Common Body Language Mistakes in an Interview

Over 2,000 recruiters were surveyed about interviews – here are the surprising results.

Did you know that 33% of recruiters know whether they will hire you within 90 seconds?

That’s according to a recent survey by Interview Laboratory. The research has highlighted some interesting common faux pas that put recruiters right off:

• 67% of interviewees don’t make eye contact. A lot is communicated by the eyes – if we don’t make eye contact it can appear as if we have something to hide.
• 38% of interviewees don’t smile! What does this say about the interviewee? It would suggest that they’re too serious, and possible quite grumpy. A smile can convey 1,000 words. Interviews can be nerve-racking – I know – but we must remember to smile…
• 33% have bad posture. Slouching looks bad. Don’t do it.
• 33% fidget too much. A sign of nerves, and probably something that most people don’t know they’re doing. I can fidget, unless I am mindful of it. It takes concentration to avoid doing it.
• 26% have a weak handshake. If it helps, practice with a friend or family member.
• 21% play with their hair or touch their face. A sign of something to hide – but not done deliberately. Again it takes concentration and practice to avoid doing this.
• 21% cross their arms. This tells your interviewer that a subject is uncomfortable for you. Crossing your arms is a way of protecting yourself – even though you might not recognise you’re doing this.
• 9% use too many hand gestures. Sitting on your hands is not an option, but finding a way of avoiding flinging your hands about will avoid this. Rest them on a table, or your lap.

What’s also interesting is that your visual appearance is a major factor in the first impression. Particularly when it comes to clothing.

Taste in attire is somewhat subjective, so we always run a risk of an interviewer taking a dislike to it, but the research does give us some important pointers – don’t wear bright suits! Also, being overly fashionable is to our disadvantage. Recently, men’s fashion in ties has become skinnier – they might look cool but perhaps not in an interview!

Source: Interview Laboratory

Simon CEO/CTO, Author and Blogger

Simon is a creative and passionate business leader dedicated to having fun in the pursuit of high performance and personal development. He is co-founder of Truthsayers Neurotech, the world's first Neurotech platform servicing the enterprise. Simon graduated from the University of Liverpool Business School with a MBA, and the University of Teesside with BSc Computer Science. Simon is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Professional Development and Associate Member of the Agile Business Consortium. He ia also the President of his regional BNI group.

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