How to Establish Rapport and Interview Your Best

Build rapport

The first challenge of any job interview is establishing rapport with the interviewer. Rapport can be described as the feeling you experience when you are with someone you intuitively like. People only hire people they like; rapport is critical.

How do you establish rapport in a job interview?

Here are some of the common things-
Be on time
The first tactic may seem obvious but it is critical…be on time. If you are late to the interview you have destroyed the foundation for rapport. Be there 15 minutes before the appointment.

Eye contact
Look the interviewer in the eye. Eye contact establishes a connection and a trust. I am not suggesting a stalking type stare but do look the person in the eye for 2-8 seconds and then look away and then back again.

Smile
Be sure to smile. Smiles are contagious and will set a tone of friendliness and connection.

Be yourself
Be yourself be relaxed. This may be a challenge in an interview situation but keep in mind an interview is two human beings meeting one another. Treat the interview as an opportunity to meet someone and get to know them. This shifts the context and helps to develop rapport. Also, being authentically yourself communicates honesty.

These are a bit more advanced
Be observant
Look at the interviewer and and the surroundings, really observe them. What do you learn about them from what you observe. By paying attention to the interviewer you tune into their world and become more open and sensitive to them as a person. This will be communicated in your attitude and verbal/non-verbal communication.

Be tribal
Human beings are basically tribal. We tend to like and trust members of our own tribes. Fortunately human tribes are very broad and include almost any connection. Search for a commonality that will put you in their tribe. The commonality can be geographic, interests, sports, hobbies, schools, prior jobs, etc. etc. Almost anything will do to establish a tribal connection. However caution; avoid discussing anything that will put you in another tribe so politics and religion are areas to avoid.

Ask questions, listen, and communicate understanding
When you ask questions really listen and understand. It is helpful to echo the answer just to be sure you understand and to let the interviewer know you are tuned in. “Am I correct that you are saying that the company is very family friendly but at the same time focuses on performance?” Being heard and understood is very appealing to human beings and fosters rapport. Listen particularly carefully for the interviewer’s goals and concerns, position, expectations and needs.

Be relaxed be confidant
Recent research shows that emotions are contagious. Come into an interview nervous with low confidence and the interviewer will sense it. Anxiety (fear) and low confidence inhibits rapport. The one best way to increase confidence and reduce anxiety is to be well prepared.

Be curious
This is the most critical element in establishing rapport. Be genuinely curious about the interviewer as a person. I am not suggesting you ask about personal issues; an interview should be professionally focused. Find out how the interviewer came to their position, what they like about their job and the company, their challenges on the job, their professional goals, their management style. It is important to be genuinely curious. If you ask questions as an “interview technique” you will not come across as genuine and you will be perceived as less honest.

Establishing rapport is essential to being selected for a position. As mentioned above, the most important part of establishing rapport is being open, curious, and genuinely interested in establishing a relationship with the interviewer.

Using an interview presentation will help you be confidant and establish rapport

Ingratiate (its not sucking up)Yourself to Interview Your Best

Ingratiation has gotten a bad reputation. People typically think of ingratiation as sucking up, faking or even conning. Webster defines ingratiation as “gaining favor by deliberate effort.” Ingratiation is simply presenting yourself in a positive light by emphasizing your positives and avoiding your negatives. It is your public face it is spinning.

Here are four strategies for ingratiating yourself in an interview:

Enthusiasm

1- Be enthusiastic about them. Your focus and enthusiasm should be on what you can contribute to the company. “What are your goals?” “You goals are to apply your skills to the success of the company”. “Why do you want to work here?” “I have passion for the work that I can do here and I think my work can make a difference.”

Pride

2- Acknowledge their accomplishments. Companies, regardless of size, are proud of their culture, history, and accomplishments. Demonstrate a respect for their pride. Understand and acknowledge what makes them proud. Do this by asking the question, “What are you most proud of?”

Supervision

3-Let them know you are willing to take supervision and learn their ways. Coupled to their pride is a belief they have developed some pretty good ways of doing things. You may have lots of ideas of how to do things better. Hold those ideas until you know the company better. In the interview if you are asked for suggestions about how to improve things, give the suggestions but begin by acknowledging that they are probably doing pretty well as is. Also make it clear that you will learn and work within their systems.

Dedication

4. Let them know you will put the company first. Make sure they know that you will always put what’s right for the company ahead of your own needs. Companies talk about work/life balance and they may actually support it. However, in the interview part of ingratiating yourself is to communicate your total dedication to work and the company. If you are asked about hobbies in the interview downplay them. Too many or too much dedication to a hobby may get in the way of working.

Having a winning personality is nice, but there’s more to ingratiation than a winning smile. Present yourself as a highly skilled, flexible, totally dedicated, hard working, person that knows they are a good company and see how you gain their favor…and a job.

Use an interview presentation to ingratiate yourself and interview your best

Think About Hiring Yourself to Interview Your Best

Like most job candidates you are probably concerned about being able to answer interview questions. You might resort to reading book after book about the most frequently asked interview questions or cruising numerous web sites to find interview questions. However you may be overlooking the easiest and most effective method of preparing for interview questions – consider hiring yourself.

In preparation for your interview, ask yourself this question;
“If I were  hiring someone for the position for which I am interviewing what would I want to know about them?”
Make a list of these questions and develop answers for them. I is helpful to organize the questions into the three basic interview question categories. These are:

1- Can you do the job and do it well?
Questions in this category are typically about background, experiences, skills and education that you have shown or acquired in prior positions and prove you can do the job. Develop a list of questions that elicit information about exactly what you have done on previous jobs.

2- Will we like you, will you fit our culture and will you take supervision?
Questions in this category are focused on your personal qualities and job success factors that give insight into how you work with others and if you are likable. Develop a list of questions that elicit answers about your work style, strengths/weaknesses and your preferred work culture.

3- Are you interested in and motivated for this position?
The questions in this category explore if you are interested in the work required in the position and if you will apply yourself and work to improve your skills and performance. Develop a list of questions that elicit your career interests and where you see yourself  in the future.

Using your knowledge of the position and the above three categories, you should be able to develop a comprehensive list of questions and answers. Even if you are not asked the exact questions, your preparation will inform you about how to focus the answers to the questions you are asked.

Develop an Interview Presentation to interview your best

Be Prepared to Answer Every Interview Question to Interview Your Best

There are literally thousands of possible interview questions. How do you prepare for them all? You can buy a book entitled something like “The 250 (or 500 or 700) Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions”, study the answers and pray that you get asked one of the questions you studied. Or, you can understand the basics and be prepared to answer any question you are asked.

Here are the basics of answering any interview question:

Be positive:
Avoid any possible negativity about anything. Being negative is the fastest way to turn off a hiring manager. Your last company did not go under because of stupid decisions; they were the victim of market forces. Your last boss was not inept she had unique approaches and different strategies. Your ride to the interview was fine even if you were stuck in traffic. You do not need to lie just avoid being negative put a positive or at least neutral spin on your answer.

It is not about you:
You are being considered based on the value you can bring to the company. All your answers should focus on what you will contribute rather than how the job will benefit you. Do not talk about a shorter commute, more money, or career advancement. Focus on answering question by talking about the benefits the company will derive from having you on board. Example, Question-”Where do you want to be in five years?” Answer-” I want to have gained experience in my position, taken on greater responsibility and be more of a contributor to the success of the company”.

Take your time:
There is almost a belief that an interview is a verbal test that is timed. The interviewer asks a question and you have five seconds to come up with the right answer, ie. the answer that pleases the interviewer. Take your time be thoughtful. There is no reason why you can’t say “let me think about that for a moment”. You can take 30-40 seconds to think and come up with a well reasoned answer. You don’t get extra credit for speed.

Whenever possible use examples and tell stories:
Every job candidate is hard working, a good team member, reliable, honest, multitasking, a leader, and dedicated; or so they all say. You have to prove it. You can prove it by giving an example or telling a story when you answer a question. “I am dedicated to getting a job done and here is an example of a time when I was dedicated…” Using an example or telling a story brings your answer to life and has more impact and validity.

So, get the books study the questions but keep the basics of answering any question in mind as you answer. Being able to answer any question in an interview will be one of your greatest interview strengths.

Answer the Three Basic Interview Questions to Interview Your Best

Many interview books focus on helping Candidates prepare to answer the 250 or 500 most frequently asked interview questions. Questions such as:
* What are your greatest strengths?
* What are your weaknesses?
* How well do you work with people?
* Do you prefer working alone or in teams?
* What is the best thing that ever happened to you?
* Why should we hire YOU? What can you do for us that someone else cannot?

These are actually secondary questions designed to help Hiring Managers answer the three primary interview questions
1- Is the candidate interested in and motivated for this position?
2- Can the Candidate do the job and do it with good quality?
3- Will the Candidate fit in the culture of the company and will co-workers like the Candidate?

Let’s examine each of these critical questions-

1- Is the candidate interested in and motivated for this position?
People interview for a number of reasons. Some are out of work and are very eager to return to work almost regardless of the position. Others are employed and looking for a “better” position and still others are “just seeing what is out there”. How is a Hiring Manager to know the Candidate’s motivation? This is a difficult task for the Hiring Manager. Regardless of the Candidate’s motivation, each Candidate will profess an interest in the position so they can get the job offer and then make their decision about accepting it or not.

The answer to this question is best indicated by a Candidate’s level of preparation for the interview. A well prepared Candidate who has done their homework and knows the position, the company, and the industry is a good indication of a person who is interested in and motivated for the job. A poorly prepared Candidate indicates little motivation or interest. Unfortunately, like almost all aspects of interviewing this is not an absolute. Research shows that the majority (75%) of Candidates at all levels just “wing” the interview. They believe, based either on their background and experience in the industry or naiveté, that they don’t have to prepare for the interview. Thus, a well prepared Candidate is a good sign and a poorly prepared Candidate has to be questioned about their lack of preparation.

2- Can the Candidate do the job and do it with good quality?
There are two elements required to determine the answer to this question. The first is a good set of critical job requirements and the second is the Candidate’s clear communication about how they match the requirements. Without a good set of requirements, neither the Candidate nor the Hiring Manager can determine if the Candidate fits the position. It also puts the well qualified Candidate at a disadvantage because they do not know what information (background, skills, experiences, education) to bring into the interview to convince the Hiring Manager they are the best Candidate for the job. With well defined job requirements, the Candidate and the Hiring Manager can come to a common understanding of the job and avoid misconceptions about the position once the job starts, a common reason for early termination.

3- Will the Candidate fit in the culture of the company and will co-workers like the Candidate?
This is a more subjective question and the answer is typically based on”gut feel” or intuition. However, the Candidate can be asked about “personal success factors” that make them successful on the job. These are personal traits that they believe makes them good at what they do. A well qualified Candidate should be able to identify and then speak about “personal success factors”. As the Hiring Manger listens to a Candidate’s ‘personal success factors” they should be thinking about how the factors fit their culture.

Answering these three questions is the joint responsibility of the Candidate and the Hiring Manager. The Hiring Manager has the responsibility for defining and communicating the critical job requirements. Then the Hiring Manager and the Candidate have the shared responsibility to create a conversation within which a joint decision about the Candidate’s fit with the position can be determined. Once these three questions are answered satisfactorily other questions such as compensation, relocation, benefits, etc. can be discussed.