15 TIPS TO GAINING LIKABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE

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Likeability

Are you – friendly – agreeable – amiable – appealing – genial –good natured – sociable affable – pleasing???

Who cares? Bosses supervisors and fellow workers do.

Here’s a thought to ponder: What valuable skill will help you secure that long sought after position and once you get it thrive in the environment and move up in the corporation? You and the interviewer know it is important, dare I say critical, yet neither of you can mention it. There is no spot on the resume to list it and the interviewer cannot ask you about it directly.

ARE YOU LIKEABLE? You need to be to get the job and to perform well once you do get it. This is definitely one of those soft skills the candidate needs to exhibit. About the closest a person can come to letting HR know that he/she is likable is to use terms like “team player” – not the same thing exactly. Sometimes people perform okay as a member of a team, yet they are not particularly likeable.

According to Pam Holloway, “likeability is not a gift; it can be acquired. People that are liked by others are more successful in business and life, get promoted and most importantly, THEY GET HIRED!!”

People who are described as likeable have positive mental attitudes, are non-judgmental and open refraining from criticizing; are secure and “comfortable in their own skin,” are vulnerable – admitting mistakes, and are able to get outside of themselves – they can empathize with others. Some self-reflection can help us assess if we have these qualities.

RECOMMENDATION * – An excellent job preparation guide is Bob Firestone’s, “The Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Answers.” I encourage you to get a copy of this book and use it for interview preparation. Since I know that it might be difficult for you to carve out the time to read and study this book, allow me in the next few blogs to share some of the main ideas found there.

Beginning at the beginning – The Interview 
The candidate’s number 1 goal is to get hired. The interview is really about the employer’s needs, not yours. Managers hire people in order to make their own job easier. The candidate’s job is to make the manager need his/her skills, experience, attitude and education. While you are discussing your hard skills and abilities, the interviewer is trying to evaluate your likeability factor, even subconsciously. This is especially a factor in the first interview in which the social likability cues you exhibit are being evaluated. In simple terms, they’re trying to get a “feel” for you – can they tolerate working with you? Talk about first impressions, this is when it happens, some people think in the first thirty seconds of the interview. Your personality and professionalism are often assessed in a quick first impression. Practice your entrance, your smile (be sure to do so), your handshake, your demeanor. It’s not a bad idea to record yourself – first watching your entry without the sound. Develop a strategy – even if you might have to extend yourself beyond your comfort zone. This isn’t faking it; it’s about being emotionally intelligent in order to give others a positive experience on an emotional level.

Some tips to consider:

1. Greet the interviewer like an old friend and if you are a person who has trouble with small talk, then plan to say something. “For example, compliment the ‘energy’ in the office.”
2. Go out of your way to be pleasant.
3. Smile and maintain eye contact.
4. Compliment the organization by doing your “homework” and deciding three things you like about the company – work this in early on.
5. Be enthusiastic and the job and the organization. Use words like “wonderful,” “phenomenal,” “remarkable,” “so pleased,” “very enthusiastic.”
6. Give a genuine compliment to the interviewer.
7. Show empathy to the interviewer’s needs as an employee. What are his goals? Ask about what he/she is trying to accomplish.
8. Make a calculated goal to connect with the interviewer on something you know about him. Research the person so you can bring up something when the timing is right – just don’t make it something about politics or religion. At an appropriate point, share some non-job related things about yourself that he can identify with such as sports, hobbies, a book or industry trends.
9. Communicate optimism – show that you look on the bright side, that you are not a complainer.
10. Show that you are compassionate and care about people’s feelings. Use words like serving, giving, helping.
11. Appear relaxed but energetic – easy to talk to.
12. Reveal a weakness early on as a way to show honesty and openness.
13. Show some humor – they may even ask what makes you laugh.
14. Speak confidently about your accomplishments but show modesty.
15. Finish the interview with a strong accomplishment statement.

Finally, fear not. No one expects you to be someone you are not. These are just strategies to explore and work into the interview if and when appropriate. BE GENUINE. BE YOURSELF, BUT BE YOUR BEST OPTIMISITIC,

COMPASSIONATE, ENTHUSAISTIC, AMIABLE, GOOD NATURED, LIKABLE SELF!!

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