Rogue Humans HR

We know that not everyone has the same opinion, and as a society we relish freedom of speech and expressing our views, however there is a time and a place for doing so. In my opinion (see what I did there?) during an interview is certainly not the right time or place.

Correct, we don’t want a dull conformist that is more like a robot than a person. But having a complete stranger challenge your statement or view point when you are expecting them to make a positive impression does not really stand in good stead for an employee who will follow the rules.

Tips for the Interviewee

This doesn’t mean that as an interviewee you cannot express a disagreement, it is more of a case of knowing how to express yourself and where to draw the line when a difference of opinion is evident. If you are posed with a statement or view point that you do not agree with, it is okay to say so, but only with the back-up of some good proof or reasoning. Even better would be if you have an example to evidence the antagonistic statement you may have made in return.

To be able to challenge a recruiter in the right way, you must take into account body language and tone of voice:

1. Stay relaxed – changing your body position to sit more upright or folding your arms before you make the point can be deemed to be defensive and at times aggressive. If your point of view comes from the heart then you have no reason to get on your high horse as it is something you feel you can fully support without the need to express some sort of hierarchy.
2. No gesticulation, stabbing fingers on the table to help punctuate every word you say, and definitely no pointing of fingers in the direction of the interviewer. This should be pretty self-explanatory, however just to make clear – this is seen as challenging and aggressive.
3. Tone of voice – try to remain in a light, positive tone and not change to a more dominant, harsh voice like you are about to face up against Donald Trump.
4. Choice of words – it is never good to just say “I disagree”. As previously stated, some form of evidence or reasoning is better to be paired with a difference of opinion and even if you do not offer it, I am sure a recruiter will definitely ask why if you have made a challenge. I have found the best way of approaching this situation is to say “I’m not sure I agree with that, and the reason being is….”.