14.12.2022

HOW TO HAVE CORRECT BEHAVIOR DURING THE SELECTION PROCESS?

Going through the selection process for a desired job position can be very stressful even for someone with a long professional experience and a number of interviews behind them. This is even more true for the more inexperienced candidates on the labor market. That is why many people try to learn the "correct" behavior during selection.

The truth is that there is no such thing as a universal "correct" behavior, but there are appropriate and inappropriate ones for the particular company. However, HR professionals conducting the interview watch for some behavioral markers that are important to keep in mind when applying for a job.

Fairness and integrity

Although not usually mentioned in the advertisement as a requirement, honesty is a quality that employers are on the lookout for from the very beginning of the process. Many applicants feel that it is acceptable to misrepresent some of the information on their CV, but when it becomes clear, it makes a very bad impression. In today's reality, where HR professionals often consult social networks when pre-screening a candidate, inconsistencies are quickly and easily spotted. This is even more true in an interview.

Masking important information, avoiding questions, tendentious changing of the subject can raise doubts about the correctness of the candidate, which can subsequently be checked with a previous employer or directly lead to rejection.

Another marker of integrity is the way one talks about past colleagues, specific managers, and employers. Often, in an effort to present themselves in a good light, candidates drop negative comments that can be construed as slander.

Regardless of the position applied for, demonstrating fairness and respect for the people one has worked with is of great importance.

Honesty should not be overlooked - the rule of giving what you want to get is absolutely valid. No applicant will respond well to an employer misrepresenting salary or job description, and it is equally appropriate to provide unadulterated information about yourself.

Organization

Another key personal quality whose behavioral indicators are sought in the selection process is organization. It also manifests itself on many levels, starting with the CV. Cluttered, inconsistent information with no internal structure immediately creates a negative impression, especially in a time when it is so easy to create a representative resume with a variety of digital tools.

The candidate's preparation for the interview itself also speaks volumes about his organization. A person who has taken special time to plan their participation in the conversation immediately makes an impression.

Preliminary research of the company, knowledge of its products and services, noting specific questions on the part of the candidate show a serious attitude and self-regulation skills, which will later be valuable at work.

Experienced HR professionals monitor the candidate's organization when asking open-ended questions—for example, "Tell me more about yourself." In such a situation, it is noticeable whether a person can structure his thought, prioritize what he wants to say, argue coherently.

Communicability

It is a widespread myth that extroverts are more desirable job candidates. This is actually not the case - recruiters are primarily looking for a match between the characteristics of the candidate, on the one hand, and those of the position and the team, on the other.

A man need not force himself to behave more sociably than is natural to him in principle. On the contrary, it is important here to establish whether there is a synchronicity between person and environment.

For a position and team where a constant exchange of ideas is required and communication with a large number of people is a daily occurrence, a more communicative candidate will probably be preferred. But on the other hand, in more introverted teams, such a person would not feel out of place, and this could become a reason for leaving. Therefore, the HR specialist will look for a profile that better fits the climate in the team.

In all cases, however, it is important that during the interview the exchange of information flows smoothly and that the process does not feel one-sided. Some inexperienced candidates are bothered by their own anxiety and enter a vicious circle that prevents them from showing their best side in an interview.

In fact, most interviewers make a special effort to predispose the candidate so that they can have a constructive conversation. It is important for them to see a genuine interest in the position and the company.

In an interview, the process is always two-way – yes, the candidate is evaluated to some degree, but he also makes his assessment of whether this company is the right place to invest his efforts and time. In this sense, the most important thing for communication during the selection process is to be efficient and fruitful.

Self-presentation

When it comes to self-presentation, applicants can fall into two traps. On the one hand, it is quite possible to overdo it and make a bad impression. We all know that positive self-esteem and good self-esteem are important when applying for a job. Ultimately, everyone tries to "sell themselves" to a potential employer by showing why they are successful and how well they will do the job. At the same time, some candidates slip into bragging.

Company representatives keep an eye on this during an interview and are less likely to be impressed if the candidate bombards them with stories about their outstanding achievements that sound embellished or are clearly the result of teamwork. Even stronger negativity provokes the direct declaration of superiority over other colleagues at a previous workplace. From such statements, one can predict what will be the attitude of this person to new colleagues.

The other pitfall has to do with showing disengagement. In the context of virtual work, many people have weaned themselves from business etiquette, and this leads to all sorts of curiosities, such as the candidate lighting a cigarette during an interview or turning on, leaning on a pillow in his bedroom. It goes without saying how much of a negative impression something like that makes. Even an online interview is a formal meeting in which it is necessary to demonstrate respect.

The requirement that dress be strictly formal has long been outdated, especially in business industries where it is not a requirement of the workplace itself. However, it is important to show some effort and commitment - a neat appearance, choosing a neutral background during an online meeting, appropriate camera placement and a posture that suggests business communication.

Adherence to these standards of behavior during the selection process is much easier when time is taken for psychological self-preparation. It can consist of answering in advance questions such as: why do I want this job; how this position will contribute to my personal development; what is important to me in a company.

A person can think in advance about what would trip him up in the process - for example, he can always feel "like an exam" during an interview or block when filling out technical tests - and prepare a strategy for overcoming these difficulties.

When the candidate realizes that he is stepping on the same footing as the other side of the selection and sees it as a process of checking each other for similarities and dissimilarities, the "right" behavior usually occurs naturally.