Have you ever heard that we form an impression of a person in the first 5 seconds? How accurate can that impression actually be? What information can truly be gathered about an individual in 5 seconds? Well, the 5 second rule is based on scores of scientific studies in Social Psychology.
Now, apply that to a job interview situation. Most applicants, regardless of actual qualification for a role, have been practicing, have been coached, in short, they’ve rehearsed as if for an acting role. What you are actually witnessing, especially in the first 5 seconds, is an individual’s acting ability. You are seeing only their “impression management” skills. On the flip side, you are also very likely to see a candidate who gets nervous for an interview and doesn’t respond well to your questioning. After all, job interviews are inherently situations where one goes to be judged. What you are very unlikely to see is any actual or useful indication of how the individual will perform on the job. That is, of course, unless you ensure that you include objective procedures in your hiring process. Read more…
