One of the things I have been advising managers to do for more than 20 years is watch job applicants as they walk. This doesn’t mean asking them to walk from one point to another. It means being aware of their gait. Ask yourself:
Does he seem to wander or stride the door for the interview?
Somewhere in between?
Is he anxious to move forward or
does he take the time to genuinely greet everyone to whom he is introduced?
Does the applicant fidget or is she smooth in her movements?
Consider whether you will want to work with someone who seems ready to bounce off the walls. Does he or she look overwhelmed by the environment even though their resume says they spent three years in your type of workplace?
All of these behaviors are signals. People usually try to be on their best behavior during an interview. But you don’t want to see how they pretend to be. You want to see them as they are. After all, you and your team are going to have to live with them day in and day out, month after month.
They can be well qualified and possess all the skills you are seeking, but if their going to be a nuisance to work with, lots of time and productivity will be lost. When a person leaves an interview, walk them to the door and discreetly watch them walk to their car. If they seem to have been artificially upbeat during the interview, they will return to their normal demeanor after they have left the building and don’t think you’re looking any more. How can you interpret that?
While a person’s gait should not disqualify a person from a job, observing it provides one more window into a person’s soul. If yours is a contemplative, deliberate work environment, hiring an energetic, perky person in hopes that they will inspire everyone to pick up the pace is not good strategy. At the same time, hiring someone with a deliberate style into a fast-paced workplace might be a good idea if the job is detail-oriented and requires concentration. Consider all this before you interview and again as you make a selection.
Actions always speak louder than words. Watching applicants as they walk around the environment will provide one more way to evaluate their match for the job.