The Most Important Part of the Interview Starts Before the Interview

First impressions interfere with objectivity and distort the interviewing process.

The key to emotional preparation is to recognize the power of first impressions and take conscious steps to minimize its impact on the overall interview.

A first impression is a natural human reaction. It is unavoidable. No matter how you prepare, you are going to react in an instant to superficial physical characteristics and personal mannerisms. Sometimes the first impression will be negative, sometimes positive. Regardless, the first impression rarely correlates with reality.

As professional recruiters and interviewers, we confess that we too still struggle with the power of a first impression— positive and negative. However, as professionals, we’ve learned how to recognize and then minimize the impact. We’ve learned that focusing on what the candidate needs to accomplish in the position and working with a structured interviewing methodology, we can achieve a very high level of objectivity in the assessment of talent.

Effective interviewers learn to tame their surface impressions. The only difference between us and many hiring managers is that we have learned to set our first impressions aside, regardless of whether it was positive or negative, and conduct a thorough in-depth probing interview. Then at the end of the interview we look back and decide if the first impression is still relevant. To our surprise many times that first impression is wrong.

When a hiring manager first meets a candidate that makes a strong first impression this will often influence the tone of the interview. It is not uncommon for the hiring manager to start asking soft ball or leading questions. This is particularly true if the hiring manager is desperate to fill the position.

Try this exercise to reduce the power of the first impression. Ask everyone in your company who is involved in the interviewing process to make a list of what influences their first impression. Often things like, weak handshake, eye contact, soft voice, quiet, not assertive, et cetera, will be on the list. Once your managers know what triggers the first impression, they will then be more aware of influence on the interview.

Next work on training them to set that first impression aside until the end of the interview. After the interview then revisit the first impression. Only then determine if it is still relevant. Have them answer this question, “Will the first impression impact the candidate’s ability to deliver the results required by the position?”

It has been our experience that many companies lose good candidates and often don’t hire the right or best candidate simply because of a poor first impression. Interestingly, often the thing that causes the negative first impression has nothing to do with being successful once in the job. For example, a firm handshake maybe important for a sales person, but should it be for a programmer? We think “not.” However, often because of this negative first impression the interviewer doesn’t conduct a thorough probing interview. Why would they, they have already made up their mind this person is not a good fit. And they haven’t even left the lobby.

Train yourself and all the others on your interviewing team about the power of the first impression.Then train yourself and your team (and it will take training), to set the first impression aside until after the interview. Doing this one thing can dramatically improve the interviewing process in your company.

In our book, “You’re NOT The Person I Hired” this topic is so important we dedicated multiple chapters to interviewing and how to ensure your team become outstanding interviewers.

If this was helpful, please forward it on. If you have any comments we welcome those as well.

Brad Remillard