Job interview & Kinesic communication

In our day to day life non – verbal communication go hand in hand, there are several occasions when our expressions and body language convey our sentiment far beyond what words could.

Non verbal communication includes unspoken signals that folks display like body language (posture, eye contact, listening and appearance), facial expressions and hand gestures. Body language is one aspect of non verbal cues its additional ingredients are much more, such as use of touch i.e. haptic and distance i.e. proxemics.

Kinesics means “movement” and refers to the study if hand, arm, body and face movements.

Body lingo (55% of the message) and the way you speak such as voice tone (38% of the message) are as important as the actual words you use in your job interview answers.

We have compiled a list of non-verbal communication tips for job interviews which may help you prepare better for an in person job interview.

Right Carriage/Posture:

• Sit upright but not too stiffly in your chair – indicates that you are comfortable and confident

• Don’t hunch down in your chair – indicates nervousness

• Avoid sloppy posture - signify slapdash attitude and lack of liveliness

• A big no to sitting on the edge of the chair

• Settle down and lean 10 degrees slightly forward – leaning back make you appear casual

• Tilted head slightly on one side is considered friendly and open

• Keeping your head straight comes across as self-assured and reliable

Mirroring – It is very crucial to pay attention towards the posture of your interviewer. An interviewee can establish great rapport by mirroring the same posture as interviewer.

What your hands are communicating?

If you are not sure of what to do with your hands the safe bet is to rest them freely clasped in your knees or on the table in front of you.

Don’ts:

• Hands above the neck

• Fiddling with your hair or face

• Folding your arms across your chest

Those legs of your can be lethal

Leg movement can be distracting and also indicates nervousness; it is always advised that one should place both feet flat on the floor as it conveys positive and proficient look during the interview

Eye Contact

Interviewee must instigate and maintain a direct eye contact during the course of interview with the interviewer. Avoid staring aggressively; you can do so by blinking at regular intervals and moving you head now and then or by giving a nod when or wherever applicable.

Don’ts:

• Looking downward continuously – makes you appear insincere

• During panel interview – direct your answer the interviewer asking the question plus make sure you glance periodically at other interviewers

Eye contact is an essential ingredient of body language, they are mostly studies under the category of kinesics however they have their own branch of non –verbal studies known as called oculesics (Latin word oculus meaning eye). Hence it becomes extremely important to build a rapport on the premise of eye contact.

Voice Delivery

Clear and controlled voice always conveys confidence. Kindly avoid monotones; one can do this by varying tone and pitch. Important to note is that overdoing this may make you look too much excited or emotional.

It is always advised by experts to breathe and pause before answering a question, it will give you time to answer in a well thought-out way and make certain the interviewer has completed the question.

It is necessary that your voice tone should neither sound apologetic or defensive.

Non-verbal messages are much less probable to be beneath conscious control and are therefore harder to disguise. They are often difficult to interpret and care needs to be taken in analyzing such messages.

You are being evaluated even before you’ve uttered your first word. Therefore, how you present your body can convey subtle cues; so it makes it even more critical aspect wherein you must observe your own habits and what meaning they give off.

To Summarize:

In order to succeed in a job interview one must practice, research and be determined. The more effort you put towards an interview preparation. Additionally, any preparation for a job interview should include a review of good body language and not focus solely on what you say but on how you say.