NonVerbal Communication

Today, with competition at an all time high among job seekers, reading and understanding body language is critical to your success in a job interview. Nonverbal communication equips you to understand what interviewers are thinking, helping you tweak your body language to get them to connect with you ... and offer you the job!

1. The All Important Handshake

The handshake reveals a story about each of us. Do you shake hands softly? Do you come in from the top and deliver a "bone crusher"? Body language experts tell us that aggressive people have firm handshakes; those with low self-esteem have limp, "wet fish" handshakes.

A great handshake is an easy three-step process:

· Make sure your hands are clean and adequately manicured.

· Ensure hands are warm but free of perspiration.

· Execute your handshake professionally and politely, with a firm grip and a warm smile.

Ask a friend or family member to critique your handshake.

2. Seeing Eye to Eye

What's considered an appropriate amount of eye contact may vary in different countries. In North America, 60 percent eye contact is a safe and appropriate amount. Too much or too little eye contact can make hiring managers uncomfortable. Too much eye contact and you may seem too intense; not enough and you risk appearing uninterested.

Eye-contact tips:

· When you meet the interviewer, look her right in the eyes, then think to yourself, "Wow, so great to finally meet you!" This will make you smile, and she'll pick up on your positive mood. When we look at someone we find interesting, our pupils dilate, a phenomenon the other person instinctively picks up on.

· During a job interview, keep your eye contact in the upside-down triangle area of your interviewer's face: from the left eyebrow, to the nose, back up to the right eyebrow.

Warning: Staring at a person's lips is considered sexual, while looking at their forehead is considered condescending.

3. Get it Straight

Posture is a critical thing to master on an interview: Get your posture straight and your confidence will rise with it. Next time you notice you are feeling a bit down, pay attention to how you are sitting or standing. Chances are you'll be slouched over with your shoulders drooping down and inward. This collapses the chest and inhibits breathing, which can make you feel nervous or uncomfortable. Keep your shoulders back and your chest forward. Practice this and notice the difference in how you feel.

Don't stand with your hands in your pockets.

4. Get a "Head" of the Game

When you want to feel confident and self-assured during an interview, keep your head level, both horizontally and vertically. Also assume this position when your goal is to be taken seriously. Conversely, when you want to be friendly and in the listening, receptive mode, tilt your head just a little to one side or the other, nod slightly to reinforce this.

5. Arms Lend a Hand, Too

Arms offer clues as to how open and receptive we are, so keep your arms to the side of your body. This shows you are not scared to take on whatever challenges come your way.

Quieter people tend to move their arms away from their body less often than outgoing people, who use their arms with big movements. Keep gestures within the frame of your body, or you'll risk being seen as out of control. Avoid the negative/defensive action of crossing your arms during the interview.

Here are two common perceptions of hand gestures:

· Palms slightly up and outward: open and friendly

· Palm-down gestures: dominant and possibly aggressive

6. Get a Leg up on the Competition

Our legs tend to move around a lot more than normal when we are nervous, stressed or being deceptive. As a result, try to keep them as still as possible during the interview. You should not cross your legs during a job interview, as it creates a barrier between you and the interviewer and may lead to fidgeting. When you cross your ankle at the knee, this is known as the "figure four," and is generally perceived as the most defensive leg cross.

7. Navel Intelligence

Keep your belly-button in-line with the belly-button of the person you are speaking with (in other words, make sure you are facing them at all times). Doing otherwise suggests you are not fully engaged and perhaps looking for a way out of the conversation.

Increase your awareness of the body language of those around you and your own. It will pay dividends.

Ten Keys to the Correct Hire

Okay Mr. Employer, you have identified a candidate who has the basics skill set and qualifications you are seeking to hire. Now it's time to delve a bit deeper. Have you done all the due diligence necessary to insure that this will be a good hire? What else should you look for to help you select the proper candidate?

After a week off on vacation and week off of blogging, this week’s blog will spend some time looking into key areas of concern to make sure that this candidate is the right candidate.

1) Problem Solving Skills
Let's face it, no matter what the job title says, problem solving is a key role of every position. You need players who can adapt on the fly to the constantly changing parameters and challenges of customer needs, competitors practices or organizational changes. Those who are resistant or slow to react will keep you from achieving your goals.

Ask candidates to identify specific situations of how they solved a work-related challenge. Allow them to explain the details of their response to a crisis and how their response assisted the organization they were working for.

2) Overall Contribution
Plain and simple, you hire employees to increase revenues or to decrease costs. Identify the metrics which you will use to determine success of the employee. This is easier for some positions than others, but, it can be done for all positions.

Once you have the metrics in place, do your best to select a candidate who has produced similar results. Ask the candidates to explain the metrics for which they were measured in previous roles. If they weren't measured by their supervisor, it is a great indicator of their self awareness and motivation to see if they measured their own success.

3) Previous Work History
Few organizations have the luxury of comprehensive training programs. For this reason, make sure candidates have enough relevant work experience for your position so that they can hit the ground with a running start. Transitioning from similar size organizations and similar cultures will increase the likelihood of success.

Ask candidates to describe the kind of atmosphere in which they do best. Ask them to go beyond generic descriptions such as "it was a team environment" in order to really determine the culture they worked in and whether they will fit into your environment.

4) Enthusiasm and Motivation
Those with sincere drive and initiative will quickly rise to the top of your team. Generally, these individual raise the level of play of those around them making all the members of your team better.

Ask each candidate what motivates them; you might be surprised by some answers. It is desirable for your team members to be motivated by differing elements. Some seek external gratification such as peer recognition or compensation. Others are driven by family motivation or internal fulfillment. Enthusiasm is contagious. Make sure your team has it.

Ask candidates to tell you about a time when they went above and beyond the minimum requirements of their job and make sure to ask what reward they find the most gratifying.

5) Ability to Work as an Individual and on a Team
You are looking for candidates who are able to self motivate and produce on their own as well as being successful working in tandem. We all have experienced the loner at work, as well as someone who cannot get anything done without the help of co-workers. Seek those who have the ability to do both.

Ask which way they prefer to work - alone or as part of a group. Lean towards those who are comfortable in both settings, or at least make sure that your total team has an balance of both.

6) Jugglers
In this day and age when everyone is required to do more with less, target candidates who are eager to learn new things and enjoy variety in the work they perform. Chances are they ambitious and inquisitive. These two qualities generally rank high among successful individuals. Multi-tasking is essential.

Make sure to ask the candidate to cite examples of effectively managing a variety of tasks simultaneously.

7) Cultural Fit
First, make sure you have an accurate perception of the culture of your organization. Then seek to determine if this candidate is an automatic fit, or has the ability to adapt quickly.

Have the candidate describe the ideal cultural fit for them; for example "a company that offers work-life balance" or "a team oriented atmosphere". Ask them to explain and expand on how they would specifically measure that. These terms can mean completely different things from one person to the next.

8) Professional Resume
This is a candidate’s personal brochure and marketing plan. It is a reflection of that individual and it will tell you much more about them then their work history. In my years of recruiting I have found a correlation between the quality of the person and the quality of the resume.

Those who take the time and effort to research, format, and style their resume to convey its intended message will also likely invest the same pride in the work they do on your behalf.

9) Internet Identity
Aside from the background checks and skills testing you may perform on a potential candidate, also take the time to check the social networking sites. You can learn a lot to confirm or deny your instincts about the candidate by what their Facebook picture shows or what they last tweeted.

10) Staying power
If you are investing the resources to successfully hire and on-board candidates from outside your organization make sure they are interested in staying long enough to make it worth your investment in them. Determine their short and long-term career path goals.

Make sure they ask questions during the interview that demonstrate an interest in growing with the company and that their goals are compatible with advancement opportunities in your organization. You do not want them to feel boxed in after a relatively short period of time and then likely to look elsewhere for growth.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

What You Didn't Say

Sometimes, it’s what you don’t say that speaks most clearly. Body language and non-verbal communication can tell those around you volumes about how you are feeling and what makes you uncomfortable or nervous. This blog explores how you can make sure to send the right message, whether on an interview, receiving an employee review, on a sales call, or any other time you are hoping to make the best of impressions.

Your Entrance
You’ll have points subtracted instantaneously if you’re seen making some of these blunders:
* Often times the receptionist or other gatekeeper has been recruited to make initial observations. Be polite, courteous and make sure to know the name of the individual you are about to meet with without having to reference your notes.
* Don’t chew gum – even if your intent is to spit it out before you enter the appointment.
* Don’t be seen smoking – stopping for a last minute smoke (even in a designated area) is not okay.
* Don’t speak on your cell phone or type on your blackberry while you wait – this appointment should be perceived as the most important thing on your calendar.
* Carry a portfolio or other professional looking notebook so that you can take notes if required. If on an interview, always bring a clean copy of your resume, even if you have already sent one.
* Always have a pen available (make sure it works!).
* Handshake: firm and solid without being overbearing. Look them in the eye while you shake. Smile and be excited for this opportunity.
* Do not ever cross your arms! This allows the interviewer to believe you are closed off and uninterested.

During the Meeting
* Keep tabs on your posture – sit up, and lean slightly forward to signal interest. Don’t slouch.
* Keep your feet on the floor – don’t cross your legs and don’t ever put your feet up.
* Be alert – keep focused on the interviewer without staring. Make eye contact for several seconds at a time and then glance away momentarily.
* Smile when appropriate. Watch the interviewer to gain clues into their personality – if they are serious, you should be as well. If the interviewer is lighthearted and laughs or makes lighthearted comments, do the same, but make sure to be subtle with all your emotions.
* Be sure to nod “yes” where appropriate.
* Don’t overdo with your tone of voice – make sure your volume matches that of the interviewer – not too loud or too quiet.
* Listen and don’t ever interrupt – let the interviewer ask a complete question before beginning to answer.
* Stay calm – no matter what is asked.
* Keep your arms occupied by holding a pen or resting your arms on the chair or on your lap. Don’t use your hands or arms too much as you communicate.

Important Points to Remember
* Confidence is Key: eye contact is a great way to communicate that you are confident. If you look away for long periods while speaking, it can indicate that you are lying. If you need to explain something difficult about your resume (a period of unemployment, a termination), look directly at the interviewer, speak in an even tone and be direct and to the point. Practice your explanations with a friend and make sure you are able to respond without hesitation.
* Don’t be dramatic or gossipy: even if you didn’t have a positive past experience or there were issues with fellow employees – the person interviewing you is not your friend, they are a professional who you are trying to impress. Keep to the facts, not your opinions.
* Watch your facial expressions…literally. Tape yourself or answer questions to yourself in front of a mirror. You’ll be amazed at what you give away. Modify your expressions to eliminate negative characteristics and remember to smile.
* Be proud: Walk tall. Shake firmly. Stand your ground. Speak clearly. Be proud of you are.