Communication consists of the following: 55 per cent body language, 38 per cent tone and 7 per cent words.
Non-verbal signals, both your body language (55 per cent of the message ) and the tone of your voice (38 per cent ), are even more crucial than the words you use in an Interview situation. People are concerned mainly about what they should say and how they should say it in interview, and forget that this is just a small part of the interview process.
If we are concerned and bothered about looking good in interview, our body language comes across poorly.
Body language in an interview setting is hugely important. Studies have shown a strong relationship between how much the interviewer connects with the interviewee and the impact of this on the outcome of the interview.
Professor Frank Bernieri of the University of Toledo analysed the performances of job applicants of various ages and backgrounds during interviews where the interviewers were asked to assess candidate on skills such as intelligence, competence etc. Then a group of observers were asked to watch the video footage of just the first 15 seconds of each interview.
The results of the observers and the interviewers were almost parallel. This study gives further evidence that first impressions on body language are all key factors in deciding the outcome of the interview (The Definitive Book of Body Language, Allan and Barbara Pearse ).
Some key things to note:
First impressions are vitally important. Be alert, friendly and confident.
Dress appropriately
Entrance, introductions and handshake are all crucial. Your handshake and introduction should be enthusiastic and professional.
Maintaining eye contact is something that has been overe-mphasised. Natural eye contact involves looking up and down and not staring at the person across from you. Try not to focus too much on this, you need to be as natural as possible when presenting yourself in interview.
Mirroring body language is a useful skill to learn use when you want to create rapport with someone. Mirroring body language can be used whenever you want to create trust with somebody. The other person experiences you as being the same as them. It is highly effective when communicating with an individual. This skill has been highly perfected by top salespeople who wish to develop a rapport with their customers. However, this is something that needs to be practised and comes with experience. If you are about to go to interview, do not stress over trying to capture this.
Be aware of your own movements – Try to avoid fidgeting. This is distracting for everyone.
Respect the other person’s distance and don’t lean too close to the interviewer. This will be mainly appropriate in the first few minutes of the meeting.
Using persuasive language as part of your overall presentation will not only help you in interviewer. It is hugely effective in helping you through all walks of life. Use words such as ‘Results, health, you, proven, guarantee, and discovery, new’.
Smile – this is another area that is often overlooked by candidates. They are so busy concentrating on what they have to say that they forget about what their facial language is portraying. Smiling is so important because it hides nerves and it tells the interviewer that the candidate is enjoying the experience (even if they are not! ).
Finally, a very effective technique is to actually visualise yourself in advance of the interview. See yourself being positive, enjoying the conversation, feeling confident and talking about your strengths. When your mind sees and feels things clearly, your body will be able to carry them out and will react accordingly.
Remember, positive and confident body language can hide anxiety through an interview, so use them to your best ability.
Sli Nua Careers (tel 094 95 42965, www.SliNuaCareers.com ) are based on Main Street, Headford, Co. Galway, and carry out CV Preparation, Interview Training, and Personal Branding. Fidelma has extensive industry experience in the area of human resources, interviewing, and career training. Sli Nua Careers offer readers a Free CV Critique – just email your CV to [email protected].
