5 Ways to More Effectively Read People During Interviews

5 Ways to More Effectively Read People During Interviews

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Presenting in the interview room can be a deeply unsetting experience when you don’t have a firm grasp on what’s going on with the person on the other end of the table. It’s like driving on black ice — you’re never truly confident, and the prospect of a crash looms at every moment. This is where having an ability to read people during interviews can come in very handy.

Here’s the good news: you do NOT have to be a behavioral expert to get an edge! In fact, introducing just a few of the strategies below can be enough to tilt the game in your favor…and make sure that what you’re doing is consistently hitting the mark with employers.

5 Tips to Improve How You Read People During Interviews:

1) Always Look for Match-Up.

Consider your greatest heroes and ask yourself, “Did what they say, do, and how they presented themselves come across as a cohesive whole?” You’ll find that the answer is an inevitable yes. That’s match-up.

The same goes for CEOs, hiring managers, and recruiters you encounter during a job search. Match-up is everything. So when someone presents an idea to you and the language used is enthusiastic, study this person’s body language. Study this person’s emotional tone. See whether there’s match-up through and through…or whether it’s an act. The greater the degree of match-up, the greater the odds that this is someone trustworthy and accountable. The opposite is also true: if there’s persistent dissonance, proceed with caution.


Also read: People Who Always Get Job Offers Have These 5 Things in Common


2) Pay Close Attention to Action Words

The difference between, “We found a solution” and “We settled on a solution” is profound, and it all comes down to the verbs being used. Found carries with it a sense of discovery and being invested in the outcome, while settled is passive and carries with it a sense of making the best of an already bad situation. Listen closely to action words, as they’ll clue you into how a person thinks.

3) Is there Mirroring Going on?

Sometimes reading people is as much about what’s NOT going on as what IS. There’s a natural tendency for us to mirror one another’s expressions and energy levels- especially when the topic at hand is one that’s potentially beneficial for all involved. We want things to work out, so when the other person smiles, our face inches upwards in a smile. When the other person leans in because they’re excited about where the conversation’s going, we do too. That’s natural.

Watch for situations where that’s not going on. Have you lost this person 2 or 3 ideas ago? Are they unhappy with your take? Stop, retrace your steps, and if necessary gain VERBAL BUY-IN about where to go next.


Also read: How Can I Show Great Culture Fit with a Prospective Employer?


4) Play to the Influencer.

In any group interview situation, you’ll probably find a mix of different egos at play. Some may jockey for position through being loud and dominating the room, while others may try to gain status by lobbing difficult questions at you.

Don’t worry about them.

Instead, focus on the influencer. This person may not speak loudly. They may not ask you questions right off the bat. But when they speak, the air in the room changes. That’s because they have real authority. And with authority, comes the ability to move the room where you need it to go.

That’s the person you need to win over.

5) Don’t Ignore “Gesture Bombs”

Employers want to project a pristine image during interviews. Even the most toxic and dysfunctional company will do their best to hold it together during the limited timeframe of a face-to-face. But…the illusion will always be imperfect. And one of the most powerful indicators of trouble beneath the surface are “gesture bombs,” which are repetitive tics and mannerisms. By itself, one is innocuous. But when one sets off another and another, be very careful. Consider what just happened or was discussed to set it off, and keep asking questions in that direction to get the real story.

And one more thing: when in doubt, one of the most effective ways to read people during interviews, is to study a person’s eyes. Even the most non-expressive person in the world can’t hide what’s really going on there!

Anish Majumdar
About the Author
Anish Majumdar

Anish Majumdar is a nationally recognized Career Coach, Personal Branding Expert, and a fierce advocate for transitioning leaders. His posts and videos on disrupting the "normal rules" of job searching and getting ahead reach a combined audience of 30M professionals every month. Go down the rabbit hole of Anish’s career videos at HelloAnish.com, and connect with him on LinkedIn to receive daily career tips and advice.

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