The Two Hidden Difficulties of Interviews

Even the most experienced interviewers agree to facing some difficulties in employment interviews. Overcoming such difficulties is key to selecting the most qualified applicant for a vacant position.

I’m listing below what I consider to be the top two difficulties that I’ve identified based on my experience, whether interviewing candidates, hiring for positions, delivering training courses on interviewing/selection or going on my own job interviews.

1. Fact vs fiction

What is true and what is not? How can an interviewer decide whether the answers of the candidate are facts or fiction?

I tend to focus on four indicators when assessing candidates’ answers. These indicators may not guarantee separating fact from fiction, however they are revealing. They are:

• Do the answers include action verbs (develop, customize, produce, generate, etc.)
• Are the answers in the past tense (developed, customized, produced, generated, etc.)
• Do the answers start with “I” instead of “we” (I developed, I generated, etc.)
• Do the answers include names, numbers and dates?
2. Reading body language

Is one’s assessment of the candidate’s answers more accurate when based on gut feeling, a sixth sense, or on one’s ability to read their body language? I can confidently say: Definitely the latter.

I tend to focus on three behavioral characteristics during an interview:

• Posture: Squared shoulders and upright seating position indicate self-confidence, while leaning back indicates laziness or arrogance.
• Eyes: Looking straight at me without breaking eye contact exhibits honesty and confidence, while looking upward, downward or sideways can indicate nervousness and untrustworthiness.
• Other ticks: Clinging pens, shaking hands, fidgeting, rubbing nose or ear, crossing arms, failing to smile, and checking their phone or watch may all have different negative meanings that range from nervousness to lack of comfort or interest.

From one experienced interviewer to another, I advise you to keep the above in mind next time you conduct an interview. Remember that part of your role is to separate fact from fiction and to read and interpret body language. This can make all the difference between selecting a star performer and settling on a joker.

Written by: Jimmy Haddad - Partner – Meirc Training and Consulting