Recruitment and body language. What the recruiter sees in your gestures?

„It’s not about what you said, but how you looked when you said it”.

 „Body language is your key to success”. We all keep close tabs on our surroundings, and although no one admits it, at every step we judge everyone around us. We analyze the behavior of people in lines. We closely watch how we’re being serviced by the cashier. We consider the lady at the post office, and the doctor at the hospital. So it’s no wonder that we ourselves are also judged at every step. Especially during a job interview!

„Perception – it’s the ability to spot the discrepancy between the speaker’s words and their body language”.

Did you know that every gesture has its meaning in the eyes of a recruiter? This often determines the outcome of the interview. More so than a perfectly written CV.

If your hands are sweaty, avoid eye contact, fidget in your chair, blink uncontrollably and constantly swallow, it shows that you have no control over your body language. It is said „How they see you, that’s how they perceive you”, hence why your behavior during a job interview is so incredibly important. In accordance to the ‘7-38-55’ rule of Albert Mehrabian, when your communication is incoherent, only 7% of the information comes from the contents of the communication (your words), 38% from the sound of your voice, and 55% from non-verbal communication, that is body language.

„Scratching your head could mean that you’re insecure – or that you have dandruff”.

Although we have the least control over our gestures, as vast majority of them are unconscious, that means that we need to keep the most attention on them. Verbal communication has to be coherent with your body language. These behaviors determine our credibility in the eyes of the recruiter and the employer.

„Liars can act out body language only for a short time”.

How to read body language?

„Natural smile comes with specific wrinkles around the eyes – dishonest people only smile with their mouth”.

 Secrets to positive body language:

• Face: lively expression with a smile, show your teeth occasionally.
• Gestures: preferably little expression. Hold your hands and fingers together, below the chin level. Do not cross your arms or legs.
• Head movements: nod your head, and tilt it when listening. Keep your chin up.
• Eye contact: hold eye contact in such a way as to make sure everyone is comfortable.
• Posture: when listening, it is good to shift forward, and straighten out when speaking.
• Mirroring: try to subtly mirror the body language of others.

„Always smile – everyone will wonder what you are thinking about”.

Big thank you to my amazing peer Scott for his support and proofreading! 🙂