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Horns Effect

The psychological impact of the halo or horns effect has a subconscious influence on the employers decision making process.

What is the job interview halo effect?

The now famed halo effect is a cognitive bias where the employers overall impression of a job candidate influences how the hiring manager receives the applicants interview answers.

At a basic level, an applicant can be seen as ‘suitable’ or ‘hirable’ when the halo effect is in play. The halo effect can be created when an employer finds the candidate attractive. We call this ‘the what is beautiful is good‘ bias.

People believe attractiveness to be linked to other positive traits; intelligence, reliability, and being skilled, without any evidence.

Prior to the job interview, the halo effect can take effect.

An employer reading a candidate’s application form can form a positive opinion, where the hiring managers believe this applicant is the most suitable person for the role, even without interviewing anyone.

An everyday example of the halo effect is a friend introducing you to one of their colleagues. Prior to meeting the colleague, the friend says “the (colleague) is a really nice person, I know you will really like them.” This seeding of a positive character creates the halo effect. As would reading their (positive) social media feed, or finding out that you both have a common interest.

How does the halo effect, effect the job interview?

Being attractive doesn’t guarantee a job offer.

Instead, the halo effect creates a positive filter. The employer, liking the applicant, will search for evidence of suitability.

The hiring manager will want the candidate to do well. In fact, research shows that the subtle changes in an employer’s behavior, influence how the interviewee acts, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What is the Horns Effect?

There is an opposite to the famed halo effect, the ‘horns effect’.


If an employer is predisposed to dislike the applicant, they will subconsciously search for reasons to reduce an interview score.


Several information sources can lead to a ‘horn effect’.

The employer hearing bad things from a colleague about the applicant prior to the job interview (this is most common in internal interviews) can create a pre-interview negative opinion.

This scenario worsens when the colleagues reference how the applicant may lie or be deceitful during the job interview. Being viewed as having a ‘dishonest‘ interview identity creates a barrier that is hard to remove.

Many employers now use social media as one way to ‘get to know the real applicant’ before they attend the recruitment process.

A social media page that creates a negative impression, such as photos of drinking and partying, can create a negative stereotype.

Even the candidate’s communication skills during the application process can create a halo or horns effect. A weak worded email, spelling errors, or even working for an organization with a poor reputation can create a negative association.

First Impression Horns Effect

The horns effect can take place prior to the job interview but also during the initial introduction.

As the employer meets the applicant in reception, a number of non-job-related criteria can influence the hiring manager’s decision-making process.

Being overweight, as an example, can have a negative association. Obese equals laziness.

An experiment shown how being obese reduces the number of jobs offers an applicant received. Employers were sent one application, which either had attached to it, a picture of an overweight job applicant or an average size person. The conclusion was that the image of an overweight individual had a negative horns effect on their application process.

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

But a number of other non-job-related criteria can create a positive or negative first impression:

  • Gender
  • Age
  • Ethnicity
  • Height
  • Weight
  • Hair colour
  • Stance
  • Tonality

The research is proving how a job interview is never a fair recruitment process, as opinions are made at the subconscious level.

These initial impressions act as the filter throughout the recruitment process, with an employer filtering each answer, and therefore searching for evidence to back up their belief, through the filter suitable or not suitable, liked or disliked.

Interviewees can help to shape the way they are viewed by creating a positive job interview identity during the answering of the initial interview questions.

The stating of key competencies, when communicated confidently, can override the initial impression. This is because the structured process of a job interview means the employer must mark the applicant’s answers against the job interview scorecard.

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The psychology of job interviews part 1 of 5

The job interview is one of the most nerve-racking experiences you have to face. The reason you fear the job interview is down to the psychology of the interview process. In this series of ‘job interview psychology,‘ you will learn 5 psychological processes that are in play, that effect your job interview success, without you even knowing about it.

Job Interview Psychology 1 of 5 – rewards and fears

The psychology of the job interview starts prior to you attending the actual job interview itself.

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?

Today is the day of your job interview! You scared, nervous because you haven’t prepared. You received your job interview date 2 weeks previously; you had planned to rehearse the job interview question but just never gotten around to it and there’s a psychological reason for this

Job Interview Psychology

Are you a future optimist? Psychologists Arie Kruglanski and Torey Higgins, have found that we have two motivational systems: the “thinking” or “doing” system

We believe we think and then take action. But humans are only skilled at using one of these systems at a time. For job interview preparation we are good at planning what we need to do to be successful at the job interview:

I will research the organisation

I will prepare job interview questions and answers

I will rehearse my interview presentation

This planning creates a positive feeling – you have achieved something and because you have spent time organising your job interview preparation, you allow yourself to complete the actual action of job interview preparation tomorrow – as a reward

The future optimist – you believe this plan is great, and tomorrow you will focus on the action taking. When tomorrow comes, something, more important, takes over so you plan to take action the following – what does an extra 24hrs matter …you have a plan!

Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

Another system is also in place that affects your job interview motivation. Within the autonomic nervous system sits the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. These two systems work in opposite ways; “the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) meditates the body response to arousing circumstances. for example, producing the famed ‘flight pr fight’ stress response” (Robert Sapolsky – Behave; book 2017) The parasympathetic nervous system “PNS is about calm, vegetative states” (Robert Sapolsky – Behave; book 2017)

How do these two systems effect your job interview preparation?

The Sympathetic nervous system speeds up your heart rate, stops your digest process and sends the fight or flight stress signal – we don’t like to feel this way. When you think about a forthcoming job interview your perspective of the situation is ‘life or death’ if I don’t succeed in the job interview I have failed. These thoughts lead to the activation of the SNS.

Whereas, the PNS – parasympathetic nervous system, slows down the heart rate, activates the digestive system and sends out the relaxation signal. This is a state we all like, the state that we all desire be in.

It’s simple; the thought of a job interview sets of the SNS – and we want to avoid this feeling. Moving the ‘thinking about job interview preparation’ task to tomorrow releases the PNS – the state we crave. This leads to you self sabotaging, we have planned so now we can watch TV (releases SNS) and focus on job interview preparation tomorrow (removes PNS)

The Reward System

The final emotion in play is the reward system. The brain’s reward is via the release of dopamine – the happy chemical. When you receive the job interview offer from an organisation, you receive a big dollop of dopamine. If you have a strong application and receive regular job interview dates, the amount of dopamine decreases with each job interview offer. Constant success reduces dopamine releases.

The dopamine system if fired of in anticipation of, rather then achieving, a task (unless the achievement of a task doesn’t result in a reward, then we get very angry IE we think we will be successful in a job interview and are then told we have been unsuccessful)

The job interview request comes into your in-box; dopamine release. Now you have to prepare for the job interview; If you feel confident you will expect a positive outcome (where you will receive another dopamine release and a job offer) but the level of dopamine reduces as you prepare for the job interview (taking action doesn’t release as much dopamine as the anticipation of a reward) and surprisingly the dopamine release is less when you are offered the job compared to the release of dopamine you received from being invited to the job interview (unless this situation is rare for you)

If you fear the job interview, the dopamine receptors are blocked and you become stressed. Because you desire dopamine, you have learned where you can get this from; the thought of a chocolate cake, as an example. So instead of job preparation activities (that make you feel stressed because this is a fearful activity for you), you eat cake, waste precious time, but don’t care because you have your chocolaty hit of dopamine.

To be successful in the job interview you need to be proactive in job interview preparation. You need to evolve your mind to reduce job interview fear and increase job interview excitement.

In the next article, you will learn about job interview subconscious bias and how to make these work in your favor

Interview Pyschology 2 of 5 – Unconscious bias

Job Interview Advice

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The Pyschology of Job Interview First Impressions

 

Everyone talks about how the first ten seconds of a job interview is the most important – well they are wrong and here’s why

So what is this 10-second rule in a job interview all about? The interviewer comes to the reception to invite you into the interview room, it is in this initial meeting when the first impression is received. 

Many job interview coaches will tell you “make a good impression in the first 10 seconds and the rest is easy” Well the 10-second rule is a lie and even when you make a good first impression that doesn’t mean the job interview will be easy, it only means that the interviewers will listen to your job interview answers more favourable …without even knowing it 

Is the 10 Second Rule a Lie?

A psychologist will tell you the truth about the 10-second rule; that its a lie. 

Because first impressions are made in milliseconds. 

That’s right, the first impression is made instantaneous.

The subconscious will take billions of pieces of information; your stance, hairstyle, posture, micro facial expressions, the colour of your interview clothes, the material of said clothes, your voice, tonality, the words you say…the list does go on a bit so I will stop there. And without conscious awareness creates a first impression – the interviewer will feel an emotional association to you – this could be positive or negative

Make The First Impression a Good One…

Here’s a great trick to help improve your first impression.

So, I’m not going to say dress in a nice suit blah blah blah…if you’re not already doing the basics stop reading this blog. 

When you arrive at your interview, you will, in most situations, be greeted by the receptionist. The receptionist will take your name and you will be asked to take a seat until the interviewer is ready to collect you.

Most people, in this situation, will sit nervously thinking (thinking is an internal process) about how they can sell themselves. This is bad because if you start thinking like this you are sure to increase your nerves – not a good start.

Secondly, when the interviewer comes to meet you, what do they find someone daydreaming – not a good first impression. 

Instead, apply this little trick using interveiw psychology: 

Ask the receptionist about her day? I know not what you expected? Follow this up with more questions – basically get the receptionist into a conversation with you (you could even ask questions about the organisation to see if you would like to work there) 

 

Interview questions and answers

What happens now is that when the interviewer arrives to greet you, their first impression is a friendly, confident and professional person engaged in a conversation – that’s just the conscious first impression.

Remember we said that the subconscious makes an automatic first impression in milliseconds based on, well, everything about you.

When you are involved in a conversation your body language to your voice is more charismatic compared to when you are sat nervously in a waiting room chair. The interviewers subconscious will be screaming they’re amazing, hire them now – well not quite but you can see how this simple strategy creates a better first impression

 

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Why Do Psychopaths Get Offered More Jobs Then You?

Not all psychopaths are killers. Many career professionals with psychopathic tendencies will quickly reach the grade of their sector, often kicking people in the face on their rise to the top.

Psychopaths are often found in top-level positions in industries including the finance sector, medical professions and sale roles. One in four people in your workplace could be a psychopath but rarely does the none psychopath recognize the psychopath’s traits, allowing these master manipulators to gain promotion after promotion.

But how do psychopaths win over the interviewer? How do psychopaths quickly climb the career ladder, winning job offer after offer? What do psychopaths do differently in the job interview, and can you learn from these persuaders?

You can use these 5 psychopathic traits to win over your next interviewer.

The Psychopathic Interview

Psychopaths have particular traits which they use blatantly during the interview process. This devilish designed manipulates the interview, stopping you the none psychopath, from being recruited, while helping the psychopath rise through the ranks gaining pay rise after pay rise, promotion after promotion.

Superficial Charm.

The Interview Psychopath wears a well-fitted interview mask, mimicking the employer’s personality or creating a charming front that wins the interviewer over.

This confident charming persona, which is not their real personality, creates strong rapport and likeability. The psychopath will uncover the employer’s values, likes and interests and state how he himself enjoys these same passions and preferences the interviewer’s likes.

To learn from the psychopath you also have to be charming and confident. Research has shown how a warm smile creates positive feelings in the recipient. Create a conversation to find commonality with the interviewer which increases likeability.

A Grandiose Self-Perception.

Psychopaths truly believe they are smarter and more powerful than they actually are. This belief system oozes confidence and confidence is a key quality to winning job interviews.

The psychopath will give examples of past projects, explaining how they achieved the contract KPIs, how they increased profits and how they rallied the team to meet the deadline. The psychopath is happy to blow their own trumpet, and in the eyes of the psychopath their musical instrument is massive.

Take a leaf out of the psychopath book and throughout the interview shout about your achievements, don’t shy away and minimize your effort, instead make it clear that it was you who was the pivotal person that achieved the desired outcome

Deceits and lies.

Most people feel bad when lying, but the psychopath is highly comfortable creating a perfect picture of themselves which may be far from the truth. No matter what the employer requires, the psychopath has the experience, whichever skill is essential the psychopath has in abundance and however the employer approaches task, the psychopath has the same work ethic

Now, we won’t suggest that you lie as this can have implications during your employment. Instead you need to think about previous roles and look at what skills are transferable, how you have approached work different in similar organizations and how your hobbies have given you a new set of qualities and make these fit the interviewer’s essential criteria.

An Absence of Emotions.

The psychopath lacks emotions, they don’t feel guilty when lying, or remorse when taking credit for other people’s achievements and the psychopath rarely feels nervous in the interview process.

The psychopath, who always feels superior, looks down on the interviewer increasing their personal feeling of power. The psychopath sees the interview as game, a place to manipulate and deceive, an arena to show off and to showcase his talents.

For many, interview nerves kill the interview. You don’t need to go as far as the psychopath but you can create a new perception of the interview. Instead of one where the all-powerful interviewer questions you, demanding to know the answer, you can frame the interview as a place where you are an authority, an expert and industry specialist, and this person talking to you, wants to learn from you, they want to know why you are so successful and how you always achieve KPIs.

Never Being Wrong.

The psychopath rarely admits to being wrong, making mistakes or errors. In a promotional interview situation the psychopath will quite confidently put the blame on others, highlight colleagues shortcomings and explain how other peoples errors where the catalyst for the failure in the project.

In external job interviews, the psychopath will simply not mention any inadequacies and focus the interview on their unique selling point. When questioned on weaknesses, the psychopath will reframe the answer and talk about development opportunities.

Too many interviewees happily offer up their weaknesses and failures, even when not asked. Instead keep the interviewer focused on your strengths, positives and achievements. You need to associate only positivity to your interview as these create the basis for a successful job interview.

Do You Need To Be A Psychopath?

To increase your chances of being offered a job at the interview you don’t need to be psychopathic, but you can take a couple of tips from the psychopath’s interview approach.

The key to a successful interview is to be confident, charming and likable. You need to frame every interview answer as a positive.

Remember times when you have used the required skill they are questioning you about and reframe negative based interview questions.

By framing the interview as a place to showcase your talent increases confidence and never discussing negativity creates a positive association that can only lead to more job offers.

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Ace Any Job Interview with Psychology & Body Language Reading

Todays guest post is by Saurabh Tyagi is a career author 

Job interviews are an inescapable part of every educated individual’s life.

One has to face at least a couple of interviews in his or her entire professional tenure.  How you wish you knew mind reading and could just tell what the interviewer is thinking about you. What if this wish of yours comes true?

With a little practice, keen observation and psychological analysis you can almost listen to the thoughts of the interviewer.

More about the same follows.

The 2007 financial crisis has affected the job market in such a way that both the communities, that of jobseekers and recruiters, are having a tough time adjusting with each other.

Savvy recruiters and hiring managers are using a variety of job interview techniques to make sure that they do not end up chasing the wrong candidate. Under such competitive circumstances, a job hunter’s task, which was already tough, has become even trickier than before.

Now, if you need to stand out from others at an interview you are going to need some extra aces up your sleeve.

Almost everyone knows the normal preceding routine to an interview; researching the organization, dressing up well, and arriving on time at the venue. However, the hard part starts now.

Right from the moment you enter the room, till the last word you speak, you will be constantly judged based on your actions, gestures, body language, tone, and last but not the least, your answers.

According to Patti Wood, a body language expert and author of Snap: Making the Most of first Impressions, Body Language, Charisma, “A candidate can give out thousands of non-verbal cues within the first minute of meeting a hiring manager, and those messages make more of an impact than the words that you use during the interview”. 

Now, if you have been to even a couple of interviews, you must be well aware of the fact that hiring decisions are made on more than just skills and experience. It’s a game of Hide and Seek, where multiple psychological factors come into play.

The recruiter will ask certain questions that may appear simple on the surface but are attempts to dig deeper on a psychological level.

He can even play mind tricks on you. But with a little application and experience you can turn the tables and play your own tricks on him to get through the entire process unscathed and emerge as a winner.

Imitation Is the Best Form of Flattery: Use Mirroring

The Mirroring Technique is one of the worst kept secrets of influencing people. It is a great way of establishing instant rapport and initiates a certain level of mutual trust.

If you are able to execute the technique perfectly, the interviewer will deem you trustworthy as he subconsciously finds similarities that connect him with you.

In simplest of terms, mirroring is copying another person’s behavior, way of speaking and mannerisms so as to become a mirror of the other person.  The interviewer nods, you nod, he puts his hands on the table, you repeat after him (after a gap of 20-30 seconds) and stuff like that.

However, proper execution is of utmost importance as the interviewer should never feel that you’re copying him.

Another important rule while mirroring is to adopt only the positive body language and speech from the interviewer. If he gets angry at something, do not even consider pissing him off further by copying his anger. An interviewer with

Do Away With the Fake Smile

Every single positive body language signal that you make in the interview room is a step forward towards clinching the job offers.

Smiling, maintaining eye contacts, sitting in a relaxed posture are all some basics that we are taught to positively influence the interviewer. However, too much of fake smiling should be avoided. False smiles are often easy to spot and too much of it in an interview results in an unfavorable evaluation.

This holds true for other body language gestures as well.

Have A Weakness? Do Not Be Afraid Of Showing It

This is pretty much clichéd.

No one is perfect and our resumes have weak spots. So are you better off hiding them or being upfront and honest about them is a better option?

We all want to be in the good books of the recruiter, and knowing that this interview is perhaps our only chance at making a positive impact; it becomes a real puzzle how to reveal our weaknesses without reducing our likeability.

According to a 1972 Jones and Gordon research, when someone was honest about his/her weaknesses, those listening had a more favorable impression of him or her than if he or she concealed it.

Most of us find honesty as a positive trait, & therefore you have nothing to fear while coming up with your weakness, unless it severely harms your job prospects.

Use the Recruiter’s Name or Title While Having the Conversation

One book that every professional is recommended to read is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Dale says that using someone’s name is an incredibly important part of any conversation. Rightly said, a name is the most intricate part of our identity that stays with us throughout the entire lifetime and even after our death.

Hearing it makes the person feel positively about the person who said it. To use this fact for influencing an interviewer you can refer to him with his name or a title that goes well with his position.

Leave the Fear Outside The Interview Room

The four-letter F word, i.e Fear is certainly the biggest enemy of all job seekers. Pre-interview anxiety is the biggest hindrance in your performance on the big day.

While interview nerves are common and do not always mean a bad outcome, feeling excessive anxious and nervous often sabotages your chances of making it through. To overcome this fear, just remember three commandments:

  • Preparation
  • Positive thinking
  • Avoiding desperation

The last one is pretty important. No matter how badly you want the job, don’t make it a matter of life and death. Remember, it’s just one opportunity and there are many more to come.

Author bio:

Saurabh Tyagi is a career author who has written articles and blog posts for job seekers. These articles help individual apply to new jobs and make through the interviews with unmatched success. Twitter- https://twitter.com/sa_ty

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