Warning Interviewers: Are You Being Seduced by Candidate First Impressions?

In recruiting, we sell. We are promoting the brand, the position, the culture, etc. of the company we are representing. On the other side of the coin, a good candidate will promote themselves. They will sell you on their ability, experience, knowledge, skillset, and personality throughout the interview process. Some people are better at promoting themselves than others. Some are better at finding the connection that allows them and the interviewer to get comfortable in the interview; some are simply great at articulating; some are good actors who play the part well.

How long does it take to make a first impression? LESS THAN TEN SECONDS.

Research states that it takes between 1 second and 10 seconds for candidates to make a first impression in an interview. Forbes suggests the magic number is seven seconds. Do we allow our first impressions to always impact our decisions for who is ultimately the best person for the position? No. At least, we like to think we don’t.

Are We Interviewers Seduced by Candidate First Impressions?

The truth is first impressions, subconsciously, may have more of an impact on our bias and the way we conduct the rest of the interview than want to believe. For instance, if a candidate makes a solid first impression, research shows that the interviewer is more prone to ask questions and make assumptions with a positive spin. If, however, the first impression is negative, the interviewer may spend the remainder of the interview looking for ways to discount the candidate.

Two Tactics to Put First Impressions into Perspective

To overcome the potential of falling victim to a first impression be sure to utilize the approaches below:

1. Employ a behavioral-based interview strategy: As I’ve mentioned previously, the logic behind behavioral interviewing is that past behaviors will predict future behaviors and therefore future performance. Be sure to ask questions that allow you to focus on the candidate’s past performance in addition to his or her interview performance.
2. Use a structured approach to interviewing: All stakeholders involved should be aware of what competencies and behaviors they should be evaluating in the interview. All candidates interviewing for a particular role should be asked the same questions and evaluated on the same competencies. This puts everyone on the same page, as well as validates and verifies information gathered from each interview to ensure consistency of the candidate’s actions and responses. It also acts as a documented measure in regards to the legal issues that can stem from hiring.

Though it’s great when it appears that a candidate has it all, it is vital in quality hiring that you move past your first impression and dig into a candidate’s past behaviors and performance drivers. Doing so is the only way to truly make a valid judgment on whether they are the right person for a role. Check back in for my next blog post, which will focus on important behavioral-interviewing tactics for hiring managers.

In the meantime, have you had experiences where your first impression in an interview paid off or didn’t? What other advice can you share to help interviews make sure they’re asking the right questions?