Communication

(Verbal & Non-Verbal)

Have you ever played the children’s game “Telephone?” The game teaches us the value of effective communication. The rules are simple:

• The person who starts the “Telephone” chain thinks of a word or phrase and whispers it into the next player’s ear only once. They cannot repeat it.
• The next person must accurately whisper the same word or phrase to the following player—again, only once.
• The last person in line repeats the word or phrase aloud and compares it to what the first person originally said.

In the game of Telephone…most of the time communication breaks down, and the word or phrase at the end is drastically different from the one that started the chain.

An interview is a lot like a game of “Telephone.” The person who can communicate most effectively to a hiring manager will typically get the position. Not all information is equal in this game though. We all have different levels of communication skills. But…to communicate effectively in an interview, it’s important to understand the following:

1. Effective Communication starts Non-Verbally
   • Be punctual
   • Dress for the job you want
   • Make Eye Contact
   • Smile
   • Offer a firm hand shake
   • Voice Inflection
   • Maintain Good Posture
   • Be Prepared
   • Being Engaged
   • Humble Confidence
2. Communicate Information that is Relevant
   • Communicate how you fit the position
   • Highlight matching and transferable skills
   • Logistics of the job
3. Articulately Communicate your Past Performance
   • Know Your Numbers
   • Be Specific
   • Focus on Growth
   • Measure for Impact

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Good Communication Skills start without words. Non-verbal communication is just as, if not more, important the verbal communication.

Be Punctual

One of the easiest ways to demonstrate professionalism is simply arriving on time. I recommend arriving 10–15 minutes early for an interview. Arriving late immediately puts you on the defensive and can create doubt about your reliability before the conversation even begins. Being early also gives you a chance to relax, gather your thoughts, and begin the interview with confidence instead of stress.

Dress for the Job You Want

Whether we like it or not, appearance matters. How you care for yourself, will communicate how you will care for the company.

You don’t necessarily have to wear a suit for every interview, but you should dress one level above what employees typically wear in that workplace. Looking clean, polished and professional communicates respect for both the opportunity and the interviewer.

When in doubt, it’s almost always better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed.

Make Eye Contact

Eye contact communicates confidence, honesty, and attentiveness. It establishes a certain level of trust needed in the interaction.

Maintain natural eye contact throughout the conversation without staring. If multiple people are interviewing you, make eye contact with the person asking the question, then briefly include the others while answering. This helps everyone feel included in the conversation.

Smile

I always say…”Smiles are contagious!” A genuine smile is one of the simplest ways to build rapport and likeability!

People naturally enjoy talking with someone who appears approachable, positive, and enthusiastic. Smiling also helps reduce your own stress and makes you appear more confident and personable.

Offer a Firm Handshake

If appropriate, greet your interviewer with a firm—but not crushing—handshake.

A weak handshake can unintentionally communicate uncertainty, while an overly aggressive one can feel uncomfortable. Aim for a handshake that reflects confidence, professionalism, and respect.

Use Good Voice Inflection

Nothing puts me to sleep faster at night than the noise of my boxfan! Why? Because it provides the same, hypnotic hum that allows me to easily drift into a profound rest that completely drowns out everything. An interviewee speaking in a monotone voice does the same thing to me.

Allow your enthusiasm to come through naturally by varying your pace, volume, and emphasis. Speak clearly and confidently without rushing. Pausing briefly before answering difficult questions also demonstrates thoughtfulness and composure. Enthusiasm can also be communicated through hand gestures that draws the interviewer in to what you are specifically saying. Just don’t make them too exaggerated.

Maintain Good Posture

Sit upright with your shoulders back and avoid slouching. Slouching communicates lazy. Good posture communicates confidence, engagement, and professionalism. Leaning forward slightly while listening also shows genuine interest in the conversation. Avoid crossing your arms or constantly fidgeting, as these can unintentionally communicate discomfort or disinterest.

Be Prepared

Preparation builds confidence.

Research the company before your interview. Understand its products or services, mission, recent news, and culture. Review the job description carefully and prepare examples from your experience that demonstrate why you’re qualified.

Bring extra copies of your resume, a notebook, and a list of thoughtful questions to ask at the end of the interview.

Preparation communicates that you’re serious about the opportunity.

Stay Engaged

Remember that an interview is a conversation—not an interrogation.

Listen carefully to each question before answering. Show curiosity about the company and the role. Nod occasionally, ask thoughtful follow-up questions, and actively participate in the discussion.

Interviewers are looking for someone they can see themselves working with every day. If you can engage in a good interview conversation, then they’ll draw the conclusion that you can engage with them at work as well!

Display Humble Confidence

Confidence is attractive.

Arrogance is not.

The best candidates are able to confidently discuss their accomplishments while giving credit to teammates, mentors, and others who contributed to their success.

Speak proudly about your results without exaggerating them. Be willing to admit when you don’t know something, while expressing a willingness to learn.

Employers aren’t looking for someone who knows everything. They’re looking for someone who is confident enough to keep learning.

RELEVANT COMMUNICATION

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make during an interview is talking about everything, but addressing nothing. They focus on irrelevant details instead of focusing on what actually matters to the employer.

Remember, the interviewer isn’t trying to learn your entire life story. They’re trying to answer one question:

“Can this person solve the problems I need solved?”

The more relevant your answers are to the position you’re interviewing for, the easier it becomes for the interviewer to picture you in the role.

Communicate How You Fit the Position and the Culture

Here’s where your research, prior to the interview, comes into play. Study that job description and know the company.

Identify the company’s biggest needs and think about how your experience aligns with those requirements. As you answer questions, consistently connect your past experiences to the responsibilities of the position you’re pursuing. Help the interviewer make the connection. Don’t assume they’ll automatically see how your background applies.

Instead of simply explaining what you’ve done, explain why your experience makes you a great fit for this specific opportunity.

Highlight Matching and Transferable Skills

You don’t have to check every box on a job description to be an excellent candidate.

Many employers are willing to train someone who has the right attitude and a strong foundation of transferable skills.

Leadership, customer service, communication, problem-solving, organization, time management, adaptability, teamwork, and attention to detail are valuable in almost every industry.

If you’re changing careers or industries, don’t apologize for what you haven’t done. Instead, confidently explain how the skills you’ve developed in previous roles will help you succeed in the new one.

Sometimes your experience isn’t identical—but it’s still highly relevant.

Logistics of the Job

While your qualifications determine whether you can do the work of the job, the logistics often determine whether the job can work for you and the employer. This helps clarify expectations.

During the interview process, be prepared to discuss practical details such as your work schedule, shift availability, commute, travel requirements, overtime expectations, salary expectations, and preferred work environment. The key is to be honest and transparent. Setting realistic expectations early helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures both parties are working toward the same goal.

At the same time, remember that an interview shouldn’t revolve around what the company can do for you. While it’s appropriate to discuss compensation and benefits, your primary focus should be on demonstrating the value you can bring to the organization. Once an employer believes you’re the right person for the position, conversations about salary, benefits, scheduling, and other logistics become much easier. The best hires happen when both the employer and the candidate recognize that the fit works both ways.

ARTICULATE PAST PERFORMANCE

History often repeats itself. Therefore your past performance can indicate patterns of success or failure. A prospective employer will certainly want to know how you’ve succeeded in the past.

Companies exist to make a profit—unless they are a nonprofit organization. Even then, nonprofits must generate enough revenue to fulfill their mission. Because of this, organizations are constantly measuring performance and tracking results to determine success.

Early in my career, I never focused on tracking what I accomplished in each position. Instead, I focused on my day-to-day tasks and used that information in my interviews.

Despite applying for hundreds of sales positions, I could never understand why I wasn’t getting interviews or offers. It wasn’t until I was promoted into a sales role that I realized how important results really were. My commission depended on my performane and the results I achieved.

Know Your Numbers

Many job seekers aren’t aware of how their performance has been measured in previous roles. You may have even worked for companies that never measured your performance at all (shame on those companies). If that’s the case, it was probably a sign that you were in a miserable job.

In fact, Patrick Lencioni wrote a book called The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. In that book, he writes:

“Employees who can measure their own progress or contribution are going to develop a greater sense of personal responsibility and satisfaction than those who cannot.”

A good company has standard metrics—basic thresholds for success or failure.

A great company looks beyond minimum standards and inspires employees to set goals for greater achievement.

The first step is simple: Know your numbers. If you can go back to your past positions and find the standards and measurements by which you were measured, you can begin to articulate your numbers. If you don’t know, then find your greatest success in life and what measurements made that your greatest success! Moving forward, in every job that you have, ask yourself:

“How do I measure up to the standard?”

Then document those measurements!

Be Specific

Knowing your numbers is the first step toward understanding your performance, but why is this important during an interview?

When I interview candidates, I tend to place them into one of two categories: task-oriented or results-oriented.

Then, for candidates who are results-oriented, I evaluate whether they can clearly articulate specific key performance indicators (KPIs). I want factual data. I want to know your stats. I want to understand the impact you’ve made.

That’s why one of the most important interview skills is to Be specific.

Instead of saying:

“I managed customer accounts.”

Say something like:

“I managed a portfolio of 150 customer accounts while increasing retention by 18% over two years.”

Specificity builds credibility.

Focus on Growth

When discussing your results, don’t focus on one milestone or a single impressive number. You don’t have to be the G.O.A.T. in every role you’ve held.

Instead, focus on consistent growth over time.

This is what separates good performers from great ones.

Companies value people who can produce sustainable results—not just short-term success followed by declining performance.

Even if you’ve experienced periods of lower performance, showing long-term growth demonstrates resilience, adaptability, and the ability to overcome challenges.

Measure for Impact

Be sure that your results communicate some form of positive impact on the growth of the company or the people around you. It has to have relevance to how you saved the company time or money, made the company money, or made the people better. Here’s the strategy, when an interviewer asks about what your responsibilities were at a company, discuss the tasks that you performed and then follow it with the phrase…“resulting in…” and then put in the results that you achieved. If the interviewer is in tune with finding results-oriented employees, their ears should perk up! This should also put you way ahead of the competition and differentiate you from others in the interview process!

If you are looking and interviewing for a position and are interested in more information about us here at Streamed Hire, LLC please visit our Job Seeking Resources and reach out to us!

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