Persuading candidates to like you and trust you isn’t as hard as it may seem.
I mean… they want to like you considering you’re their potential boss, right?
Don’t ruin the fun out of a job search by being a jerk or lack of excitement when you’re interviewing. Interviewing a candidate can be effective and informative on both ends without letting control, ego, or pessimism kill the good vibes.
You may not realize it, but your body language can reveal a lot about how you feel and sends a strong communication message to those around you. It’s important to be aware of the signals you may be giving off—especially when in the presence of candidates.
If you’re aware of your body language, you can actually influence how people perceive you… you can even get them to like you more.
Sounds good, right? Here are 3 body language tricks to keep up your sleeve to get candidates to like you more:
Be excited
You’d be surprised at how difficult it is for some people to show emotion. Humans are made to mirror emotions, body language, gestures, etc. When you meet your candidate for the first time, smile and be excited! They will mirror that excited and instantly feel a rush of happiness and credit you for making them feel good. It will set the tone for your meeting. It’s OKAY to smile, laugh, and express personality during an interview—and candidates will appreciate that, too. It’s a no brainer way to get someone to like you.
Nodding your head
Nodding your head in the “yes” direction while you’re asking another person a question will influence them to agree with what you are saying. If you want to influence a candidate and get them to open up and be honest with you, nod while asking them a question and while they respond. This behavior also convinces other that what you are saying is desirable and true.
Call them names
Their name, silly! This is a classic trick. What do people love to hear most? Their own names. That’s right—a good ego loves to be fed! Take advantage of that and feed your candidate’s heart full of joy by saying their name throughout the conversation. This may not be a “body” language trick, but it works. Instead of saying, “So take 5 minutes to run me through your resume,” ask, “Take 5 minutes [insert name], and walk me through your resume and tell me your story.” Like, so much more personal. Not only will your candidate like this, but it will help you remember their name as well. It’s a win-win in our book.
These tricks you can use not only in an interview setting with your candidates but with anyone—boss, coworker, friend, mom, dad, siblings, strangers, etc. We all want to be a little more likable, right? Start with these 3 tricks and you’ll be amazed at the difference!