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7 Mind Games That Interviewers Try When They Interview You

Confessions of an interviewer

George J. Ziogas
5 min readSep 22, 2023
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In my fifteen years as a HR professional, I’ve utilized numerous techniques to assess potential candidates. I’ve seen and practiced the art of subtle probing, often deploying psychological tactics to better understand an applicant’s persona and work ethos. Below is a sneak peek into what happens on the other side of the table and how I approach it.

Interviewers use many strategies to screen candidates and identify the best ones. Often, interviewers play mind tricks to make applicants reveal something about their personality or their working style. Sometimes, they use psychology. If you’re heading into an interview, you should know how interviewers use these approaches so that you can plan what to do.

I create awkward silences

There are times I intentionally halt our conversation, allowing a heavy silence to envelop us. It’s not to make you uncomfortable but to observe how you react. When pushed into such moments, many individuals unconsciously let down their guards, offering genuine insights into their thoughts.

Sometimes, recruiters pause in the middle of an interview and simply allow an uncomfortable silence to prevail. The aim of the exercise is to get you to hurry up and…

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George J. Ziogas
George J. Ziogas

Written by George J. Ziogas

Editor | Vocational Education Teacher | HR Consultant | Manners will take you where money won't | ziogasjgeorge@gmail.com

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