Interviews are stressful. That is hardly news to anyone who has sat on either side of an interview-room table. Too much stress can affect the candidate’s performance negatively. The applicant may not present herself as well as she might in a less stressful situation.
The outcome can be unfortunate for the job-seeker and also for the manager with a vacancy to fill. The candidate must continue the job search and the interviewer will base the hiring decision on an incomplete understanding of the candidate’s attitudes and competencies. A skilled performer may be overlooked because the stress of the interview caused her to present poorly.
The challenge for interviewers is to reduce the impact of interview-induced stress so that candidates will open up and provide complete and candid responses to the interviewer’s queries. This can be achieved, in part, with a few well-chosen words spoken soon after meeting the candidate.
Confidence can begin to replace stress when the candidate feels valued and at least partly in control of the process. With this in mind, interviewer might select one or more of these stress-reducing statements and questions to use as the interview begins:
“It was a pleasure to talk with you on the telephone and we are delighted to have this opportunity to meet you in person.”
“From your resume, it appears you have had a variety of experiences.”
Note: The interviewer is not saying this were the right experiences, although this may be what the candidate hears, which could be a confidence booster.
“We are pleased you decided to apply for this position.”
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us today.”
“Would it be okay with you if we took notes during this interview?”
Note: No candidate is likely to say no, but some will feel this gives them some control over the situation. Some may ask if they can take notes. Agree to the request.
In future issues of Briefly Noted, I will provide more tips and techniques that can reduce the stress candidates—and interviewers—experience.
Employing techniques meant to reduce the candidates’ stress is just one of the many topics included in my Interview Right to Hire Right workshops. Please contact me to schedule an Interview Right to Hiring Right workshop for those responsible for hiring staff in your organization. Phone (780) 433-1443 or nmscott@telus.net.
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