14/03/2018

If you are the type of person that struggles to calm your interview nerves, you’ll want to check out these 8 surprising statistics about interviews.

Interviews can be very nerve-wracking, you want to make a great first impression and be able to tick all of the company’s boxes, so they either invite you for a second interview or offer you the job, but sometimes your interview nerves can get the best of you.

What does an employer look for?

Understanding what the interviewer is looking for can be half the battle, with that in mind, did you know that 36% of employers look for multitasking skills; 31% look for initiative; 21% look for creative thinking and the other 12% look for something else in the candidate?

Knowledge and an interest in the business can really help you succeed during your interview. Make sure you research of the business, because rather unsurprisingly, 47% of interviewers said that they wouldn’t offer the job to a candidate if they had little knowledge of the company.

Body language and appearance

An interview generally lasts no longer than an hour, but results from a survey of 2,000 hiring managers found that 33% knew whether they would hire someone in the first 90 seconds. So it goes without saying that first impressions are very important.

As most of you know, the first thing you do during a job interview is meeting your interviewer, where you learn who they are and what they do at the company; you’ll exchange greetings and probably shake hands. However, did you know that about 40% of interviewers thought that a lack of a smile is a good enough reason not to consider a candidate?

Usually the interviewer will lead you to a room, where the interview will be conducted. Your body language, behaviour and appearance are all very important throughout the interview because over 50% of interviewers think that a candidate can be eliminated for the position due to the way they dressed, acted or walked through the door.

Confidence

Regardless of how nervous you are, it is important to portray confidence during your interview, because around 20% of interviewers said that candidates who sat with their arms crossed during their meetings were not considered for the role, because of their body language that reflected their lack of confidence.

Eye contact is crucial for portraying confidence and around 65% of interviewers said that candidates who failed to make eye contact didn’t get the role that they were applying for.

In fact, confidence is a really big factor when it comes to candidates being successful, with nearly 40% of interviewers stating that the quality of a candidate’s voice and their overall confidence was a reason for not taking their candidacy further.

If you want to get involved with any of our employment programmes, or if you want some help and support finding a job that is right for you, check out our Twin Employment and Training website and contact our team today.