Friday, Jun 07, 2013
Dubai: Considering the number of qualified job hunters still out on the streets today, landing an employment offer is a challenging goal. In the UAE, the hunting game is even tougher, with nearly seven out of ten people looking to make a move this year.
A candidate’s initial ticket to locking in on a salary contract is to ace the interview. It is the most crucial part of the whole screening process, but unfortunately, a lot of applicants, even the skilled and qualified ones, fail to get past this stage.
Hiring experts say there are many reasons why people - regardless how they look good on paper - fail in interviews, and chief among them has to do with first impressions. A limp handshake, an inappropriate attire or a slouched posture have resulted in one too many lost opportunities.
Harris Interactive, on behalf of CareerBuilder, recently polled hiring managers and found that failing to make an eye contact is a major turnoff for 72 per cent of the respondents. Others said job many seekers have failed at first impressions by appearing disinterested, answering a cell phone or texting during an interview.
“There tends to be a ‘halo-and-horns effect’ when we first meet someone and an instant like or dislike takes place. This can lead us to ask closed or leading questions and therefore, not properly explore an individual’s talents,” notes Hazel Cowling, partner and consultant director of biz-group.
While hiring managers should not be quick to judge a candidate’s potentia through their first impression of them, Cowling says “it is important to observe and evaluate a person’s appearance, how they meet and greet, and how they build rapport.”
“This is especially important if the position you are recruiting for will be customer or client facing. People generally try to make a good impression at an interview so if a candidate is late, untidy and unpleasant, it is natural to believe they will continue to exhibit these characteristics once they are employed,” she adds.
Cowling, however, clarifies that they try not to judge and dismiss an applicant too quickly or make a decision based on first impressions alone. In most cases, appearances only play a major role when the job in question requires customer interaction.
“The importance of first impressions depends on the job role. If the role involves customer interaction, then first impressions will be critical to the candidate’s success. However, if the job is a support, administrative or technical role, which doesn’t involve liaising with customers, then first impressions are not as critical,” explains Cowling.
James Payne, head of commercial at global energy recruitment specialist Laking Group, agrees, saying that certain interviews, such as those for technical positions, are not decided upon based on a limp handshake.
“In our experience, due to the technical nature of engineering companies, it would be very unlikely for an interviewer to dismiss a candidate based on much other than their competency,” Payne said.
“In general, we have found that candidates are more likely to fall down in interviews because they have not been able to convey their relevance to the position or how their skill set will be of direct benefit to the company on question. It is highly unlikely that a company would dismiss someone that is technically exceptional based on a limp handshake,” he added.
Aside from first impressions, there are a lot m ore reasons people fail in an interview. Cowling said major reasons include not having sufficient experience or proof of success for required core competencies, lack of enthusiasm and motivation required for a job and a pattern of moving jobs quickly, which suggests the candidate is not sufficiently committed to make the potential job work.
In order to ace an interview, Cowling said the best advice would be to “prepare, prepare, prepare.”
“It is important to research the company and understand the job role, as well as be prepared to provide factual evidence of success in areas that are important for the role to which you are applying. Getting to the venue ahead of time is important to feel calm and ready rather than arriving last minute and appearing flustered,” she said.
By Cleofe Maceda Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
