Preparing for a job interview can be very tactical. It basically comes down to creating a check-list of learning as much as you can about the company, dressing professionally and showing up on time and with several pre-planned questions to ask the interviewer.
But job interviewers are more than information transactions. The lesser-talked-about aspect of job interviews is your ability to form a connection with the person who is interviewing you. If you already have experience working with guests at a hotel or restaurant, you likely already have experience in building trust and confidence in others, particularly people who are little more than strangers to you.
Building a connection with your interviewer is important because it illustrates how well you’ll be able to get along with your colleagues, with clients and vendors and of course, with guests. It is also the conduit that transforms the back-and-forth exchange of questions and answers into a more natural conversation and, that transformation is a goal that you should have for all job interviews. Again, it is a means of building confidence and trust.
So, first and foremost, you want to go into the interview with a smile and a friendly demeanor. You’ll also want to take a moment to gauge how the interviewer behaves. Should he or she be highly enthusiastic and show an abundance of energy, you’ll want to try to behave similarly. If the interviewer comes across as calm and more reflective, you should approach the interview with a similar attitude. In either case, the objective is for the interviewer to find you relatable.
You’ll also want to take notice of details in the interviewer’s workspace. So if they have a framed photo of themselves on a beach or in a recognizable city, ask them about it. If you see a medal or a trophy from a sporting event, point it out and mention that you also enjoy participating in or watching that sport.
Everyone enjoys talking about themselves. So these are easy ways to get a conversation going, especially if you can find some commonalities with the interviewer off the bat.
Another simple way in which to get your interviewer to talk about themselves is to look at his or her LinkedIn profile before the interview and prepare some questions based on their professional experience. For example, ask what they like about this company compared with their tenure at a specifically named business where they’ve worked in the past or how this organization’s values differ from that previous employer and how that might have played a role in the interviewer’s decision to work for this current company.
You should also read his or her LinkedIn profile to see if you have anything in common with this person. Perhaps you were both previously employed by the same company or brand. Or maybe he or she does volunteer work for a charity similar to one where you’ve volunteered. Mentioning any points that you share in common and then asking a question such as what they enjoyed most about the experience can also help in building a rapport with the interviewer.
Just make sure that you keep it authentic and sincere. If you’re lying or trying to force the point, it will cast you in a poor light.
Another opportunity to evolve your interview into a conversation with the interviewer is to mirror his or her questions to you. So when they ask you a question about your previous work experience or how you might react in a certain situation, keep your answer concise and positive and then follow up by asking a similar question about the position or about the company.
In other words, if the interviewer asks what was the greatest challenge you faced in your last job, answer succinctly and constructively. Then follow up with a question of your own about the challenges that the company is currently facing.
It’s also important to remember that we can’t win them all. Not everyone will like us and that’s just human nature. So don’t take it personally if your best efforts to build a connection with your interviewer are not proving fruitful. You might even look at it as a measure of the type of fit the company would be for you, your needs and your professional values.
You might also leave an interview feeling that a connection was never formed with the interviewer and then get invited back for a second interview. The job interview process is not an exact science.
Regardless of how well you feel the interview went, always be sure to follow up with an emailed thank you note with a day of the interview. If you were successful in forming a connection with the interviewer, do be sure to make reference in your thank you to one of the topics over which you were able to build a rapport.