The selection process begins long before the job interview. Your first mission is to land the face-to-face interview, and for that we’ve already covered how to write a good cover letter, which will lead to your résumé being read (this is the perfect résumé, according to the experts).
Once we’re in the interview, and we’re clear on the most common mistakes that make HR reject candidates, as well as the 11 things we should never say, let’s move on to some curious things that can affect whether we’re hired and that are, to some extent, beyond our control. They may seem insignificant, but they add or subtract points.
1. The day, time and moment of the interview.
Some time ago we discussed how people’s memory works. Being the first or the last candidate to be interviewed gives us an advantage, because that’s what the interviewer’s subconscious remembers most. Likewise, Glassdoor says the best day for a job interview is Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., based on various studies showing that people are more productive on Tuesdays, once they’ve put Monday behind them and have practically the whole week ahead. At 10:30 the interviewer is more awake and not yet tired. Of course, this is all very relative.
2. The weather on the day of the interview.
If it’s in your hands to change it, avoid an interview on a rainy day. Candidates interviewed on a sunny day have better chances and leave a better impression on interviewers than those interviewed on a dark, cloudy, cold, rainy… depressing day. And this point makes a lot of sense: just think about how you feel on a rainy day and on a sunny day.
3. Your rivals.
Remember that nobody is immune to those pesky cognitive biases, which sometimes make us choose based on the options in front of us. Basically, the interviewer will consider you qualified for a job, or for the next round, depending on who else is in the waiting room to be interviewed.
If the room is full of very competent people that day, you’ll be less lucky. If, on the other hand, there are only mediocre candidates that day, it will be much easier for you to stand out. The problem is that you can’t control this.
Remember that in a job interview, very often the person hired isn’t the best fit for the job but the least bad of everyone who showed up.
4. How you treat the receptionist or the café waiter.
The CEO of Zappos had a very particular method for not hiring jerks at his company, which basically consisted of asking the driver how the candidate had treated him. If the driver said the candidate hadn’t been respectful, that person was ruled out, regardless of any other qualifications.
In Spain we don’t send a driver to pick up candidates, but there have been cases of candidates trying to flirt with the company’s secretary, which says a lot. It says don’t bother going into the interview, because at most companies you’ve already been ruled out.
Personally, I trust a waiter’s judgment, because the psychology they’ve picked up makes them the best recruiters around: a candidate shows themselves in a café as they never will in the interview. I don’t want the waiter to tell me who they liked. I want them to tell me who gave them a bad feeling.
See also: One question that will help you hire the best salespeople
If a waiter tells you, without being asked, that someone is an idiot or rude, believe me, it’s no coincidence. That person is, with 100% probability, an idiot and rude. Don’t let them into your company.
See also: How to stand out in a group job interview
5. The color of your clothes and body adornments.
Although we’re in the era of “Google” and “Facebook” fashion, where hoodies, sneakers and scruffy beards are associated with geniuses, I’m sorry to tell you that you’re not Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin or Steve Jobs.
Beyond that, even the color of your suit can influence whether you’re hired: a traditional company prefers black, navy, gray or dark brown suits. Overly trendy suits in light blue, orange, red or who knows what other color tend to have less chance of getting hired.
At conservative companies, a mohawk, a visible tattoo or an earring will show you the exit. To them it’s not a sign of personality but a sign of insecurity.
6. Arriving too early is as bad as arriving late.
You need to be punctual for a job interview, but not too punctual, because it could suggest, first, that you have nothing better to do or that you’re too anxious. And second, you may be putting pressure on an interviewer who wanted to have a coffee before seeing you and, seeing you sitting there, doesn’t want to be rude by making you wait. If that’s the case, congratulations: you’ve just ruined the interviewer’s plans.
The rest are more obvious tips that I don’t think need much reminding, such as:
- A strong, firm, confident handshake.
- Eye contact, but in moderation.
- Don’t accept coffee if it’s offered. The interviewer really doesn’t want to waste time making you coffee. They asked out of politeness or to test you.
- Switch off your phone when you enter the building. If it rings during the interview, you’ll make a bad impression.
- Don’t look at your watch during the interview. It signals that you’re in a hurry or not interested.
- Don’t sit down until you’re asked to.
- Don’t put your personal things on the interviewer’s desk (briefcase, jacket, keys…).
- Body language when you sit: never slouched back in the chair. Always upright.
- Remember the 5 real reasons they’ll hire you. To them, you’re just money.
Further reading
- My three most surreal job interviews
- 40 skills you should put on your résumé
- How to answer the question “What is your greatest weakness?”
Featured image: amtec_photos, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
