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Interpreting Behavior During the Job Interview posted on Wednesday, 13 May 2009

As you sit across from the hiring manager, interviewing for the job of your dreams, you provide a great success story in response to a question.You use plenty of detail and demonstrate your stellar qualities, yet you realize the interviewer is barely listening. Somehow you two are just not clicking. As your anxiety mounts you see this opportunity slipping through your fingers. What do you do?

When you have less than 30 minutes to make a great impression, having an awareness of your own behavioral style, and being able to “read” the style of your interviewer, will increase your ability to connect. It’s not disingenuous; it’s smart! Your strategy is to communicate in a way that will be the most effective with their style in order to successfully position yourself.

There are many excellent behavioral assessment tools on the market; for the sake of our discussion here, I’ll reference the DISC Style Monitor. DISC helps us easily pinpoint our own style and recognize the styles of others as well. How can you make this awareness work to your advantage? Observe your interviewer, look for these clues and modify your behavior accordingly:

D: Dominant Director
Verbal: Tells more than asks, talks more than listens. Blunt and to the point. Vocal: More vocal variety. Communicates readily. High volume, faster speech. Visual: Firm handshake, steady eye contact. Gestures to emphasize points. Fast-moving.

Your strategy: The keywords are Get to the Point.

• They are time sensitive so be punctual and organized.
• Get to the point in your success stories – don’t ramble.
• Don’t correct their opinions or disagree with them.
• Think in terms of what’s in it for them.
• Don’t be surprised if they keep you waiting or allow interruptions during the interview.

I: Interactive Socializer

Verbal: Tells stories, anecdotes. Shares personal feelings. Likely to digress from conversation.
Vocal: Lots of inflection. Dramatic, fast speech, high volume.
Visual: Animated facial expressions. Much hand / body movement. Contact oriented.

Your strategy: The keyword is Entertaining.

• Not typically time sensitive so the interview might go longer than you expect.
• Will often allow the interview to be interrupted by others, less likely by email or phone.
• People-oriented, so expect the interview to be lively and interactive. Expect them to include others.
• They prefer conversation over documentation so be prepared to talk about yourself.

S: Steady Relater

Verbal: Asks more than tells, listens more than talks. Less verbal communication.
Vocal: Steady, warm delivery. Less forceful tone. Lower volume and slower speech.
Visual: Intermittent eye contact. Gentle handshake. Exhibits patience. Slower moving.

Your strategy: The keyword is Relationship.

• Organized and prepared so you should be, too.
• Relationship-oriented so they will be as concerned with your fit in the group or team as they are with your abilities. Emphasize your team skills. • Not likely to make a decision on the spot – will follow a process or over-analyze to avoid a “mistake”. Do not apply pressure.
• Engage in a conversation – solicit their input as you provide answers to their questions.

C: Cautious Thinker

Verbal: Fact- and task-oriented. Limited sharing of feelings. Focused conversation
Vocal: Little inflection, few pitch variations. Less variety in vocal quality. Low volume, slow speech.
Visual: Few facial expressions. Non-contact oriented. Few gestures.

Your strategy: The keyword is Detail.

• Logical, systematic, and well-prepared.
• Be cordial and professional; don’t waste time with “chit-chat”.
• When telling your success stories, clearly outline the steps you took and the resolution.
• Do not try to “wing it”. If you don’t know an answer, say so.
• Time sensitive, be respectful of their schedules.

Apply these insights during your next interview. If you are an Interactive Socializer being interviewed by a Cautious Thinker, tone down your flowery speech. Get to the point and avoid digressions. You’re a Steady Relater and the hiring manager is a Dominant Director? Don’t take their bluntness personally. Be bold but respectful, use “I” rather than “WE” to demonstrate your capabilities. It’s important to be yourself, but by making some subtle adjustments, you can ensure that you communicate, in a language they understand, that you are the best person for the job!

Pattie Vargas, co-founder of the San Diego-based career transition services organization NextWork™, a division of The Vargas Group, utilizes her vast experience in the executive/management/team development industry to help individuals identify their personal strengths and gain clarity on how to achieve career fulfillment and effective results.

Posted by Pattie Vargas | 4 Comments