Back when I was a corporate recruiter, I was always looking for new ways to interview a candidate. It’s the role of the interviewer to determine if the candidate will be the right fit for the job or not. In order to do this, it would take some trial and error or certain interview questions or overall strategies.
I used to think that my role as the interviewer was to ask the questions and then sit back and listen to the answers given to me. I was wrong. In time, I found that the best interviews were conversations, but more importantly, the best interview questions to ask were no questions at all. (Tweet this thought.)
Say What?
How is this possible!? Ask a question without saying anything?
I found that one of the best ways to learn more about somebody or something was to simply listen to them talk by saying nothing. We as human beings despise the idea of anything awkward, specifically in interviews. Society has programmed us to think that in an interview, there must be constant communication — someone must always be talking. I humbly disagree. While a great interview is a conversation of thought sharing and learning, a better interview is when the conversation is full of well thought-out answers, ones the candidate truly means and believes and not something rehearsed or memorized.
A great interviewer can tell when you’re feeding them rehearsed or memorized answers; however, great interviewers don’t always know how to get around those and get to the interviewee’s true feelings. Thus, I shall reveal my tactic that has never failed me. It’s simple:
When an interviewee gives you any sort of rehearsed or memorized answer, just simply say nothing. Give them the look that says, “Yes, yes. I’m very interested — please keep talking.”
Now, trust me, it will be very awkward, especially your first time, but hold your ground. It will be through this awkwardness that the true answer will reveal itself. Because nobody likes awkward silences, the interviewee will feel as if they need to say something, anything, to break the silence. What they say will always be a continuation of what they were last saying. It will be here that you will learn their true feelings… basically, what they really think.
As interviewers, we’re trying to learn how the interviewee handles pressure, and this is a great way to gauge it: through their word vomit. (Yes, that is a Mean Girls reference — I knew it would come in handy one day!)
What This Means for Interviewees
Now, while what you just read was geared more toward the interviewers, I’m sure all the people reading this who are the interviewees are asking, “Well, I don’t want that. What can I do?” Easy!
When you sense any sort of awkward silence, this is your moment to sell yourself. Take the opportunity to remind the interviewer why they should hire you. A great way to do this is to start talking about one of your proudest accomplishments. It could be about a time you saved the company money, created operational efficiencies or a new idea you introduced and put into motion. What you specifically say doesn’t matter as much as your seizing the opportunity to sell yourself.
The awkward silence move is a tricky play used by great interviewers, and being able to recognize it and capitalize on it will prove to the interviewer that you’re an attentive listener who’s also aware of your positive attributes. Don’t be afraid to sell yourself at every opportunity given to you.
What’s your very best tip for handling awkward interview questions? Share in the comments!
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