Don't Rush to Judgment

As many as four out of five hiring decisions are made within the first ten minutes of an interview, according to some studies. More than half of all first impressions are driven by body language, posture, facial expressions and eye contact. It's important for interviewers to avoid creating their own false realities. An interview should be about the candidate's professional experience, as well as personal characteristics such as honesty, integrity, determination, humor, and general likability. Its normal to have a reaction to a job candidate in an interview. But remember that first impressions are merely pieces of the puzzle. Tips that can help you avoid being unduly influenced by distracting and potentially incorrect first impressions include: 1. Examine your decision making-style. 2. Let your fingers do the walking. 3. Listen to others first. 4. Treat everyone equally. 5. Create a warm-up period. 6. Remember that past is prologue. 7. Test your fallibility.