Young Job Seekers, Do You Know Your Interview Etiquette?

By Jennifer Graham

If you are 22 to 30 years-old and looking for a new position, you need to read up on your interview etiquette before you go to your next job interview.

Let’s run through the most common mistakes, and how to avoid them. At the end of this, you will understand:

• The bias facing young job seekers

• The etiquette of business hierarchy
• How to communicate with hiring managers
• How to avoid common language errors

Over the years, we have had qualified candidates lose out on lucrative job offers because of their communication gaffs. And, no, I’m not talking about something as obvious as dropping the F-bomb to the President of the company. I’m talking about the uniquely youthful behavior of communicating on an overly familiar basis during an interview. We don’t want young job seekers to fall into this behavior; get to know proper workplace etiquette.

Youth Bias

For years, you’ve heard the complaints about young people coming across as entitled and disrespectful of authority. By now you’ve also heard the contradictory research, which proves that young people can be extremely hard working, loyal employees who contribute a great deal to an organization. Still, the perception persists… and that impression of the entitled, overly familiar young man or woman is VERY hard to overcome once it is imprinted on the mind of a hiring authority. We want you to avoid making these common, easily avoidable mistakes.

So, what exactly do young interviewers do that brands them as entitled or disrespectful of authority? For starters, treating an interview like a laid back hang-out with your college friends. Hiring managers are not your friends who you can speak to in informal, slangy language. Just because an interviewer is friendly does not mean the two of you are peers. Being too casual in an interview can cause an interviewer to see you as unserious, flippant, or unprofessional.

Examples of What Not to Say…

One very-well qualified candidate said “Ya know” and “Sure thing” so many times in her first meeting that the rest of her interviews for the day were canceled. The employer told us, “ I would NEVER put her in front of a customer with those communication skills.”

In another instance, as the interviewer provided a detailed description of the job responsibilities, the candidate nodded vigorously, saying “Coolcoolcool” repeatedly. Another young man walked into a conference room for a panel interview with four C-level executives and greeted them with “Hi, you guys!”, then sat down, stretching out with his arm over the back of the chair next to him and grinned. His candidacy ended right on the spot.

Understanding the Business Hierarchy

If you read that last paragraph and are thinking, “What’s the big deal? They were just being themselves.” Let us tell you, it IS a big deal.

Why?

First, hiring managers and interviewers are authorities. Even though you have a choice about whether or not to accept a job, if offered, the interviewer IS above you in the business hierarchy. With each different strata of authority come invisible boundaries. When you inadvertently cross them, it creates discomfort and tension. Imagine that you are eating at a beautiful restaurant on Valentine’s Day with your partner. After taking your order, the server sits down next to you and says: “So, how did you guys meet?”

In another setting, the question is not rude, and in fact could be considered extremely polite as an icebreaker. But in this circumstance, the server has committed the sin of crossing the invisible line between patron and worker. This violation of expected role behavior is likely to at least unnerve you, and at most irritate you. In that setting, at that moment, you are an authority, and a good server knows that. The same unspoken roles and rules apply in business.

Communicating with Hiring Managers

Workplace etiquette- and corporate etiquette in general- requires that you treat authorities with an extra layer of deference and respect. This doesn’t mean you are groveling or sublimating your own worth; it just means that you understand the rules of the professional game and agree to play by them.

Greeting an interviewer with “What’s up” rather than “Good morning” or “It’s nice to meet you” is a sure indicator to the interview panel that you either do not get the accepted standard rules of professional communication, or worse, you are refusing to play by them. That last perception leads to the impression that you have the dreaded attitude problem.

You may be asking; “Why do you have to act like someone else? What if it doesn’t feel genuine?”

I’m not suggesting that you change who you are, just that you need to present the most polished version of you in certain situations. Practicing respect and other-orientation does not mean you are selling out. Honoring boundaries and deferring to authority is not only appropriate; it is politically savvy. Watch the most successful people you know and see whether they are flippant and slangy, or careful and deliberate in their conversations with the people in power in their company.

Of course, you can rebel against this status quo, but I assure you it will be at a cost to your career opportunities.

Exceptions

There are certain, unique creative markets where formal verbal communication is not required, and can actually be a barrier. But even in those fields the customers, the board members and the all-important investors are likely to live in the world of formal communication, so it’s best to play it safe.

Just as the etiquette books say it is better to show up at a party overdressed than underdressed, the same is true with your language. Remember that you can always drop back from formality to more casual speech. Keep in mind that you can’t really come back from “Hey guys, what’s up?” Because that ship of perceptions, filled with your career aspirations, will have already sailed.

Get In Touch

What do you think about interview etiquette? Anything we missed? We’d love to hear your comments or questions! If you’re a candidate looking for a new role, browse all of our current open positions and please reach out to us with any inquiries! Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for news, announcements, and updates.