Closing the job interview

Closing the job interview with a non-verbal flourish is just nasty

Closing the job interview

We all know that closing the job interview is critical to the interview process. I read and hear many well-intentioned closing statements when reading cover letters and interviewing candidates.  How many of us have said or listed the following in a cover letter or stated the below when closing the job interview?

• “I am result-oriented, passionate, and dedicated.”
• “I am a hard-working, detail-oriented, and loyal employee. 
• “I am an intelligent team player with big goals.”

If you stated any of the above in your cover letter, know that the reader rolled their eyes.

Stating anything similar to the above in the “objective statement” of your resume will lose my interest before I get to the section listing your experience and accomplishments.

If you have said any of the above in an interview, know it fell on deaf ears.

Not a dick

I don’t say the above to be a dick.  We have all stated something similar in prior interviews. I am no exception.  We exclaimed the above loud and proud to close the interview. We may have psyched ourselves in the mirror with these very statements. Heck, we may have even had a career counselor or a parent coach us along these lines. Throughout the entire interview process, no one ever corrected us. I wouldn’t have been so bold if I had known how ineffective and off-putting they are in an interview, which is why I am bringing them up with you.

I am here to explain why these statements hurt your chances of landing the job offer and, more importantly, how you can make the above into effective statements when closing the job interview.

So, what is wrong with the above sound bites? The two most significant things that give me heartburn:

Thing 1.  I hear these statements in every interview I conduct. 95% of the candidates that sit across from me in an interview give me some version of,
“I am X, Y, and Z.”

Now I know how the hot girl at the dance must feel, getting hit on all night at the club, via the classics we’ve all seen fail miserably.

• • “Gurl, you’re so fine.”
  • “Do I know you from somewhere”?
  • “Call me Pooh, because all I want is you, honey”.

20 guys before and 20 guys after

It took me a while to realize that these lines get you zero in the clubs, mall, or your hunting ground of choice.  These lines suck. Twenty guys before me slung these lines, and 20 guys after me will sling these same lines.  These lines don’t stand out.  They are not original, and they can’t sound very sincere when they are heard 20 times a night by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.  

Thing 2.  I don’t know what you mean when you say “hard worker”, “dedicated”, or “punctual”?

• • What exactly is a “hard worker” to you?  Does a hard worker put in 45 hours or 70 hours a week? If I work with colleagues who put in 50-plus hours a week, 45 hours won’t be impressive.
  • What exactly is “punctual”? Are you coming in at 9:00 every morning? Maybe you are never late?  Are you 10 minutes early? Do you have perfect attendance?  
  • Really, shouldn’t everyone be punctual?  Are we just stating that we will do the minimum by showing up on time?
  • What exactly is “intelligent”? Is it a high IQ of 170? Is intelligence a high GPA? Is intelligence an advanced graduate degree?

Behavioral Interviewing 

This ties back to a standard in the recruiting world, which I have blogged about in more detail here.  Behavioral interviewing is an interview methodology where the recruiter subscribes to the following train of thought:

Prior performance is an indicator of future performance.

Everyone says, “I can do X” or “I will do Y.” Prior performance is proof.  If you have consistently done something in the past, it is a good indication that you will continue that behavior in the future.

1. If you say that the training program will not be a problem because you received a 4.0 GPA in school, you will probably do well in our 3-month training program, classroom study for 2 months, and 1 month of OTJ training.
2. If you claim to be a hard worker and your day typically starts at 7:00 AM and ends at 9:00 PM, then I have a sense of what you’re talking about.
3. If you say you are a hard worker and worked 70 hours a week for three weeks to meet a deadline, I have an idea of what you’re talking about.

These examples don’t just say you are a good student or a hard worker; they give perspective to the statement.

Finish strong

I have a colleague who is a very articulate senior leader at a tech company giant in Redmond, Washington. One thing he excels at is crafting closing statements.  At the end of his statements, he lists the points he is making while using his index finger to reinforce his thoughts.  As an example, we can apply the same technique to one of the most common interview questions that we will encounter:

“Why should we hire you”?

What I usually hear is one of the original sound bites listed above.

“I am intelligent, I am punctual, and I am a hard worker”.

Uhhhhhggggg!  Boring!  Been there and heard that.

The candidate then gives me a blank stare as if to say, “That was easy; what’s your next question”?

One effective technique to conclude an interview strongly is to count out a few examples using your index finger.

H0w a senior leader answers the “Why should we hire you?” question

“I am excited about the opportunity, and I believe Acme Publishing should hire me for three reasons.  Your job description explained that you are looking for a candidate with strong communication skills, experience in sales, and a Rolodex of contacts”.

“I possess all three of these”. Placing his right index finger on the index finger of his left hand.   “One. My communication skills were instrumental in securing my last promotion and helped close two very large deals.  Both of these accomplishments required written communication and verbal communication – not just one-on-one, but also groups of senior executives”.

Placing his right index finger on the middle finger of his left hand.  Two, I have experience in sales. For the last 2 years, I have been selling 137% of quota, and the year before that, I made the President’s Circle.”

Placing his right index finger on the tip of the ring finger of his left hand. “Three, I have a Rolodex of clients within our industry.  You just closed a deal with Acme Publishing’s print department. I know Harry Smith, a senior in the digital media program. I can also introduce myself to the VP of Operations there.

And then we deliver the coup de grâce.  “So you should hire me for three reasons.  Placing his right index finger on the right index finger of his left hand.  “One, my strong communication skills, placing his right index finger on the middle finger of his left hand. My experience in sales and three placing his right index finger on the tip of his ring finger of his left hand. My contacts within the industry”.

And that is a powerful closing statement

The illusion of confidence and dispelling any idea that you are not just coming up with this stuff out of your ass is reinforced when you say something, explain it, and then reinforce it with non-verbal communication.  Your message reaches the listener at a subconscious level.  Your verbal message, accompanied by a non-verbal flourish, becomes very powerful.  Adding quantifiable data to back up any opinions that you are intelligent, have sales experience, and are a hard worker can be very powerful.

Next time you’re in a conversation trying to reinforce a point, try the above technique.  I think it is downright nasty.

See you at the after party,
HRNasty

nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.

Subscribe here to ditch the corporate ladder and take the elevator. I promise no spam,