Much of the information comes to us through the non-verbal communication channels (NVC), that is to say…. gestures, body posture, facial expressions, eye contact and other elements such as tone of voice, verbal fluency and even silence, the latter also being an important source of communication.
There are other forms of NVC, such as clothing (our clothing provides a lot of information about us), and even more broadly, we provide information through the use of “body adornments” such as tattoos or piercings.
How do we manage all this information so that it works in our favor during the interview? In addition to the recommendations of paying attention to personal hygiene or wearing relatively formal clothing during the job interview (or depending on the desired job position), we can give you certain tips so that your NVC can accompany you and help you during the job interview.
- The smile. 🙂
A sincere smile, without large gestures that exaggerate the expression, as well as a relaxed expression (it ties the nerves well) will help generate a climate of trust with the person conducting the interview. People tend to trust more in those who offer us a smile and a relaxed expression.
- Maintain eye contact:
Good eye contact will undoubtedly be a good ally in a job interview, at least in the Western world. Eye contact is the first element that comes into play in communication and the look gives a lot of information about us. Averting your gaze is synonymous with self-doubt, lowering your gaze is synonymous with shame. It is evident that we are not going to keep our gaze for 100% of time, but make sure that at key moments your gaze is transparent, especially when the interlocutor is speaking, as that will convey a sign of interest. When you are the one speaking, you can allow yourself to change the direction of your gaze, this will help you release the burden and not be invasive in communication.
- Position:
Body posture is also super important, head high, back straight and chest “open” (shoulders relaxed but straight). This conveys a feeling of self-confidence. It offers an image of security and tranquility and makes the conversation flow more fluidly.
- Voice tone
How important it is to use an appropriate tone of voice! The environment in which the interview takes place will largely determine the tone of voice that is most appropriate for the interview. If this takes place in a quiet office or office, you will have to have a relatively low tone of voice, but firm enough to make the conversation easy. But nowadays job interviews are held in other places and ways! We have seen job interviews in cafes, hotel terraces or perhaps at a table in a restaurant or workplace. This surely requires us to modulate our tone of voice by speaking somewhat louder. In addition, we can also do interviews by phone or Skype, this would undoubtedly complicate communication a bit, so you should also take care of the tone of voice you use. Pay attention to the tone of your interlocutor's voice, this will undoubtedly help you modulate your own intonation. If you want more information about how to conduct online interviews, take a look at our post Are you prepared to do an online interview?
- Greeting and goodbye:
With the development of the COVID pandemic, the traditional handshake has been replaced by other types of greetings and farewells, trying to avoid as much contact as possible, such as bumping elbows or fists. The ideal now is to let the person conducting the interview take the initiative in this regard, they can offer us their hand or give us a nod or even a smile.
Carrying out these behaviors will help you really be calmer during the job interview. Our interoceptive system It means that, by controlling our physical behaviors, it has an impact on our emotional state, making us appear calmer, more confident and sincere. So don't miss the opportunity to practice these details in your daily contacts, that will help you carry them out in a more natural way in a job interview.
If you are interested in training and in the field of human resources and learn more about the importance of effective communication and job interviews you can inform you about our Master in HR: People Management, Talent Development and Labor Management
