The Unemployed Life

Gigonomics: Gesture Politics

When I tentatively raised my right hand to attend to an itchy earlobe, my steely-eyed interviewer matched my movements, only with his left hand. In nonverbal parlance, I knew a left-handed gesture meant one thing: he was lying, and I was toast.

Thankfully, I was only practicing interview techniques in the mirror. If I had wanted to press it, I’m sure my two-dimensional doppelganger would have agreed to a million bucks a year salary and five days off per week. I am so worth it.

Be that as it may, you should consider practicing your interviewing chops in front of a mirror, a tolerant spouse, or a sympathetic schnauzer to be time well spent. You can edit down those “ums” and “wells” to a manageable couple of dozen, rehearse rough patches, and work through some of the heebie jeebies that attend a career-on-the-line grilling at the hands of a potential manager who no doubt is your intellectual inferior.

What’s vital, however, is to monitor body language. Most job search experts agree that nonverbal body language represents 50 to 60 percent of what we are communicating to others. Another 30 percent comes from voice inflection. Only a paltry 10 percent or less is attributable to what we actually say. Actions speaketh loudest.

A hand extended palm down means the interviewer will try to control the conversation.

As a job seeker, you probably have come across advice about how to use body language to your advantage during an interview. Firm handshake, eye contact, shoulders square—more technical adjustments than a mid-season golf lesson. What you may not know is how to interpret the signals from the person seated across from you—the interviewer. In terms of body language, an interview isn’t a monologue, it’s a conversation.

“From the moment you walk into a room, you are speaking with your body,” says Jan Hargrave, an internationally known body language expert (janhargrave.com) who has written four books on the subject and whose clients include Starbucks, Exxon Mobile and NASA . “That’s true of the person you are meeting, too.”

According to Hargrave, the initial handshake provides a framework for the interview session. A hand extended palm down means the interviewer will try to control the conversation. To ensure their comfort, let them dominate but don’t be a pansy—convey your interest with an attentive, slightly forward leaning posture. A hand extended palm up indicates passivity—you will be expected to keep the discussion upbeat and lively.

A straight up-and-down hand position is the best: you are considered to be on equal footing. The handshake should be “web-to-web,” meaning that your web—the skin that extends from the base of the thumb to the base of the forefinger—contacts their web. A firm grip, two pumps, done. A botched handshake, such as the notorious finger squeeze, indicates lack of self-esteem. Don’t let that be your initial offering. If your interviewer uses his/her free hand to grasp you above the elbow during the handshake, they are letting you know that they are anchored and fully present, and that they are about to spend quality time with you.

Once the interview is underway, other nonverbal clues from your interviewer include:

A finger-to-finger steeple gesture, palms apart, accompanied by steady eye contact, means the interviewer is feeling positive; keep up the good work. But be aware! If that same steeple gesture is preceded by crossed arms, then you’re not connecting.

Clasping hands behind the head indicates a sense of superiority; feet up on the desk or peering over the top rim of eyeglasses are even more pronounced gestures of dominance. That doesn’t necessarily mean your interview is going badly, but it should give you insight into the type of person your dealing with.

Touching objects or fiddling with clothes means the interviewer is bored and impatient. Step up the pace. Re-engage the interviewer by throwing the conversational ball over to them. Ask what they are looking for in the ideal candidate, then focus on those points about yourself.

And what about those left-handed gestures? Hargrave says a left hand to the nose, eye or cheek indicates something fishy is going on. Possibly, your interviewer is not giving you a complete picture. It would be awkward to probe for the missing truth, but it’s wise to have your antennae up and your BS meter plugged in. Perhaps the position you are seeking isn’t as glorious as your interviewer says it is. Your nonverbal riposte? A right hand to the heart region, a la the Pledge of Allegiance, is the ultimate gesture of sincerity. If so moved, put your hand there for a moment, tell them you’ve always wanted to work for the Conundrum Corporation, and you just might have sealed the deal.

Of course, if your interviewer’s left-handed gesture occurs when you’re practicing in front of a mirror, remember that you and your reflection are simply speaking the same language.

John Riha spent more than 20 years in magazine publishing including stints as managing editor of Traditional Home and executive editor of Better Homes and Gardens before being laid off in January. He now produces multi-media content, video, and, yup, is thinking about cranking out that novel. You know the one.

You can read all of John Riha’s columns here.

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Tags: body language, Gigonomics, interviewing, job-hunting