Could spilling your coffee make you more successful?

Regardless of your seniority and the number of moves you’ve made during your career; interviews will always be a nerve-wracking experience and you never fully know what to expect. There are a lot of differing opinions of how to approach an interview but in reality there really isn’t a fool-proof guide to acing them - you don’t the know exact questions that will be asked, nerves may get the better of you, the role may be different to what was advertised, there could be technical difficulties (if online), or it may just be that you don’t get on with the hiring manager/interviewers and therefore not a good fit.

Despite this, there are several techniques based on scientific evidence that can improve your chances of being the favoured candidate and ultimately landing the job. Here are a few behavioural science principles and behavioural observations that you may find useful when preparing for your next job interview:

Framing Effect – This is when information is presented or described in a certain way to influence people’s decisions or opinions. Identical pieces of information can be viewed differently depending on how the delivery is structured or worded – e.g. food labels that read “95% fat free” are viewed more positively than if it reads “5% fat”. Another interesting example is a study asking groups of religious people “Is it okay to smoke while praying?”, over 90% said “no” and were against this behaviour. However, when asked again “Is it okay to pray while smoking”, over 90% said “yes”. The two acts are identical but just framed differently.

To apply this principle to interviews you should be careful when wording your answers, especially if you’re being asked to rate yourself on a certain attribute or skill. It’s also important to bear this in mind when wording the questions you’ve prepared to ask the interviewers at the end.

Verbal/Linguistic Mirroring – Trying to mirror body language is one that comes up a lot and although it can be useful, it can also backfire if done too much or made obvious. Verbal/linguistic mirroring which focuses on language/speech is a technique that can be just as effective, even if the other person notices it. For example, when asked a question you can repeat that question back to the person as it gives you more time to think of an answer and often causes them to provide more detail and clarity to their question. You should also try to mirror how they speak (tone, speed, style, inflection, etc.) as this can build rapport; however, like anything you should be authentic and aim to create genuine relationships with the interviewer(s).

Hedging – This leads on from the principle above as it refers to the language we use and is something we should avoid using unnecessarily. An example of this would be “I tend to learn quite quickly…or…one achievement that might be relevant is…” Instead, you should focus on being more assertive and talking in absolutes – e.g. “I have achieved X, Y and Z” or “I’ve learnt quickly in every role I’ve had during my career and put a lot of importance on my personal development.” Research observing language would support this as well – looking at how financial advisors speak, politicians, salespeople, etc.

It's also important to avoid filler words such as “um”, “like” or “er”, and instead use pauses. We use these fillers to give us time to think but using a pause to fill the gap will come across more credible and intelligent. In a study looking at status in a professional setting, those with a higher status using filler words were actually seen as less intelligent, well-informed and less qualified than those that used less fillers. Pausing can make people perceive you more favourably, as more engaging and more trustworthy.

Primacy Effect – A cognitive bias that explains how humans are more likely to remember the first or earlier information they receive rather than what comes later or at the end. This would support what many of us believe already about the importance of first impressions, both in a social and professional setting. You should try to build rapport, demonstrate your strongest achievements/skills or doing something to stand out near the start of the interview to make the best first impression to the interviewer(s). They won’t remember everything from the meeting but they’re more likely to remember the peak and the end parts. You should aim to get the peak in early by making a good first impression and a good first answer.

The Peak-end Rule – This refers to the psychological bias that affects how we remember or view certain experiences depending on what occurred at the peak and end parts of the experience. As mentioned above, it’s better to get to the peak/best part as early as possible and you should aim to finish the interview on a high. For example, studies investigating pain have found that if an experience is less painful at the end, the overall experience is remembered more positively. When compared with those that had a shorter experience but no relief at the end, the longer experiences were still remembered as less painful overall.

By focusing on getting the peak and end parts of an interview right you should make a much more memorable and lasting positive impression on the interviewer(s). Prepare a few competency examples relevant to the company and position that will make you stand out and that can be applied to several types of competencies. Make the example more memorable by telling a good story and include something a little different that they won’t be expecting. This will get their attention and stick in their mind, and therefore help your chances of being a more memorable candidate (hopefully for the right reasons!).

Pratfall Effect – This principle explains how making a mistake can lead to a person being viewed in a more positive light, especially when already viewed as highly competent – e.g. spilling a coffee or drink on themselves. Showing weaknesses in an interview could make you more likeable and therefore increase your chances of being the successful candidate. Also, when answering competency questions don’t be afraid to include an example that had a negative outcome, particularly if it’s one that you learnt a lot from. This could be shown as a key moment in your career as it highlighted areas you needed to improve or develop, and meant you knew what NOT to do next time. Things don’t always go to plan, and we all make mistakes, so if it was important to your development and made you better at your job in the long run, it’s worth including. It’s important to note that whilst being transparent with weaknesses can work well, these should be backed up with more positives to demonstrate your capabilities and why they should choose you.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of principles or advice of how to do well in an interview (as I mentioned at the start, there is no fool-proof guide unfortunately…I wish there was!) but there are some important points to consider which I hope you find useful when getting ready for your next job interview. Think about how you frame your answers, avoid hedging and filler words, make a good first impression, focus on your language, end on a high with something memorable and be honest with sharing some of your weaknesses.

Good luck!

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments or feel free to message me directly.

I’m always available for a confidential discussion regarding your career so please reach out if you’d like to arrange a call.