Why is it important to be discuss nonverbal communication in the context of a job interview?

While at a job interview, you might think that if you have the best answers to the interview questions, you'll get the job, but that isn't necessarily the case. A big part of the success of your answers is actually nonverbal communication.

This includes your body language and what is known as “paralanguage”—the elements of your speech besides the words, such as your intonation, speaking speed, pauses and sighs, and facial expressions. Nonverbal communication also includes your attire and grooming.

Nonverbal communication is as important as verbal communication. The interviewer will be observing your nonverbal communication throughout the entire interview. If your nonverbal communication skills aren't up to par, it won't matter how well you answer the questions.

Nonverbal communication matters as soon as you walk in the office door. If you come to an interview reeking of cigarette smoke or chewing gum, you will already have one strike against you. Too much perfume or not enough deodorant won't help either.

Not being dressed appropriately or having scuffed shoes will give you a second strike. Talking on your cell phone or listening to music while waiting to be called for the interview may be your final strike.

When you're participating in a video interview, it's important to have a professional background and few distractions. Your professional presence will be evaluated as it would be at an in-person interview.

What's important when interviewing is to appear professional, attentive, and confident throughout the interview process.

Remember that the image the interviewer has of you when they first meet you is the one that is going to last. If you're slouchy, sloppy, or messy, it won't matter how well you answer the interview questions. You are not going to get the job.

When practicing for an interview, work on your nonverbal communication and your other interviewing skills. It could be what clinches the job offer for you. You can practice with a friend or interview coach who conducts a mock interview and gives you feedback. You can also film yourself and review your nonverbal communication.

Before you leave for the interview, make sure you are dressed professionally, are neatly groomed, your shoes are polished, and you haven't overdone the perfume or aftershave (none is better than too much).

To increase your chances of making a good impression during a video call, there are certain mistakes you should avoid before and during the interview.

There are things that you should bring with you to the interview and things that you need to leave at home. Following the advice in these lists will help improve your nonverbal communication:

• Portfolio or pad holder with a copy of your resume and a list of references
• Work samples (if relevant)
• Notepad and pen
• Breath mint (before you enter the building)

• Cell phone
• Gum
• Cigarettes
• Candy
• Soda or coffee
• Scuffed shoes and messy or not-so-clean clothes

The way you sit in the lobby, the way you greet the receptionist and the interviewer, and the way you wait, will all have an impact on whether you are going to be considered for the job. Be friendly and pleasant, but not overbearing. If you need to wait, sit quietly (no phone calls) and patiently.

• Make eye contact with the interviewer for a few seconds at a time.
• Smile and nod (at appropriate times) when the interviewer is talking, but don't overdo it. Don't laugh unless the interviewer does first.
• Be polite and keep an even tone to your speech. Don't be too loud or too quiet.
• Don't slouch.
• Do relax and lean forward a little toward the interviewer so you appear interested and engaged.
• Don't lean back. You will look too casual and relaxed.
• Keep your feet on the floor and your back against the lower back of the chair.
• Pay close attention to the interviewer. Take notes if you are worried you will not remember something.
• Listen.
• Don't interrupt.
• Stay calm. Even if you had a bad experience at a previous position or were fired, keep your emotions to yourself and do not show anger or frown.
• Not sure what to do with your hands? Hold a pen and your notepad or rest an arm on the chair or on your lap, so you look comfortable. Don't let your arms fly around the room when you're making a point.

Before leaving the interview, be sure to give the interviewer another firm handshake and smile. On your way out, say goodbye to the receptionist or anyone else you spoke to during the interview.

Your verbal communication is important too. Don't use slang. Speak clearly and definitely. Remember your manners and thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. 

Thanks for your feedback!

A good research and groundwork for a job interview is half the battle won, but your presentation and behavior at the time of interview is noticeably significant.

It could even enhance your chance to win the position and leads you to success and/ or dump you down from the interview process.

All depends on your performance. The focus should be on the well execution of the interview.

The importance of verbal as well as nonverbal communication is of high significance. The methodical study says that communiqué is first and foremost strong-minded by nonverbal communication.

During the interview, it is really imperative the way you utter words and how you say, your body language and related postures is perhaps, furthermore important.

Consequently, in a job interview you need to shell out attention on your nonverbal communication rigorously.

Basically, nonverbal communication consists of a person’s facial lexis, voice tone and its volume, and body actions such as hand poses and how you knob on your personal leg room.

Here are some of the important characteristics on the nonverbal communications and how it is important during job interviews.

1. Your self appearance:

There have been several cases that came into notice where competent applicants were removed from deliberation due to their awful dressing sense and/ or their bodily communication which may show a person’s self-confidence.

If your first appearance is not impressive one which itself be counted in a nonverbal communication, then rest of the interview may not get the right click, where actually it had to be.

Always keep up yourself sparkled and well presented in all the interview rounds. Your attires, hairdo, clean and dirt free nails, polished shoes are all the things which interviewer does observes.

2. An expression of confidence:

During ongoing job interview, try to sit straight that too, with straight back, against the back-rest of your chair.

Always try to make an eye contact with an interviewer. Don’t even gaze or look just about all the time.

Make sure that you are giving such an impression like you are very much alerted and interested to listen and respond to the interviewer. Confidence also acts as a nonverbal communication to the interviewer.

Accordingly, your level of confidence should always be boosted up before appearing and during the interview.

3. Personal care is equally imperative:

It is quite noticeable that employer does have a glance on the entire looks of the candidate. Make sure you are appearing in good, well-presented and sanctified manner.

Avoid using odious whiffs likewise, smoke and awful sweat. Always make sure that your hands are spotless and your hair is not in a disarray condition.

Employers do consider those candidates who take good care of themselves, hygienically and personally.

They count it in a nonverbal communication, which employers could only sense by way of your presentation at the time of interview and afterwards.

4. How your body language speaks:

Various professionals uphold the statement that body language is the main chief part of nonverbal communication.

Somewhat it is true as well, since this is your body language and various related postures which transmit your internal message (which is ongoing in your mind) to the minds of the employer.

This is vital ever since the message conveyed through body language may help know, much about you.

Do think and respond according to the question coming your way. Don’t panic and convey inappropriate body messages in haste.

5. Eye contacting and diverse physical postures:

Don’t fix your eyes on the interviewer, but try to keep up a firm eye contact with the interviewer for at least 5-10 seconds, momentary look away after every reply to his question, then again do up an eye contact while explicate on subsequent question.

If there are more than a few interviewers, repeat the same with each one of them so that they won’t feel that you are interacting with only one interviewer.

Give entire consideration to the person asking the question. And your body postures should also be enacted. So, always stay active and alert!

6. Your positive reactions show interest level:

Most importantly this is well noted that nonverbal communication indicates that how much you are interested in the job position, for the company. This all gets revealed by your positive and active approach in the interview.

Yawning, looking bored, or looking away makes your uninterested impression.

Make eye contact while answering to the questions, be attentive and don’t bend forward.

Showing such nonverbal signals which could point toward your lack of attention, stumpy self-confidence, signifies lack of interest. It is your positivity and affirmative reactions only which will take you to lead the job position.

7. Listen and don’t interrupt:

When you appear in an interview, employer always expects that you start verbalizing only when his speech is over.

At first he explains you on how-about, then expects you to start telling about yourself.

When you quietly listen to him, and don’t interrupt in between, giving fewer pauses while explaining, all these actions is counted in nonverbal communication, which actually is a good sign for every candidate.

You need to patiently listen to him, what he says, what actually he want to listen from you and how you keep on telling the history of personal and professional life, is all what matters a lot to the interviewer.

8. Must change your sitting postures:

Changing your sitting postures does indicate that you are actively participating and interested enough in the job.

Try not to sit out in the same position during the whole interview process (especially while interacting with an interviewer).

You could simply adjust your sitting position, such as, slanting your head to the right or left, you can give positive facial expressions with an intermittently smile.

Sitting in the same posture seems like you are sitting forcefully. All the way through doing these small actions, you will deliberately look consistent and a professional person.

9. Stay and act calmly:

Yes, your behavior, your calmness also counts in nonverbal communication, which you never utter in words of course, but employers do notice these diminutive things while reviewing your overall persona.

If you are getting interviewed for any marketing or sales position, employers definitely see your aggressiveness, that where you need to show your patience level and where you need to act aggressively.

Still if you had a very dreadful occurrence at any of the earlier positions or you were being fired up, make stay your those emotions to yourself only and do not show annoyance or glare during the interview.

10. Don’t bend over backside:

Here the point comes between changing your sitting postures and bending over on your chair.

Don’t fully lean your legs and back on the chair rather sit straight and convey a positive sign that you are active and confident enough.

Take your leg space well but avoid falling on the chair. This way you will look informal and unperturbed too, which actually is not a good sign.

These are the nonverbal signs which employer could see, have a look and feel about your relaxed attitude.

11. Be polite and keep an even tone on your speech:

When you listen quietly to the interviewer, you need to be extra polite and calm. Your actions, behavior, your attitude and response towards each question show your interest level and your professionalism.

Even maintain your voice tone very nicely while answering to interviewer’s questions. Keep your voice tone neither too low nor excessively earsplitting.

Try to keep up the sense of balance of speaking in average tone, which employer could be able to listen effortlessly.

Act politely while answering every question since too much insistent answer may lead you out of the interview process.

Even if employer try to aggravate you to sheer some irrational words, still keep up the spirit of behaving politely and peacefully.

Interview processes is one of the difficult processes which needs extra vigilance, alertness and consideration.

Conclusion:

The ways of nonverbal communication could be so many, but in every nonverbal sign your expressions are thoroughly being noticed by the interviewer.

All such steps of physical appearance, standing and sitting postures, movement of your hands, legs, your facial expressions all are the signs of nonverbal communication, which a candidate never utters from his/ her own word of mouth but employer/ interviewer do notices everything very thoroughly while interviewing.

They could easily judge your inclination gesture or optimistic attitude towards the job position.

Be confident, be polite, and be calm! Never get panic so easily and take slight time to respond positively to each and every question.

Even if you take a lot of time while answering to questions that too with pauses, it doesn’t shed a good impact of yours. Nonverbal communication is even more important rather verbal communication. If the beginning of the interview is not yet impressive, then rest of the procedure may not get you to the right place.