We don’t always say what we think. But our body language reveals how we are feeling. Even when we are silent, our body is still talking. Its significance should not be underestimated. In the job interview in particular , the effect of self- presentation depends enormously on facial expressions and gestures, i.e. facial features, posture and movements.
They can arouse sympathy – or the opposite. Here we show you what to look out for in interview body language, what you are (unknowingly) signaling with it and how you can optimize the first impression
What HR Professionals Look For In Body Language?
The first impression has a decisive influence on a conversation. Body language in the interview plays a crucial role. Only when the non-verbal signals match the statements and the rest of the image of the applicant does a coherent image emerge and thus credibility and authenticity , which play a decisive role in the application .
Greeting , clothing , facial expressions , gestures , posture – all of this tells HR managers a lot about the applicant. It can be a chance to gain sympathy, convince from the start and leave a lasting impression . Or not.
HR Managers Regularly Notice These 8 Gestures Negatively
In surveys, HR managers repeatedly name the same behavior, posture or gestures that they notice negatively and can catapult applicants out of business. However, only if they occur “massively”.
So don’t panic: Just because a candidate fidgets nervously, fiddles with their fingers or fidgets with their hair in embarrassment doesn’t mean that someone falls out of favor. That’s normal nervousness – and completely legitimate. The dose makes the poison.
What HR professionals regularly complain about:
- Lack of eye contact.
- No smile.
- Fidget, fiddle, fiddle.
- Slack posture.
- Slack handshake.
- Cross arms.
- Play with hair.
- Waving your hands
Attire For An Interview
The clothing in the interview is also part of the body language to a certain extent and has a decisive influence on the first impression. It’s true: clothes make the man. The outfit can say a lot about your self-confidence, your personality, and the right to the job.
The rule of thumb is: always dress for the job you want – not for the one you already have or don’t have right now. How we dress says something about how we perceive ourselves. But also how we want to be perceived (technical jargon: “dress for success”). The fact is:
- You will be taken more seriously in formal attire and radiate more seriousness and competence. The result is advance praise – even before you have had the opportunity to present your content.
- The recruiter can tell from the way you dress in the interview whether you fit the company. Your clothes not only represent you but also – indirectly – your future job and how you represent the company. For example, someone who will have a lot of customer contact is also the company’s figurehead.
You can therefore remember the following as basic rules and first tips for the job interview:
- The right clothes should always be neat and clean.
- Your clothes should match your type.
- Don’t dress up.
- The wardrobe should also match the advertised position.
- Pay attention to harmoniously coordinated colors.
- They seem more likable and communicative.
A feel-good outfit helps to reduce stress and nervousness. However, if you choose a wardrobe that is too casual or too sporty, you will quickly come across as dubious and unprofessional.
That's How Dangerous The Horn Effect Is
The so-called Horn Effect describes a psychological phenomenon in which a single negative characteristic outshines many positive ones. Sometimes a single wrong word is enough, a wet handshake or bad breath.
Anything that bothers the HR manager – the whole application falls apart. Each statement is then put on the gold scales and received differently than the candidate means. A mistake in perception, but with a devastating effect.
The single negative quality is so dominant that it makes you forget everything else. Typical: body odor. If someone smells unkempt (or smells like sweat), the person can say the smartest thing they want. The scent outshines everything. And everything remains uncomfortable. No more chances. The interview is over.
Therefore, make sure to rule out such avoidable flaws in advance. Showers, deodorant, and fresh laundry help against body odor brushing your teeth and chewing gum against bad breath. It is not uncommon for such trivialities to be decisive. Yes, that’s not fair. Maybe even superficially.
But it still can’t be changed. The psychological effects are too ingrained in us. Also in personnel decision-makers.
Tips For Body language In A Job Interview
In fact, most candidates do not fail in the interview because of professional qualifications. They have long been verified by the CV and the preselection. They have already passed the test, otherwise, the applicants would not have been invited to the interview in the first place.
In the interview, the candidates suffer shipwreck because of their soft skills and non-verbal signals. These give the HR manager the feeling that the person concerned might not fit into the team after all. What exactly is important here? There are three important phases in the job interview that are decisive here.
3 crucial Phases In The Job Interview
1. Greeting
Please never enter the room while you are still adjusting your blouse or tie. Also, don’t run toward the recruiter with your hand outstretched. Not polite! When you first appear, it’s better to have some body tension – stand tall, shoulders wide and straight, and smile.
Approach the interviewer or interviewers and wait for them to shake hands with you. Then please do not put a dead fish in the palms of the HR manager. A short, firm handshake is enough. Always with eye contact.
The Perfect Handshake
According to researchers at the University of Iowa, the handshake can shape the outcome of the job interview. A professional handshake lasts just three to five seconds – and says so much about a candidate’s self-confidence, sovereignty, and self-esteem. Here’s how to do it right:
- Stand up to say hello.
- Introduce yourself by name.
- In business, the highest-ranked person always shakes hands first.
- Maintain eye contact.
- Don’t shake hands, squeeze them hard.
- Do not press for more than 5 seconds.
2. Take a seat
That part is not to be underestimated either. Please do not sit on the chair until you are offered one. Also, never slouch in the chair, cross your arms and casually cross your legs or rock them nervously.
Also taboo is: crossing your arms behind your head or rubbing your cheek and chin in pseudo-thinking poses like thumb and forefinger. All of this makes you appear either arrogant, disinterested, lacking in self-confidence, reserved, or lacking in manners.
Correct is: Sit upright (= sincerity ). Take up the entire seat (not just sit on the edge of the seat), legs side by side, arms, and hands relaxed in your lap, body leaning slightly forward (signals commitment and interest).
Your sitting posture should also adapt to that of your conversation partner during the course of the conversation. In this context, professionals also speak of “mirroring body language” (see: chameleon effect ) to create trust and sympathy.
Facial Expressions And Eye Contact
In supposedly casual poses and movements, facial expressions should not derail. Otherwise, the rest will quickly act as a mask. So inauthentic. Eye contact and smiling are particularly important factors in body language and non-verbal communication. Maintaining eye contact signals interest and open-mindedness.
The smile, on the other hand, is the perfect icebreaker and radiates sympathy. This is usually answered by that alone. So a real psychological trick.
Rule of thumb for perfect eye contact: hold it for at least a second, but never longer than three seconds. Even if you are talking and dealing with several interviewers, you should always make eye contact with everyone (in turn) and keep it short. When speaking, always turn your body towards the (respective) conversation partner.
Nod when he says something and always (!) let the person you are talking to finish. Never interrupt! This underlines your commitment and also creates a kind of bond. At the same time, you get the maximum attention from your conversation partner.
3. Conversational Attitude
Now the actual interview begins. Questions are asked. You start talking – and so does your body. Your posture and body language are now the second sign of your fitness. Many, and especially hectic, micro-gestures, such as scratching your nose, stroking your hair, and playing with the rings, can devalue the overall impression. In fact, such trifles are always registered.
Maybe not always consciously. But that makes it even worse: They subliminally shape an image that you can hardly influence with clever answers.
Always maintain an open posture. Make gestures that are as calm as possible and not too sweeping. Best with just one hand, less often with both hands. And please no handball with the ring or ring finger. This only proves insecurity and little resistance to stress. When your hands are on your lap, your palms should be facing up. This signals openness (motto: “I have nothing to hide”).
Be careful With Territorial Violations
Particular caution is required at the desk: If you are sitting directly opposite the HR manager and want or should spread out your documents there, please use as little space as possible. Otherwise, they subtly violate its territory – that costs sympathy points.
Special Case: Body Language On The Phone
Recently, job interviews on the phone ( telephone interview ) or video (e.g. via Zoom, Teams, Skype, or GoogleMeet) have increased significantly. Here too – as paradoxical as it sounds – there is an (audible) body language. In fact, your conversation partner can “see” through the telephone receiver: Your posture and body tension affects the voice and thus becomes transparent.
Smiles, for example, can be heard. Likewise, your mental presence, whether you are standing, sitting, or lying and lounging somewhere on the couch.
So if you have an interview over the phone, please sit up straight in a chair or stand up (but do not walk across the room). Otherwise, the risk is too great that you choose the language that is too relaxed due to a too relaxed posture. Sovereignty is well received, too bold nonchalance less so. Make sure you speak clearly and confidently.
You should alternate or regulate breathing, volume, and above all speed. Most people speak too quickly when they are nervous. Whatever helps: Breathe deeply with your stomach, it calms you down. Chest breathing is too shallow.
Tip: Have something to drink nearby – preferably a glass of still (!) water. You can secretly drink this when your mouth gets dry from nervousness. With sparkling water, you run the risk of burping more frequently. ugly!
Farewell: Posture With Body Tension
If you have done everything right up to this point, please do not spoil the good impression you have made so far when you say goodbye. Unfortunately, that often happens. But the last impression is at least as important as the first because it resonates.
As you say goodbye, shake hands with everyone again, look into the eyes again, and say goodbye with a confident, “goodbye” that you mean. Just don’t start the babble, just walk away with a winner’s smile.
After that, walk out of the building upright and keep your body tense until you are out of sight. Only now are you allowed to look around, relax, slump, scream, shake, whatever… Just never before. The body’s conversation and talking end only when you are out of sight.
Emotion Suppressors Don't Get Jobs
Controlling your body language like this takes practice. You shouldn’t completely disguise yourself either. Anyone who puts on a too cool facade at the interview also reduces their job chances . That’s according to a study by Jane Richards of the University of Texas.
The constant self-control costs too much strength so that the ability to remember suffers. In the experiments, the so-called “feeling suppressors” had a much harder time remembering details from their CVs. And they no longer seemed cool to HR, but stiff and fake. Consequence: application rejection.
