Since many supervisors are not trained as interviewers, your observations may provide you with some needed talking points if the interview stalls. One observant candidate noticed a book on tropical birds among the interviewer's engineering books and asked about it. Until then, the interview had been dying before his eyes.
Relieved, the interviewer perked up; the subject interested him. After a brief conversation in which the candidate asked the interviewer several questions about his interests, the candidate was able to connect with some similar interests and, by using the techniques described later in this book, bridge back into a discussion of the opening. The rest of the interview went well, and two weeks later, the candidate was hired.
Furniture Arrangements
The physical arrangement of offices can be telling. Some people have greater needs for space than others, and some people use space as a way to exercise power or control. Things haven't changed much since Michael Korda wrote about this in Power.
Every room in which you might be interviewed has its own dynamics. These are dictated by the way the room is laid out and by other physical aspects such as furnishings.
The indicators are so revealing that you can learn to read a room's power signs with very little practice even when the room is empty. A quick assessment of the interviewer's office can tell you much about the individual and often quite a bit about the department and the organization. In turn, you can use this information to adapt yourself physically and attitudinally to be more comfortable in this new environment. Since most readers will be interviewed in the offices of managers or executives, let's use an office at that level as our model. Location your first indicator of power or status is the location of the office. Is it on an executive floor or on a lower-status floor? Does it occupy a corner or other prestige location or is it one of many similar offices down a corridor? Is it convenient to a restroom, elevators, or a conference room?
Size is it spacious or cramped? Is it rectangular or corridor style? A corridor style makes it very difficult to arrange furniture in a way that gives the interviewer a sense of space.
Layout is there more than one door? An office with only one door will enable you to locate the room's "power" area more quickly. When there are two doors, where does each one lead? Does one go to a hallway, or does it go to a private area for the interviewer's secretary? Does the other door open into an area leading to executive offices? How much space does the interviewer have between the desk and the wall behind him or her? How much space is left for guests? Does the desk face the door so the interviewer can keep his or her eye on it at all times?
Michael Korda, in his book Power, described how three common office arrangements create different power dynamics between interviewer and applicant. In the most typical situation, the visitor's chair directly faces the desk of the office's occupant. In this case, the interviewer has the strongest position when his or her desk faces the door but has been pushed away from the back wall. With the extra room behind the desk, the interviewer isn't likely to feel "up against the wall," but the visitor has little breathing room or psychological space, and may feel tightly confined. By contrast, if the desk faces the visitor's chair but is pushed close to the back wall, the applicant has the dominant position. More powerful still for the applicant is a chair that has been placed to one side of the desk. In this situation, the interviewer must turn at an uncomfortable angle to speak with the visitor.
The office may also contain a sofa. If so, you may use that area for social discussion, but move to the desk when it comes time to ask for a decision or a specific action. The sofa area is "semi-social"; the desk area means business.
Lighting is the office brightly lit, or is the lighting subdued? Is the lighting direct or indirect, fluorescent or incandescent? A high-powered office will have recessed lighting from incandescent bulbs, often in the form of recessed floodlights around the edges of the room. Housekeeping is the office tidy? Disorganized? Piled high with projects? Is the interviewer's desk clean? Is the furniture in good condition? Furnishings Does the interviewer have a desk or a table? How many chairs are there, and what kind are they? Is there a sofa or settee? Are there end tables and a coffee table? Are they made of hardwood or plastic? Are the plants live or artificial? Is the floor carpeted or tiled? Are the wall decorations originals or prints? Are the chairs on castors with swivels or upright? Are they covered with fabric or vinyl? A high-powered office will have hardwood tables, live plants, carpeting, original artwork, and fabric-covered chairs that roll and swivel. Look for other power symbols such as a high-quality desk set and a second telephone in the informal lounge area of the office.
If you can give yourself a stronger power base in the office, it may be advantageous to do so. For example, you might sit in an upright chair instead of the low, overstuffed one that is offered to you. You might sit with your back to the bright window instead of facing it. You might also move your chair closer to the executive's to take away some of his or her personal space.
Anything that gives you a bit more power may help you in your interview, as long as your moves are not obvious and don't disturb the interviewer.
You can learn much about the interviewer from these assessment techniques. The information is especially important if this individual might become your boss. You will then want to get a better idea of his or her power perceptions and signals.
Group Interviews
In group interviews, you will most likely meet in the interviewer's informal area, if it is large enough, or in a conference room.
