You have spent months searching for the right person to fill a position. You have received several stellar resumes and now have 2 candidates to interview. Equally qualified on paper, you’re hoping to use the interview to ferret out who will be the best fit for your team.
Your first interviewee, Dan, answers all of your questions perfectly, but there is just something about him. He says he is enthusiastic about the job, but doesn’t seem enthusiastic. His face never changes expression and he hides his hands under the table.
Next you interview Susan. Susan has a few deficiencies in her training and experience but, because of her animation, energy and warmth, you know she is the right one for the job. Your team will love her.
It’s not surprising that you hired Susan. Communication scholars have found again and again that over 90% of the message we receive when talking to others comes through our read of their nonverbal communication.
You can be the best person on paper but, if you can’t communicate it through your body language, you won’t get the job. The problem, however, is that facial expressions and gestures are the first thing to go when you are under the stress of an interview.
How you say what you say is just as important as what you say.
As a professor of communication, I teach students to be highly expressive under duress. Imagine a line of desks with soon-to-be job seekers on either side asking each other interview questions. I walk around them, encouraging them to sit up straight, smile, move their facial features and use their hands to express their ideas. They hate it, but it works. Within 20 minutes I have a room full of excited, persuasive, enthusiastic-looking young professionals.
An interviewer will know you may be stressed but it’s your job to convey that you are, in spite of your nerves, able to talk under pressure. You’re there because you want the job. Let them know it through your body language.
The key types of nonverbal communication to control in an interview are as follows:
- Posture
- Gestures
- Head/neck movement
- Facial expressions
Posture
When I was in college I was taught to sit stiffly in the chair in an interview with my hands folded in my lap and feet uncrossed and firmly on the ground. I’m glad the 80’s are over.
The most common posture problem I see with interviewees is slouching. Turns out your mother was right when she said, “Sit up straight.” You may be the hardest worker in the world, but slouching makes you look lazy. No matter how you are sitting – leaning back with knees crossed or pulled up to a desk or table – your back should be straight and your shoulders should be relaxed.
Gestures
Somewhere along the line, someone has probably told you that gestures distract others. Not true. People who gesture normally come across as warmer and more sincere. Use your hands to enhance your message. By all means, keep them IN VIEW. When you are listening, rest them on the table, in your lap or on the arms of the chair.
Gestures aren’t only about your hands. You should lift your arms a little such that there is a few inches of space between your elbows and ribcage. Reach out a little, especially when discussing the interviewer or organization (i.e. when you are saying “your”).
Head and Neck Movement
We seldom think of our heads as being expressive, but the tilt and swivel of your head on your neck is highly effective in punctuating your words. A slow nod when you are trying to persuade goes a long way in convincing your listener that what you’re saying is true. Don’t believe me?
Find a partner. Without moving your head say, “I know I’m the right person for the job.” Now, repeat the phrase nodding your head slightly. Your partner will tell you you were more convincing the second time.
Facial Expressions
Your facial expressions are your superpower in an interview. The human face is a highly complex mechanism for conveying even the slightest nuance of meaning and it can work along with your head and neck to be powerfully convincing. What should your face be saying in an interview? “I’m the best person for the job because I’m passionate about the work and my enthusiasm will be contagious.”
You may be surprised to know that the two most expressive parts of your face are your eyebrows and cheeks.
Actors are taught to create expressions by using their eyebrows – a furrow to convey concern or raising to show surprise or pleasure. Go find your partner again. Without moving your face, repeat again “I know I’m the right person for the job.” Then, say the phrase again, raising your eyebrows a little when saying “I know.” Your partner will again be more convinced by your second effort.
Your cheeks control your best friend in an interview: your smile. You have read a hundred times that you should smile in an interview when appropriate (by the way it’s appropriate most of the time), but actually doing it is very difficult. I had a few jobs in my teens and after the second time I heard, “You’re a really hard worker, Conne, but you need to smile,” I started thinking. I was happy, but I didn’t come from a family of smilers. I had to teach myself to smile and you might have to do so, too. I’m not suggesting that you spend the whole interview looking goofy, but keep your cheeks tight so you appear to be about ready to break into a smile. Then, when the time is just right, let them see your Chicklets. Especially smile when you are talking about your previous successes.
Posture, gestures, head and neck movement, and facial expressions work together. Just like you wouldn’t practice the piano incorrectly, you shouldn’t practice answering interview questions without the right expression. Don’t count on your ability to come through during the interview. Dedicate the time now to these four elements of body language and enjoy the benefits – and the paycheck – later.
About the Author
Conne Reece, Ph.D. has been a professor of communication at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania for 23 years. 
She teaches basic- and advanced-level communication courses with topics including business speaking and writing, teamwork, leadership, professionalism, intergenerational communication, interpersonal communication, public relations, social media strategies, performance evaluation, basic supervisory techniques, proposal writing, and managing organizational culture and climate. Her primary area of expertise is in job search strategies including résumé and cover letter writing, e-portfolio development and interview techniques. In addition, she has interest in intercultural and family cultural issues that have an impact on workplace relationships. Reece won Lock Haven University’s Peers’ Choice Excellence in Pedagogy Award and is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer.
Reece has authored and co-authored dozens works including Managing Multigenerations for Profit and Harmony, A Psycholinguistic Comparative Study of the Strategic Conflict-handling Behavior of Russian and American College Students, Teaching Critical Evaluation Skills to Gen Y, and has appeared on the TV show Infinite Possibilities discussing the importance of e-portfolios. She regularly gives presentations outside of the classroom on job search strategies, as well as image management, business dining etiquette, public relations strategies, and business writing and speaking. Reece has delivered keynote graduation addresses at both the low and maximum security facilities in Allenwood, PA. A supporter of the understanding of the importance of multicultural communication, she has also lectured on cultural similarities and differences in Plymouth, England and Kemerovo, Russia. Reece is currently co-authoring a revision of Ready, Aim, Hired with Fred Coon.
At Lock Haven University, Reece has served on innumerable hiring committees as well as the Strategic Planning Partnership Committee, Strategic Plan Oversight Committee, Public Relations and Mobilization Committees and many others. She was highly instrumental in updating the communication program and served as chair and proposal author for a social media degree. Conne can be reached at CReece@lockhaven.edu.
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