Human mind has been conditioned by evolution to immediately begin scanning for warning signals the moment it comes in contact with another human. This ‘immediately’ can be as immediate as less than 2 minutes. Whatever the other person’s mind can decode of you within the first two minutes of interaction with them gets set in stone. This is also known as first 2 minutes test for a hiring interview.
Making first impressions really impressive during hiring interviews is crucial, as here the success depends on the unilateral decision making power of the interviewer. No body cares you have liked them or not, in order to get hired they should like you for sure. which gets decided in the first 2 minutes of the interaction. The human mind is hardwired to scan and judge that fast, and then stay with the judgement.
A study, interestingly, establishes that it hardly takes a fraction of a second to form the first impression just by looking at one’s face. How you would come across in the first 2 minutes will freeze your fate within the psyche of the interviewer. They know that a hiring interview is a formal situation , and the way you carry yourself at it is the way you will carry yourself at the job, if hired.
You may possess all the knowledge and have gone through the grind of preparing for the D-day for months all together. But, a miss at something as petty as wearing well polished shoes can mercilessly expunge your dream of being a part of the organization.
If you loose an interview you loose it within the first 2 minutes. This is why passing the first 2 minutes test is so crucial for the interviewee. Let me take you through the list of all the possible aspects an interviewer absorbs within the first 2 minutes, about you, in the very beginning of the hiring interview process.
Personal Appearance – First 2 Minutes Test
Packaging matter as much a the contents of the package in the business world. Both male as well as female candidate need to be daintily packaged, dressed in order to please the prospective employer sitting across to interview you.
Bathe properly just before the interview is slated to happen, for men the face must be freshly shaved or the facial hairs trimmed to shape. Looking clean is looking handsome for men, especially if the interviewer would be a female. Smell good by wearing a subtle, appropriate perfume on yourself.
Keep the finger nails clean and rightly trimmed. Females, apart from this must avoid wearing heavy makeup. Though considered feminine, professional women are expected to not grow their finger nails longer.
Footwear for both the genders need to be freshly cleaned and polishes, freshly cleaned, spot less cloths, appropriately cut hair, for men short hair style is preferred, whereas women must maintain a simple and manageable hairstyle, irrespective of the length of the hair.
Avoid bad breath, odor of any intense drink, or wearing a very strong perfume. A strong perfume projects men as loud personalities, for women at accentuates their femininity which is not considered appropriate for work environments. Remember, any good or bad smell gets amplified in a enclosed space like of a cubical where most of the interviews are held.
Women must wear a bra, a formal dress paired with formal shoes, not sandals. Avoid wearing revealing outfits as this gives them out as a loose personality. This first 2 minutes test during the hiring interview process is very similar to what happens on a blind date: The cupid, if it has to, will strike only in the first 2 minutes, or never.
Nervous Disposition – First 2 Minutes Test
Display of nervous mannerisms is a big ‘No No’ at the hiring interview. Unable to maintain steady eye contact with the interviewer is a direct indication that you are nervous. Reciprocating a handshake with a limp grip is a glaring indication of a nervous disposition.
Be aware of all the possible obsessive compulsive syndromes, fidgeting with fingers, hair, or wrists, in case you are inflicted with, and avoid these at any cost. Not being able to speak clearly due to short breaths is again a sign of being nervous.
For employers, a person who cannot keep himself / herself together with confidence in a formal environment of that of a hiring interview will display the same characteristics on job too. Though hiring interviews are not considered much effective in shortlisting the right candidate for the said job, these are good at simulating the work environments and study the candidates behavior in them much prior to making a decision.
Speaking very softy that you are just not audible or too loud that your voice blare through the walls to the adjacent spaces are also signs of lack of confidence. Learn about communication etiquette about speaking in professional environments. Speaking in hiring interviews begin within the first 2 minutes. The tone and manner of the voice you project to the interviewer is a very significant parameter to pass through the first 2 minutes test.
Speaking hesitantly, or just answering in monosyllables dos not signify self confidence. Interrupting the interviewer before they could finish their sentences, and downplaying your own abilities and achievements reeks of nervousness, not a trait desired by the employers.
Being self-critical also shows you as a unsure person which can kill your chances of getting hired at the interview.
Your People Skills – How Considerate You Are
Being considerate towards others is a quality which the employers look for any interview candidates across all positions and levels. Humans cannot operate in isolation. Successful people to people interactions form the basis for the timely achievement of the business targets .
How well versed you are in people skills can be easily discerned by a woke employer within fist 2 minutes of the hiring interview. Rather it can be easily read even before that; how you greeted or not greeted the receptionist? your body language in the waiting area while sitting or dealing with people around. How you treat the waiter who ask you for and serve beverages?
How courteous you are? forms an important measure of first 2 minutes test during a hiring interview. A courteous person will never be critical of his previous employers. Rather, it a very significant aspect of the general strategy for success at a job interview.
Do not give away any strong likes and dislikes you have about anything under the sky. People who have strong opinions about anything are considered as inflexible in their attitude. Avoid discussing toxic work environment, in case you had worked in any, in the negative light. In fact, if your opinion is sort on the same, tell the interviewer how it is just a matter of perception and positivity is just a state of mind.
Say no to alcohol and cigarettes if offered at the interview. Smoking in front of the interviewer can be taken as an affront to the figures in authority. Some shrewd employers will deliberately offer the same to know your take on it. Do not walk into the trap at any cost.
Remember, though smoking and drinking alcohol are acceptable in social environments they are still considered as taboo in professional work places and if given a choice a non-smoker (or a teetotaler) would be nay employer’s first preference over the other.
Your Personal values – Within first 2 minutes
Avoid projecting any kind of aggressiveness or tardiness through your body language or otherwise during the hiring interview. Educating yourself on the right body language for interviews can really help you project a decent image to the prospective employer.
You expose your values while keeping the appointments as committed to, which includes your appointment with the interviewer. Appear alert and motivated throughout the interview as the interviewer can sense the presence or absence of these within the first 2 minutes if the interaction with you.
Do not complain or put blames on others in discussions of any kind with the prospective employer. Make sure that each word on your resume is authentic and true to the best of your knowledge. Otherwise as well, during the discussion, do not appear to be siding with dishonesty or lying of any kind.
Project someone who follows rules, instructions well and obeys orders from the seniors. Show your enthusiasm for the purpose and working of the organization you are being interviewed for. Do not project instability on any topic or issues, be sure about your responses to the interviewer.
All these may appear as minor considerations to the candidate but are the deciding factors for the employers during hiring interviews. Its these personal qualities that help a candidate stand out of the competition, hard skills level remaining the same for all the others.
All of the points I have discussed above seem common sense and very mundane, but mind you, common sense is the most uncommon thing available to anyone today. The best part is anyone can be easily trained on all these points to’s pass the first 2 minutes test of an hiring interview.
Conclusion:
The employer makes a judgment on the candidate within the first 2 minutes of the hiring interview. The candidate must know the factors which can influence his / her success in passing the first 2 minutes test. Personal appearance, display of self confidence, people skills, and your personal values are what is scanned by the interviewer within the initial stages of the interaction with the hiring interview candidate.
Ultimately, your personality is what will help you get hired; the job content part is anyways trainable upon.
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