should not be allowed during a job interview.
Be Mindful of Your Tone and Volume
Refrain from mumbling or talking through your nose. Your voice should be loud enough to be heard by the person across you. Take a few deep breaths if you want a smooth and confident voice. Also, watch your tone of voice – it should be friendly and not aggressive.
Adapt Your Body Language to the Interviewer’s
During a conversation, we unconsciously copy the movements and mannerisms of our interlocutors so that they will trust us more. For example, if the person you are talking to smiles or crosses their arms in front of them, there is a good chance that you will do the same. But in this situation, you can not be sure. This pose or gestures are natural, or the interlocutor manipulates you to achieve the desired result. If everything happens unintentionally, it indicates that the interlocutor is interested in establishing contact.
