Bad Vibes through Seating Arrangements

Leaving aside interview techniques, a pure seating arrangement can influence the status and power dynamics of a job interview.

Location of chairs and their height (from the floor level) can create an atmosphere of seriousness, partnership, or compassion. Besides, the chair size and its accessories may also have impact on the mood.

Typically, an interviewer and interviewee sit directly opposite one another as on the attached picture.

In this seating arrangement, the most power is exerted and a defensive and competitive atmosphere prevails. In addition, the table becomes a solid barrier between both parties.

Therefore, the competitive position almost implies that the parties are meeting to work out why they should not enter an employer-employee relationship. At the same time, the idea of a shared vision and moving together in the same direction is pushed into the background. Without a doubt, this position does not foster understanding and does not put an interviewee at ease when speaking with the interviewer. In addition, conversations tend to be significantly shorter in this position.

The competitive position can be quite detrimental to recruitment practices.