It is true that it is impossible to read people’s minds by observing their gestures, but that does not mean that in the world of non-verbal language there are no codes of behaviour.

These are not rules that we are taught in classrooms or that we have had to memorize by reading texts, of course, but, even without realizing it, we are always judging what kind of postures and movements speak well of a person and which ones speak badly of him.

Whether or not we know how to use this code or “etiquette” of non-verbal communication affects us in many facets of our lives, but if there is a context in which this dimension of our behavior is decisive, it is in the job interview, where the person interviewing us will try to know as much as possible about us in the minimum amount of time.

Gestures and postures to avoid in a selection process

Below you can see the most common errors during a job interview regarding non-verbal communication .

1. Weak handshake or “fillet hand”

The handshake is usually the first contact with the person who is going to interview us, and therefore is of great importance as a way to make a first impression in the most literal sense . In this situation, some people may give a very weak grip (what is known as a “steak hand”) because of their nerves or because they feel intimidated by the situation.

It is important to avoid this: the grip must be firm, to show assertiveness and to avoid showing a passive attitude. Furthermore, must be accompanied by a direct look into the eyes of the other person .

2. Hands in pockets

When nerves appear, it is common to realize that “you have a pair of hands” and you don’t know what to do with them. We are so afraid of making mistakes that we start to question all our possible movements, and that paralyzes us. One of the solutions to this is to end the problem by making our hands disappear into our pockets. However, this is a bad idea .

Having your hands in your pockets during a job interview or during the transition between shaking hands and sitting in the chair offered by the other person causes an impression of passivity and insecurity. The alternative to this is to let the arms hang normally and use the hands to gesture to accompany our speech.

3. The crossing of arms

Crossing your arms appears to be a solution to the nerve problem noted above. However, is even worse than putting your hands in your pockets , as it is a less discreet gesture and also denotes a defensive attitude.

4. Pounce on the table

Once seated at the table where the interview will take place, it is important to maintain an upright position , making the back and thighs maintain a 90 degree angle. Moving your body forward on the table with a lot of weight on your arms is a sign of fatigue and causes a bad image because it is considered unprofessional.

5. Touching your head

Another reaction to stressful situations is to touch certain parts of your head and face. Usually, these are the nose, mouth or hair. It is important to keep an eye on yourself to make sure that this does not happen as a repetitive act , because it hinders communication by forcing you to keep your eyes a little low or hide part of your face behind your hand and arm.

6. Avoiding eye contact

Keeping your eyes fixed on the face and eyes of the person you are interviewing when he or she speaks to you is essential. However, it is important that, instead of focusing on looking into their eyes, we should be more concerned about not stopping looking into their eyes, that is, becoming aware of when we break eye contact rather than during eye contact, as the opposite can cause us to be too concerned about the image we give and stop paying attention to what we are being told.

7. Rest your head in your hand

Holding the weight of the head on one arm can be an automatic gesture that appears as a response to the stress and tiredness that we have to manage our role well during the interview. However, this is something we must avoid completely, among other things because it makes our posture become asymmetrical, which gives an image of tiredness and disinterest.

8. Getting too close

It is important to bear in mind that a job interview belongs to the professional sphere, where personal distances are greater than during informal dealings. This should be translated into our non-verbal language and we should leave a space between us and the interviewer .

9. Maintain an oblique posture

Positioning yourself diagonally to the person interviewing you is an automatic reaction that some people have when they want to hide a part of their face or prefer not to reveal their whole body. This is interpreted as a sign of insecurity and a strategy to stay on the defensive .

10. Bending the back

Keeping in a stooped position while sitting is very common in people who are not used to sitting correctly and, in addition to being bad for your health, it gives a bad image, being a sign of tiredness .

11. Do not gesture

Nerves can make us “freeze” our whole body and just talk . This makes our message and our expression empty of nuances and uninteresting. It is advisable to accompany what we say with hand and arm gestures at the same rhythm as we speak.