What is that hiring manager thinking while you’re sitting there during an interview? The answers might surprise you—and should help you in your job search.
Staffing specialist Robert Half International’s OfficeTeam unit for North America came up with five little known facts about hiring managers and what they might be thinking in secret during an interview. One of the things that can throw you if you’re not aware of what’s happening: Interviewers may intentionally try and make you uncomfortable.
“Many times they want to see how you react under pressure and how you think on your feet,” Anaar Dewjee, division director of staffing firm Robert Half International’s OfficeTeam unit in Toronto, told eFinancialCareers.
Don't Rush to Say Something
That’s why it's important not to rush to say something every time there’s a lull in the conversation. Hiring managers hope that if they keep you talking, you’ll reveal more of yourself, OfficeTeam says. They may also throw curveball questions to see how you react and to learn about how you think. If there are pauses between interview questions, that’s OK, says Dewjee. “It's imporant to think before you speak,” she says. “You want to show you take time to register what’s happening and think things through before you respond.”
Be Nice to the Assistant
Also, OfficeTeam found, it is very common for a hiring manager to inquire with the assistant who greeted you when you first came into the office as to what he or she thought of your manner and communications skills, says Dewjee. Six in 10 executives surveyed by OfficeTeam in the U.S. said they consider their assistants' opinions important when evaluating new hires. The figure was even higher in Canada.
What that means is if you don’t deal with the office assistant courteously and professionally, you’re in big trouble. “You always need to be able to interact with different levels of employees as well as employers,” says Dewjee. It’s not always apparent to job candidates that first impressions are that big of a deal.
Some of the other findings may be more obvious. These are the five things many hiring managers may be thinking—but won’t tell you—during your job interview, and how you can use such information to your advantage: