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How is mastering interview communication helpful

Author: [Divya Dhar]

[Candidates/Interviewee]

Communication, the exchange of ideas, thoughts and feelings is one of the major things that drive an interview. Communication is now the base for understanding the glimpse of the candidate’s personality, attitude, and etiquette. There is more to interview communication than just communication with words. The other things that fall into this category are: Non-verbal communication, verbal communication, time management, confidence, active listening and many more.

Verbal Communication:

The verbiage used in the interviewing is supposed to be formal, without grammatical errors. Avoid using filler words such as: ‘umm’ ‘like’ ‘you know’ and so forth. It signifies the lack of vocabulary, slow thought process and uncertainty on the interviewee’s end.

Be more confident in what you speak, try to resonate with interviewer but make sure interviewer drives the interview and you never interrupt. Get details on who is Interviewing you and conduct research on the Interviewers background. Frame your answers in such a way that the Interviewer understands based on their background. Don’t make excuses for yourself or put yourself down

Non-verbal communication:

Non-verbal communication holds more weightage when compared to verbal communication. The way one walks into the room, the grip of one’s handshake before starting a verbal communication says a lot more than the initial introductory conversation. Here is a list of things that make you stand out without speaking anything about yourself.

• Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake.
• Maintain steady eye contact — it shows sincerity and helps establish rapport.
• Communicate positive facial expressions and speech qualities.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and interest by good posture and friendly smiles.
• Dress in conservative business attire.
• Refrain from struggling for the right posture or any other unintentional nervous behaviour.

Interview Etiquette:

There is the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group, in a simpler term called Etiquette. There are some simple interview etiquettes you can follow that will make a lasting impression on your interviewer.

• Call two days before the interview to confirm the date, time, location and the name of the interviewer.
• Ask if there will be any testing or forms to fill out when you arrive.
• Arrive 15 minutes early to the building (within 5 minutes to the office)
• Introduce yourself to the staff when you arrive.
• Be polite and honest while being careful to not talk more than warranted.
• Make sure you obtain the correct spelling, address, and phone number of all who interviewed you or ask for business cards.
• Thank the interviewer for the meeting and continue to convey a positive attitude.

Post Interview:

The interviewing process doesn’t end with just attending the interview. Send an email to the recruiter thanking him/her for scheduling the interview. If you are provided with the Interviewers’ email id, send an email thanking the interviewers’ for the time they spent in interviewing you and for explaining the roles and responsibilities the job brings. Also express how excited you are about the opportunity to working with them, and their team. If you are no longer interested in the position, politely ask the recruiter to remove you from the candidate pool without burning your bridges. Clarify anything from the interview you think appropriate to ensure effective communication. Express your interest in the position, and ask if there is anything you could do to help in the process e.g., do they need you to provide another reference?

If time has passed regarding the date in which you were informed that a decision would be made, follow-up with a phone call or e-mail to the recruiter to check on your status.

The top 5 things to work on to increase your chances of being hired are:

• Make a good first impression.
• Dress appropriately.
• Improve your interview skills.
• Use the STAR technique to answer questions

(STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result. With this technique, you can use real-life examples to give clear and concise answers.)

• Express gratitude after the interview.

If you have never attended an interview before, there are platforms and interviewers who would help you take a mock interview, check your skills and tell you your market value so you don’t undersell your skills. It also gives you an opportunity to learn your areas of weakness and give you tips on working on them.