Page 58 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

The job application interview 47

• a firm handshake (dry not too warm hands)
• waiting to be seated until a seat is offered
• laying down your notebook with prepared questions on the table in front of you.

Listening
When a selection committee member is speaking, it is essential to listen carefully to what
is said. This may sound like forcing an open door advice. However, there are applicants
who are so nervous or so full of what they are going to say that they hardly hear any of
the information they receive from the members of the selection committee. If you don’t
understand some information, you can ask for an explanation. However, in the first phase
of the interview you shouldn’t ask too many questions. Mainly you should concentrate on
the information from the selection committee.

Nonverbal skills
The application interview is a means of getting information about the applicant for the
selection committee. The committee members will therefore pay much attention during
an interview to the content of the information an applicant is providing. They will also
notice the applicant’s nonverbal behaviour. Body posture, way of looking (eye contact)
and gestures all influence the impression being made.
You have an adequate body posture when you sit upright in your chair, relaxed, with
your hands loosely resting on your lap or the table. A good sitting position will contribute
to a positive impression on the selection committee. A slouching applicant looks weak
and unmotivated, while a rigid, upright posture and wiggling feet give a nervous
impression.
Eye contact is also a relevant aspect of nonverbal behaviour. When members of the
committee are speaking, the applicant should look at them in a friendly manner. When
answering as the applicant, look at the different members occasionally.
Gestures are an important part of nonverbal behaviour. These can enforce words or
enliven a story. People who make many gestures should generally try not to overdo it
during an application interview as too many gestures quickly give a nervous impression.
People who never or hardly ever make gestures can try to give a more lively impression
by making a few gestures. However, one has to be careful that this doesn’t give an
unnatural impression.

Paralinguistic skills
Paralinguistic skills have to do with your style of speech. They are prerequisites in order
to be able to handle verbal skills such as arguing and formulating that will be discussed
below. Attention should be paid to articulation, vocal volume and tone.
It is essential that you speak clearly and that you can be heard well during an
application interview. For good intelligibility it is very important to have a clear
articulation. This means clearly saying all the words and syllables of which these words
consist. An unintelligible mumbling applicant will often annoy the selection committee.