Just Because You Are Quiet Doesn’t Mean You Won’t Get That Senior Consultants Role
Introverts can sometimes find it tough in recruitment, at times being left behind the more talkative and gregarious recruiters when it comes to promotion to senior consultant. Because introverts often shy away from the limelight and like to have time to process things, they are often thought to lack the confidence to succeed as a recruiter—particularly in a senior role.
But in truth, introverts have many great positive qualities that make them solid, trusted, and successful recruiters who will excel in a senior consultant’s role. Introverted recruiters are excellent listeners, are extremely focused and organised, have good job longevity, and tend to create strong working relationships with a solid foundation in trust.
There’s no question that introverts make excellent recruiters, but a hurdle can arise when they want to apply for promotion to a more senior role, as many introverts feel they’re not at their best in an interview situation.
It’s all too easy for more introverted candidates to think they’ll be overshadowed by more showy, vivacious recruiters in the interview process, and this does sometimes happen, particularly to overly nervous or unprepared candidates. This is why it’s so important to come up with an interview strategy that is high on preparation and showcases the many attributes of an introverted recruiter.
In the lead-up to the interview
1. Find out as much about the interview process as possible ahead of time.
As an introvert, you like knowing what you’re going to face so you can prepare, so mine your recruiter for information about the structure of the interview, as well the practical details like time and place.
2. Put faces to the names.
If you can find out the names of the interviewer/s, you’ll be able to do a bit of research beforehand on LinkedIn etc. Having seen people’s faces before and knowing a bit about them can really take the edge off the fear when you walk in.
3. Plan your outfit.
As a recruiter, you know how much interview appearance matters, so just a gentle reminder to plan your outfit and get it all laid out ahead of time.
4. Prepare and practice.
You probably don’t need to be told how important it is to do background research on the company and develop some follow-up questions! It’s also an excellent idea to practice with a friend or record your answers. As an introvert and a recruiter, you’ll probably have this superbly covered already!
The day of the interview
1. Physically and mentally prepare before the interview.
Create the best conditions for your success, by starting the day with some yoga, a long walk—or whatever gets you feeling calm. When it’s nearing time for you to go into the interview, head to the bathroom and do a final check of your hair etc, before doing a few ‘power poses’, such as standing with your hands on your hips. Bizarrely, these body language tricks have been proven to flood the body with confidence-boosting hormones. Watch this Ted Talk by Amy Cuddy to find out how it works.
In the interview:
1. Don’t get put off by a group situation.
Ideally you’ll be conducting a one-on-one interview, but there’s every chance you’ll be facing a panel. If there are several people in the room, make eye contact with each person individually as you arrive.
2. Make the most of your introversion.
As an introvert, your natural tendency is to listen to a question, be perceptive to any subtext, and take a moment to deliver a considered and smart response. Go with this, don’t rush things!
Many more extroverted candidates jump at questions and rattle off an answer quickly, without stopping to think carefully about what they’re saying. An introvert has a different approach: you’ll never accidentally let slip that you left your last job on bad terms, or miss the point of the question in your haste to make yourself look good! Be confident in this aspect of your slower style, as a good interviewer will appreciate your thoughtful answers and rate them much more favourably than the off-the-cuff style solutions. If you need time, don’t hesitate to say something like ‘that’s an excellent question. I need a minute to think about that one.’
3. Give yourself a break.
You may need a reprieve from the questions if they’re coming at you thick and fast, so it can be a good tactic to ask a related question of your own to give you a breather. When you’re answering questions to a panel, try not to get focussed on one ‘friendly’ face in particular and just look at that person through the whole interview. Try to direct your gaze to whoever has asked the question.
4. Talk about your achievements in a way that works for you.
For an introvert, boasting about past achievements in an interview is akin to enduring Chinese water torture. So don’t boast, just chat about what you’ve loved doing in the past, what you learned from previous roles and how you’d like to keep advancing these skills in the new role . Remember, they were impressed enough about what you put in your CV that they gave you an interview, so you’re not here to brag, just to fill out the details. If you have particularly good billing numbers etc, it can be a good tactic to have your results and achievements printed out in an eye-catching graph or format— you can refer to this, it keeps your hands busy to hold something, and you can even give them a copy to look at too.
5. Remember to smile.
You can answer questions perfectly and go through all the motions, but the hiring panel also want to see your human side in order to connect. All you really need to do is smile and thank them for their time. You don’t need to be a comic genius, and you shouldn’t force yourself to be bubbly and talkative if you’re not— it will just come off awkwardly. Just be pleasant and polite. If the interview starts off with small talk and you suffer from nerves, it can be a good idea to have a topic or two in mind.
With the right preparation, your introversion can be an advantage in showing you off as a thoughtful, dedicated, and highly experienced candidate.
Until next time,
Cheryl