When you conduct employment interviews, you sometimes notice that candidates appear extremely nervous throughout the entire interview. To try to combat this, you’ve decided to rethink the way you begin your interviews and do more rapport building. Which of the following would be the best way to build rapport with your candidates?
Explanation
Answer - C - The weather is a safe topic of discussion, and you can be certain that the candidate has some awareness of it. If you work in a sealed or windowless workplace, or if you haven’t had a change to go outside for a while, asking about the weather affords the candidate the opportunity to “update” you on something that is relevant to both of you.
Key Takeaway: Option A is not best since interviews should not discuss any factors that are not job-related (excluding the weather) - including hobbies and interests. You never know what information candidates might reveal about themselves as they speak about their hobbies or interests, and it is much easier to avoid this discussion than to have to deal with unwanted information the candidate has disclosed. Option B is not the best, since positioning photos of family members in visible locations is equivalent to discussing your own family, which is akin to nonverbally inviting the candidate to discuss his or her own family. Option D is not the best, since discussing any prominent current event is likely to lead to issues that relate to politics, religion, personal beliefs, or a host of other topics that should not be discussed during an interview.
