Are you curious about what goes on in the mind of an interviewer during a job interview?Prepare to be amazed as we uncover the hidden biases that shape their decisions and reveal fascinating insights into interviewer psychology!”
It is an interesting and important topic to understand especially when you’re preparing for an interview and it is lined up in the days or weeks to come.
The objective of this article is to provide you with insights on this subject so that you can be better prepared to drive a professional conversation, during your interviews, and customize your approach to polishing your rough edges.
But before we get to it, let me tell you – why it is important for you to know about the Interviewer’s Psychology?
The outcome of your interview is not only dependent on your own skills or experiences or educational background or the attractiveness or your profile for the role in discussion, or your performance during the interview.
In fact it is also dependent on a number of factors that are beyond your control.
First off, it’s important to remember that interviewers are human beings. They have their own unique personalities, values, and biases.
Just like anyone else, they also have pre-existing beliefs or biases about certain things, such as gender, race, age, or social class.
This can influence the way they conduct interviews and evaluate candidates.
So, when you get negative feedback from the recruiter about your performance in the interview, you have to accept it with a pinch of salt.
Because it may not just be your own performance issues, there could be factors beyond your control.
So, what are some of the biases you may encounter silently?
Interviewer Psychology – Confirmation Bias
This means that the interviewer may look for information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs about a candidate.
For example, if an interviewer believes that women are not as competent as men, they may ask more difficult questions to a female candidate than to a male candidate, or if it is the other way round, he/she may ask difficult questions to male candidates.
Let’s take another example, if the interviewer believes that a degree from a premiere college is a must to enter into the company, he/she may focus on asking difficult questions to candidates with modest educational background, irrespective of the other factors.
Now, my point is that not all interviewers are biased, but in general, interviewers should try to remain open-minded and not make assumptions about candidates based on the factors beyond their control.
Well, that’s an ideal state.
Interviewer Psychology – Halo Effect
Halo Effect occurs when interviewers allow their overall positive impression of a candidate to influence their evaluation of specific traits or abilities.
For instance, if an interviewer finds a candidate to be friendly and engaging, they may assume that the candidate is also highly intelligent or competent, even if there is no evidence to support this.
