Can certain personality traits help you boost your job interviewing skills? Book author reveals all
In search of a new job? An author shares insights for best interviewing techniques
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Anna Papalia, the Philadelphia-based author of the just-published book, "Interviewology" (Harper Business, Jan. 30, 2024), has some key tips for those in search of new jobs — as well as those on the front lines of filling those positions.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, the career influencer and former director of talent acquisition said there are four unique interview styles that can help both jobseekers and hiring managers understand the art of interviewing better.
Job hunters should not memorize scripted answers, she said, just as hiring managers should not use the same tired tactics in the interview process.
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Papalia, a sought-after speaker, shared guidance on improving the interview practice on both sides of the hiring equation.
She shared some of the top tips in her book in an interview with FOX Business.
What are the four interview styles?
We all interview for jobs in one of four ways, said Papalia.
We might be a charmer, a challenger, an examiner or a harmonizer.
People handle job interviews in one of four ways, according to the author of a new book. "We might be a charmer, a challenger, an examiner or a harmonizer," said Anna Papalia (not pictured), the author of "Interviewology" (Harper Business, Jan. 30). (iStock / iStock)
"Charmers want to be liked, challengers want to be themselves, examiners want to get it right and harmonizers just want to adapt," she told FOX Business. "This sets us up for different experiences."
Harmonizers, for instance, look at interviews as if they're a tryout for a team they want to join, Papalia said.
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"When you prioritize adapting the way a harmonizer does, you may listen more than you talk, and you may be more agreeable because your goal is be seen as part of the company," she pointed out.
"Challengers ask tough questions because they show their value in a job interview by being undaunted, strong and determined."
But challengers are the opposite of harmonizers.
They see interviews as a cross-examination, in which the goal is to be heard and respected, she said.
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"Challengers ask tough questions because they show their value in a job interview by being undaunted, strong and determined," said Papalia.
So-called examiners see job interviews as a test that they will either get right or wrong, said the author of a new book. "Charmers want to make a connection and examiners want to get it right," she said. (iStock / iStock)
If you prioritize being liked — then you’re a charmer.
"These people see interviews as a stage, and they are the star of the show," said Papalia.
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Their opposite, the examiner, sees interviews as a test that they will either get right or wrong, she said.
Job searchers will be able to "interview more authentically and truly understand how to get what you and what others need out of an interview."
"Charmers want to make a connection and examiners want to get it right," added Papalia.
How does knowing your interview style build your skillset?
When you have these different priorities in a job interview, Papalia said you make different impressions.
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"By learning to identify our interview styles and the interview styles of others, you discover what’s holding you back, interview more authentically and truly understand how to get what you and what others need out of an interview," she said.
In summary:
- Charmers are those who think, "I want to be liked."
- Challengers are those who think, "I want to be me."
- Examiners are those who think, "I want to get it right."
- Harmonizers are those who think, "I want to adapt."
How does understanding different interview styles assist hiring managers in finding the right person for the job?
The majority of hiring managers aren’t appropriately trained on how to interview and fall prey to their implicit bias when judging candidates and making hiring decisions, said Papalia.
"Most hiring managers shadow someone, Google it or wing it," she told FOX Business.
"Most hiring managers believe that they will just know when they find the right candidate, but that is not the case."
Anna Papalia (shown) is the author of the new book "Interviewology." She said hiring managers should "take a closer look at who you are and why you like who you like in interviews — and challenge yourself." (Courtesy Anna Papalia / Fox News)
She also said that most hiring managers have pretty strong preferences.
"What I found in my research is that those preferences don’t help us make better hires. They actually do the opposite — and lead us to hire candidates who are similar to us, creating lopsided cultures that lack diversity," she added.
"The fastest way to improve your hiring is to take a closer look at who you are and why you like who you like in interviews and to challenge yourself."
The way to solve this, suggested Papalia, is to first understand our interview style and then to conduct structured, behavioral and technical interviews.
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"The fastest way to improve your hiring is to take a closer look at who you are and why you like who you like in interviews and to challenge yourself," she said.
As a hiring manager, understanding your style and being able to identify others’ styles can reveal your biases and blind spots in interviewing — keeping you from relying on "clicking" with interviewees to find the right candidate, said Papalia. (iStock / iStock)
As a hiring manager, understanding your style and being able to identify others’ styles can reveal your biases and blind spots in interviewing — keeping you from relying on "clicking" with interviewees to find the right candidate, noted Papalia.
"The four styles also allow for a universal, standardized language for the interviewing process, which has never existed before," she said.
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Papalia has over 1.9 million followers across social media platforms, according to her biography.
She has worked with large companies, such as Cigna and Lincoln Financial, and taught at Temple University’s Fox School of Business for 12 years, where she "collected research and discovered the four interview styles."
Papalia's new book is "Interviewology," from Harper Business. (HarperCollins / Fox News)
Prior to writing her new book "Interviewology," she advised thousands of clients — helping students, entrepreneurs, senior executives, and jobseekers in many industries.
She has taught hundreds of corporate training sessions dedicated to training hiring managers how to interview, she notes on her website.
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