At Yahoo!hotjobs® today, an article entitled, “Watch Your Body Signals: 6 Tips for a Better Interview” by Joe Turner caught my eye. If you’re a dentist in private practice, you’ve probably hired assistants, hygienists, office staff, and other employees. Mr. Turner has been a recruiter for 15 years and has accrued an impressive list of accomplishments. He believes that body language during an interview has a lot to do with the hiring process. In fact, Turner says that the potential employer will form an opinion about the job candidate within 10 minutes.
What the candidate’s body language conveys:
- Crossing legs, arms – makes one look closed off
- Lack of eye contact – lack of interest
- “Steepling” fingers – arrogance
- Twiddling thumbs – needs your approval
- Not sitting up straight – lack of confidence
Turner also says that 85% of communication is conveyed through body language during an interview, according to Greg Hartley, a body language expert. The article is an interesting read, and you may learn something to help you in your role as human resources director for your practice. Review the full piece here.