How to Read Body Language Cues During an Interview

As a voice and accent trainer, I have been working with my trainees on body language.

What is body language? Body language is an important part of communication which can constitute 50% or more of what we are communicating. If you wish to communicate well, then it makes sense to understand how you can (and cannot) use your body to say what you mean.

Because I’m part of a management team, I participate in interviewing candidates on a regular basis. I’m very aware of the role body language plays in communicating with people.

I’ve found that it is really important to be aware that there’s far more going on than the discussion between you and the candidate. To make the best hiring decisions for your business, you need to pay attention to each applicant’s nonverbal cues.

What can you watch for or observe from candidates? Some of the points below can definitely help you filter them. If you are interviewing potential employees who are remote, video conferencing is the ideal way to make the meeting more like a face-to-face one so you can watch for those nonverbal cues.

Many video conferencing providers, including InterCall, can help you find video rooms available to rent, so not having equipment isn’t a barrier.

Here are the tips from a blog, How Reading Body Language Can Help You Make Better Hiring Decisions, by Lee Polevoi.

Appearance counts.

This is common sense, but worth a second look. The candidate should be well-dressed and properly groomed, which communicates professionalism and good self-esteem. In many companies, the panel of judges (I‘m included in this group) expect the candidates to come in proper professional attire.

Handshakes should be firm, but not too firm.

A limp handshake is a warning sign of poor self-esteem, so naturally the opposite is preferable. A firm, dry handshake suggests self-confidence and the desire to impress. But not too firm, experts say. An inappropriately strong handshake may indicate aggressiveness.

At the same time, culture can dictate the proper way to shake hands with a man or woman. For instance, when a man shakes another man’s hand, a full handshake signifies that the person is strong and confident. When a man shakes a woman’s hand, the man holds only the four fingers of women’s hand and gently shakes, which indicates respect for the woman.

Good posture is a good sign.

A promising job-seeker sits upright in the chair, but still communicates a sense of being at ease. Slouching indicates sloppiness, which is never an ideal employee trait. A candidate who slumps or leans back in his chair comes across as too relaxed, while a person who leans forward (and into your personal space) conveys aggressive tendencies. A person who sits crossing her leg and shakes the legs indicates casual behaviour. Fiddling with nails, twirling hair and tapping legs are also some indicators that the person is either disinterested or nervous.

Eye contact is a must, but not staring.

Observe how well an applicant listens to and interacts with you. Does he seem engaged or aloof? Ideally, the candidate will maintain steady eye contact, rather than looking around the room while you’re talking (which suggests either a lack of confidence or disinterest in the conversation). That said, make sure he blinks occasionally, too: Prolonged or uncomfortable eye contact can be another sign of aggression. Maintaining eye contact with all the members of the panel is another point to be observed; if the candidate is responding to only one person and not maintaining eye contact with the other panel of judges, that indicates ignorance and disrespect.

Do you take interviews? Have you met any candidates whose body language gave insight into their personalities? Do you find that video conferencing improves the interview process with remote candidates? Share your experiences with me.