September 19, 2014 | 5 min read
Red Flags to Look Out For When Interviewing

Algerson

As a job seeker, in an effort to increase your chances of landing a job, you know it’s important to polish your interview skills and build a rapport with your interviewer. Although most prospective candidates seek to impress their interviewer through such efforts, your interviewer should be trying to accomplish the same thing. If you don’t get a good vibe from them, it’s important to remember that the type of attitude your interviewer exhibits can be indicative of what your working relationship may be if you accept the position.

Here are 5 negative nonverbal cues that will help you decide if this is truly a colleague you’d like to work with.

Body language – Throughout the interview, body language can say a lot about what the person might be feeling about the interviewee. For example, if your interviewer is slouched in their chair, this can usually indicate negative feelings or lack of interest in the conversation.  Similarly, fidgeting tends to express boredom, anxiety, or most importantly that your listener is not engaged with the conversation.

Lack of enthusiasm – Most people that are looking to bring someone new to their team(s) are generally excited about meeting prospective candidates. As a result, if you notice that your interviewer lacks enthusiasm when they talk about the position or company, this may be a red flag to consider when making a decision to move forward in the interview process. If the current employee doesn’t seem excited about the role, why should you be?

Eye contact – One nonverbal cue that should be weighed in your decision to accept an offer is your interviewer’s eye contact. A lack of eye contact could either mean a lack of interest on your interviewer’s part, or could impact your ability to communicate with the hiring manger if offered the position.

Hesitation – When answering questions about their experience at the company, it’s important that the interviewer speaks with positivity and confidence. Unfortunately, if they hesitate to answer questions about what they like about the company or struggle with their answer, this may be a sign that the organization might not be a great place to work.

Overall professionalism – While it is important to show your interviewer that you are the right person for the job, the interviewer is equally responsible for showing you that their company is a good fit for you. Lack of professionalism during the interview can be indicative of how the rest of the organization operates.

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