Keeping quiet is one of the hardest things for most people. As I described in the article «The most dangerous questions in a job interview», this was one of my hardest lessons to learn as a headhunter. Mastering it has taken my work to a new level. As an applicant, you too will be more successful in a job interview if you learn to keep your mouth shut at a crucial moment.
I came across the importance of applicants keeping quiet by chance: As I became more confident in conducting job interviews, as a personnel consultant I had stopped preparing my next question while the candidates were still answering the previous question. This created a pause between the end of the candidate’s answer and my next question. To my surprise, the candidates usually filled this vacuum by – as I call it – delivering more.
Uncertainty is a chatterbox
And they have usually devalued their first good answer with their supplementary answers. How is that possible? My silence apparently unsettled the applicants, and they interpreted it to mean that I was questioning their answer or wanted more information.
A typical situation was the question about the reason for leaving the last job. The first answer was often understandable; experience has shown that recruiters are anyway far less interested in the reason than applicants fear. The second answer, formulated in anticipatory obedience, then usually contained a justification that opened the door to enquiring questions.
The power of the poker face
Today, I often simply look at my clients in job interview training after their answer to my question. I usually get the most interesting information that I didn’t ask for and that applicants would be better off not revealing. How can you react better in this situation?
Just look back; you can smile too! However, the prerequisite is that you have answered the question well. This is only possible with thorough interview preparation. If your interviewers want to know more, they can ask. If you have good nerves, look back questioningly. This will unsettle interviewers who have not learnt to be quiet and will immediately ask their next question to drown out the awkward silence.
Think of job interviews as a game. Always be aware of your moves and never let anyone look at your cards. If you don’t allow yourself to be unsettled and remain tactically silent, your interviewers will not underestimate your hand.
The philosopher Boethius already knew about the power of silence in the 4th century AD when he wrote: «If you had kept silent, you would have remained a philosopher.»
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