How can you give feedback to candidates with poor nonverbal communication skills?

In my experience, body language defines intend more than just words. Hence f2f meetings before finalizing a candidate is very crucial. I definitely don't want to be in a society where everyone is like the typical 'US Starbucks Coffee girl at the order counter' - Smiles, well spoken, well trained, but not genuine. So,I would say - keep interviews aka conversations as natural as possible - give the complete picture to the candidate helping him visualize how it will be to join your company, engage with him/her over activities which need muscle memory involvement - you will get the real body language and lets keep in genuine - DONT FAKE FOR AN INTERVIEW - message for both stakeholders.

It is very important to provide feedback to the candidates and being very specific on issues like lack of eye contact, inappropriate body language, limited facial expressions, poor posture and gesture. It is also important to offer practical suggestions for improvement.

Body Language is an integral part of the Interviewing process. It speaks of many details which can be detected . While interviewing, noting the non verbal cues of a candidate is essential and its essential to confirm the candidate about the same . Improvement points will help the candidate to learn. An offline feedback can be more helpful . A feedback to the candidate is always essential and mandatory as then the changes can be made properly . A constructive feedback motivates the candidate to share a healthy interview next as the focus will not correct him only but to put him into corrective mode .

Offering feedback to candidates after an interview, especially regarding nonverbal communication skills, requires a thoughtful and constructive approach. I would give myself time to reflect on the interview before providing feedback. I will provide specific examples of the nonverbal behaviors I observed, for example, "I noticed that during the discussion on team-work, your body language seemed closed and there was minimal eye contact". The goal should be to help the candidate grow and improve. We must approach the feedback conversation with empathy, respect, and a genuine interest in their professional development. I also provide feedback on any nervous tics, like shaking leg, tapping fingers, tapping foot etc.

Hay que tener en cuenta nuestra capacidad de generar atención, comprensión y empatía con quien vamos a dar retroalimentación, para asi poder entender sus actitudes y comportamientos no verbales. Llegar comprender las actitudes no verbales implica una buena capacidad de atención, análisis y comprensión de aquello que el otro esta tratando de transmitir y darnos a entender. En este proceso de feedback de por si hay que ser objetivos, y mas aun con las personas que tienen dificultades en la comunicación no verbal. Siempre ser constructivo, resaltar las competencias positivas y ser muy constructivo. Son justamente los comportamientos no verbales los que se ven afectados en culturas verticales en donde el reconocimiento es escaso.

One thing I've found helpful is asking applicants what they would like me to message about themselves to the hiring leader. Even stock responses are more emphatic and genuine for the opportunity to move forward. So if you are not asked, politely offer :)

You should give some soft feedbacks the way in which candidate takes it as more as to learn from this interview rather then taking that on ego.

From experience you need to make sure to Be sensitive: Ensure the conversation feels safe and supportive, focusing on providing actionable tips for improvement rather than personal criticism. Offer resources: Recommend resources or training opportunities that can help the candidate develop their communication skills, demonstrating care for their professional growth. Maintain professionalism: Regardless of the timing or method, uphold professional communication standards throughout the feedback process.

Es importante pedir permiso al candidat@ para aportarle feedback, y más si además es uno de los motivos para no ser seleccionado. Es importante además dar un feedback que se base en los hechos que han ido aconteciendo, desde una posición clara de mejora. Incluso sería positivo ayudar a saber como puede mejorar.

Ensuring you are choosing a private and neutral setting to discuss feedback that could be more negative for the candidate. This ensures candidate is in a comfortable environment for open dialogue without causing embarrassment.

I love sharing the 7-38-55 method because it takes the personal feeling of correcting someone's behavior out of the conversation. 55% of a listener's brain focuses on our body language, so educating your employees to stress that over the specific language can help. Give a process example of the situation, even sharing back-of-house camera footage to support your point. Show how crossing the arms made a client step back. Role play how it could have been handled differently while one-on-one with this employee. Now, they leave with a tool to improve instead of beating themselves up.

Giving feedback is also an art. Giving feedback in such way where candidate take it more constructive for future rather then making candidate more nervous with your thoughts.

I tend to be more empathic than anything. I like to approach the feedback convo with open-mindedness and make myself aware of my own biases before jumping in to give candidates my piece of thought. ALWAYS enquire about their experience. Make sure they know our interaction is a safe one so they can open up about their ideas. Standard questions I ask are: -How did you feel overall? -What do you think of the interviewers? -What parts of the interview did you enjoy? -What things do you think you could have done better? Why? For every answer, I take (mental) note of what is consistent with the feedback I have to give them, so that way when providing it, it doesn't come as a surprise and they're more open to taking it.

I like to relay a story to the candidate of my first interview when I was starting out and how nervous I was that I stuck in a stoic position in my seat with a deer in the headlights look on my face. I describe a trick I used of thinking about what I feel best at doing, be it playing sports, a game, etc and I felt my body instantly perked up and the interview then went great. The point is to show your human side and relay that you were once like them so you can relate with them and it helps them think about what they are good at doing in their lives. Their body reacts to their positive thoughts and they instantly feel more confident. At that point their nonverbal communication is more engaging and pleasant.

Since I'm not the hiring manager, it's easy for me to say something like, "I really like your work experience and feel you could be a great fit for this position, and with your permission, I'd like to share something I've observed in our conversation that could help you present yourself in the best possible light to the interviewers." And I will often share my own experience with how I wasn't so good at this once upon a time.

I don’t think about giving “feedback” - many times, when it’s phrased as such, the interviewer doesn’t want to give any feedback on what they did “wrong” as it can be a touchy subject. I give “advice” instead…I explain what I thought they did well, and then give them some “advice” for their next interview. This makes the conversation much more comfortable for both parties. If it’s phrased as “advice” rather than “feedback”, it comes across as helping rather than critiquing.

Balance is important. People want to know you are looking for the good as well as the bad during the interview. Compliments work well to diffuse resentment from critical feedback.

If the non-verbal communication is affecting the candidate too much, normally I would slow down the interview. I would start asking if the candidate is feeling comfortable enough. Sometimes with fresh grads it would be their first time. If they confirm that, I would use this as a chance to highlight the non-verbal communication gaps to the candidate at the end of the interview. So that they would make fantastic performance the next time they are in an interview.

it's important to provide feedback in a constructive and supportive manner. Remember that the goal is to help the candidate improve their skills, not to criticize or discourage them. By providing specific feedback and actionable suggestions, you can help the candidate develop their nonverbal communication skills and become a more effective communicator.

Balanced feedback is essential for effective communication. Overwhelmingly negative or overly positive feedback can be counterproductive. The sandwich method, starting and ending with positive comments while offering constructive feedback in between, maintains a fair and encouraging tone. This approach promotes a constructive atmosphere, fostering growth and improvement without demoralizing the individual. It's a valuable strategy in professional settings, promoting a culture of continuous learning and development.

Seeking feedback from candidates completes the communication loop, providing valuable insights into their perspectives and commitment to improvement. Asking open-ended questions about their feelings and planned actions demonstrates an interviewer's dedication to refining feedback skills. Inviting candidates to share concerns fosters a supportive rapport and emphasizes a commitment to their development. Dealing with candidates with poor nonverbal communication skills becomes a more constructive process, showcasing professionalism and genuine care for the candidate's growth. This reciprocal feedback approach contributes to a culture of continuous learning in the interview process.

We are all a work in progress! You bet that we have all given feedback that could have been handled more productively. We aren't experts at non-verbal communication, so let someone who is provide feedback. Ask, "is there something else I can do to support you?" or "in the future, how would you like me to handle this type of situation?". It creates the open-door culture you need to run a successful business.

Asking feedback from the candidate during the end of the interview is crucial. This definitely ensure NPS for the organisation. In most of the interviews the Interviewee always feels less powerful during the entire process. I strongly believe this is one way of empowering an interviewee during the whole process. This also works as closing sentiments check on the entire process of interviewing journey.

Asking for feedback shows that the candidate is open to learn and improve themselves. It is a good trait to be showcased by each and every individual as it reflects on their attitude of open to learn and grow.

It will make the candidate comfortable if you ask them for feedback. That way they see you as being fair after you have given them feedback. This makes for a more rounded interview experience.

I agree with what I have read and it can be quite simple. Most people don't want to impact their message with poor non-verbals so start there. Many might not even know they are doing it... So starting by asking...did you know that you do "X" when others are speaking? When you do, it can give off 'X" perception. Often with that approach, I have had folks ask for a signal if we are in a meeting together and I see it happening.

Read a book called “Crucial Conversations - Grenny Patterson….”. With practice you can learn to handle difficult conversations where there may be a lot at stake, and where emotions run high.

Giving feedback to someone on their non-verbal communication skills is a sensitive area because, we all have our comfort zones. A candidate by definition is already operating is a less dominant position and when you consider all the other differences: culture, upbringing, medical condition, neuro-diversity, personality and so on…. It’s bit judgmental to label their non-verbal communication skills “poor”. However, if you are going to give feedback it should be couched in relative expectations of the culture of where you are (country, company, organization or group).

In the rapidly evolving field of IT, where working with people from different cultures is normal, take into account cultural intelligence insights. Recognize the candidates' varied backgrounds and explain how being aware of cultural quirks in nonverbal cues can improve their performance in international project teams. In summary, giving feedback on nonverbal communication in the IT industry is in line with the collaborative and dynamic character of technology-driven work environments, and it extends beyond interpersonal skills. Tech teams can benefit from recruiters' contributions to individual professional development and overall team success by incorporating these industry-specific insights into the feedback process.

Be mindful of cultural differences in nonverbal communication. Some candidates may come from backgrounds when certain gestures or expressions have different meanings.