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You follow the old adage that, communicating takes places with
the words, but acceptance of the candidate occurs during
the
silence.
By pausing, you communicate (non-verbally) that you are seriously
contemplating their point before reacting. In so doing,
you are
demonstrating a respect for their opinion by carefully absorbing the
impact of their thoughts.
3.
The person asking the questions is in control:
You should never be merely
responding to questions, but rather engaged in an
active
dialogue with the
interviewer. Ask questions if
you do not understand! Never assume that you
know what the interviewer means or is
thinking;
this can be a fatal flaw.
Rather, I suggest you tactfully ask, “How or what do you mean?” This question
will force the interviewer to elaborate on the issue at hand and provide
clarification. When you are talking at 100 to 150 words per minute, an
interviewer can process words at the rate of 600 words per minute. This means
that the
interviewer has of his or her time available to contemplate other
thoughts while you are
responding. Conversely, when you ask a question,
100% of the interviewer’s attention will be focused on answering you. This is
why you both should be asking questions, not just the
interviewer.
4.
Repeat key information to the interviewer:
Using your own vocabulary,
repeat back what the interviewer has said to you in your own words. When
you can repeat what an
interviewer has said or may be thinking, you
demonstrate that you were really paying attention.
5.
Use both open-ended and closed-ended questions:
Whenever you ask a
question beginning with
who, what, where, when, how, why, which,
you
encourage the prospect
to talk and give you more
information. Examples
include: “What is a typical day like? How do you feel about the direction of
this organization?” Incorporate closed-ended questions to bring the
conversation to a conclusion.
These are questions that can be answered by
a yes or no.
Examples include: “Are you ready to make a decision today?
What two skills are most important to have for this job? When could I start?”
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