Interview Tip

Gain the Unfair Advantage By Building Rapport

Major interview tip, don't be afraid to gain an unfair advantage early in the interview by quickly establishing rapport. This will naturally happen in the interview process because we like to buy from people we think we know. If it is going to happen, make sure you are the one controlling it. Some bright sales trainer once said “people buy from those they know and trust”. Hiring managers are no different from anyone else – they want to buy from (or hire) someone they think they know.

Several years ago someone shared a copy of an article published in the Wall Street Journal that I will never forget. One of the interview tips in the article stated that if a candidate could establish rapport with the interviewer within the first 4-6 minutes of the interview they had a significant advantage over equally qualified candidates that were unable to make a connection during this same period of time.

You might ask how and why does this happen. Well it is simpler than you might think. The biggest reason it happens is that the manager isn’t prepared for the interview. Often work commitments get in the way of the interview prep-time, but most likely they don’t have a structured methodology to follow. If you ever sit down in an interview and someone starts out by saying “tell me about yourself”, get ready to take charge as they have no idea where they are going.

How do you gain the unfair advantage? I recommend looking for the obvious. Look for clues that tell you what the interviewer really cares about. The workspace typically includes things that interest the person. Photographs provide opportunities to discuss family, travel, sports, or personal interests. Look for obvious things the person might be wearing like fraternity / sorority rings, pins, etc. A word of caution, don’t be too familiar as that can hurt more than help.

Ask open ended questions:

• What did you do this weekend?
• Do you have big plans for the holidays?
• What do you do to relieve the stress of work?
• Are you originally from this area?

Typically the more you let someone talk about themselves, the better communicator they think you are. Making the emotional connection will ensure they remember you throughout the candidate selection process (i.e. you remain in the game until the very end).

Finally, it is important to keep in mind that establishing rapport has nothing to do with actually doing the job. Connecting with the interviewer is just a way to break the ice so that a real conversation can occur about your experience and their company’s needs.