Authenticity and Interviewing: Why it’s Important
Jon Jenks-Bauer, ACC SPHR
Talent Acquisition Leader | ICF Certified Executive Leadership and Career Transition Coach | Professional Effectiveness Strategist | Helping leaders unlock potential and make real, sustained change
Anyone who really knows me will tell you that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. (This saddens many who come to my house for dinner only to find I forgot to make dessert.)
So I surprised myself recently when, while buying a bottle of water at the airport, I found myself suddenly craving a Snickers.
As I was considering this purchase, I noted that there was a candy bar much like a Snickers but was all-natural, organic, etc. My ego and id had a quick meeting and decided that if I was to give into this temptation, I would get the more expensive but (potentially) healthier organic alternative.
I broke into it on the plane. It was...fine. But wasn't the thing it’s pretending to be: a Snickers. It wasn't authentic.
Authenticity is often easy to achieve in our personal lives. Being totally authentic at work can be a bit more difficult. This extends to interviews as well. Interviews are not scenarios in which we often find ourselves. The interviewer is frequently not trained in how to effectively interview and evaluate talent. The interviewee often feels anxious, nervous, uncertain. In many cases, there is a lot on the line if they don’t nail this interview.
This sets the stage for a potentially inauthentic interaction–especially on the part of the interviewee, who probably doesn't have as much experience in interviewing as the interviewer.
Unfortunately, perceptive interviewers pick up on the fact that they aren't seeing the ‘real you’. There is a lot riding on making this hire for them; they need someone they know they and their team can effectively work with--that elusive quality sometimes referred to as 'team fit'. If they can’t see that through the interview, they may hesitate to make an offer.
How can a candidate address this?
- Practice. Ensure that you work with an interview coach and do mock interviews that are videoed. Watch the video–do you see the real you?
- Ask for feedback from the mock interviewer. Did they feel like you were your genuine self, or did they sense a shift as soon as you moved from breaking the ice to the formal interview questions?
- Prepare by participating in informational interviews with networking contacts you don't know well. Ask them for feedback; did they think they met the real you during your conversation?
This can be a tough process, but it’s immensely valuable in preparing to be your most authentic self in the interview for your dream job.
HR Consultant
10 年I don't know, Paul. I've interviewed a few hundred people and it usually takes quite a bit of coaxing to get to the authentic past the nerves. It's not that easy to see that you aren't being your true self if you don't have a viewpoint outside yourself. The less practiced the interviewer, the less authentic they seem as well, and the more nervous the candidate.
UI/UX Design Specialist | Brand, Web & Visual Designer | Extensive Front-End Experience
10 年I don't necessarily agree that getting to the "real you" needs testing on camera. While I believe any candidate has to be authentic to get the job, there's a way to do it without cameras... BE AUTHENTIC IN THE INTERVIEW. Candidates can trip themselves up by not being who they are. Speak from the heart, with your head as a guide.