One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is, “How can I make the best impression at my next interview?” It's a great question and the answer isn't really a straightforward one. The very best way to make a great impression during an interview is to prepare answers to the most commonly asked interview questions, including the behavioral questions like, “Tell me about a time when...” and, it helps to dress professionally and arrive a little early - if that isn't possible, just don't be late. These are the easiest and most obvious answers. But, what if you're already doing all of those things. What else can you do to maximize your chances of getting a job offer?
Surprisingly, many experts suggest that it's better to schedule your interview earlier in the day. When I first heard this theory, I thought it was just plain silly. However, the more I researched it, the more I began to see that it was simply genius. It's such a small thing, but now I think that being first in line is almost as important as asking the right questions. Here's why:
Interviewers compare applicants differently at different times of the day – If there are several interviews scheduled on one day, it's likely that the interviewer will give a higher preference to the people they see first. As the day goes on, they can suffer from something called “decision fatigue”, which causes them to judge applicants more harshly due to a combination of hunger, anger and tiredness. The funny thing is, the interviewer may not even be aware that they are doing it. To prove the point, an Israeli university study followed 1,100 court decisions over the course of a year. They found that prisoners who came before the parole board earlier in the day received parole about 70% of the time, while those who arrived later in the day had a less than 10% chance of being granted parole, which is a huge difference.
They may not want to give higher scores later in the day- Interviewers are only human and as such, they suffer from the same sort of biases that we all do. When they are interviewing many applicants over the course of a few days, they may judge a qualified applicant lower if they've already had several great applicants that day. Although it's completely possible that there are many well-qualified candidates, if the interviewer feels that they are giving too many people high scores, they will be less likely to give the next applicant a high score, even if it's deserved. Also, if they see 3 or 4 great candidates in a row, they become concerned that they are not being picky enough. When the next candidate walks through the door, they are going to have lower scores before they even say a word.
Hiring managers may have already picked someone – When a hiring manager has several interviews scheduled, they may find someone who they think is perfect for the job before they have interviewed everyone. Because they are already “in love” with one applicant, they may simply go through the motions on the rest of the interviews. Since they've already picked someone, the people who come in afterward don't get an objective review. Then, if the person they want doesn't accept the job for whatever reason, they will be more likely to offer the job to someone who interviewed before that person rather than after.
There are so many reasons why it helps to schedule your interview for early in the day that it simply doesn't make sense not to. It's a small thing to do and if it increases your chances of getting a job offer, even just a little, it's worth doing.
Do you plan your interviews for the morning or do you prefer to take an afternoon appointment? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Image source: MorgueFile
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!