For many applicants, the biggest source of interview stress and anxiety is the fear of becoming visibly nervous and disconcerting. Interview anxiety is the nervousness, anxiety, or panic you may feel before or during a job interview. Symptoms can be physical, such as elevated heart rate, or mental, such as racing thoughts. Much of the anxiety associated with interviews is based on not knowing what to expect.
Interviews are known to be high-stakes situations that can cause anxiety in even well-prepared candidates. Research today has shown that candidates' anxiety about self-presentation during interviews (i.e., interview anxiety) is often the reason for the use of deceptive impression management (IM) tactics during job interviews as a self-protective mechanism. Deceptive impression management (IM) is the “conscious distortions of information” in job interview questions.
In order to determine whether you're a good fit for the open position, HR is tasked with understanding and evaluating your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviour during every job interview in addition to your qualifications and experience. They employ techniques like testing, assessment, and observation, which can often be intrusive for the applicant. Additionally, because the interview is so crucial to landing the job, applicants make an effort to make a good impression on the interviewer. For instance, they might flatter the interviewer, present their accomplishments in an appealing light, or justify their unfavourable past experiences. In certain situations, they might even tell lies or make up experiences in order to fit in with the company.
If interview anxiety is an antecedent of deceptive IM, a practical insinuation may be an intervention to reduce interview anxiety, for it may reduce candidates' use of deceptive IM. By putting job c applicants at ease and possibly providing pamphlets outlining the organization and the job task involved, HR can effectively help reduce anxiety and give applicants the information they need to prepare for the interview. This would, in fact, lessen their motivation to use deceptive impression management during the interview as well as their interview anxiety.
Conversely, candidates should keep in mind that tension and anxiety are normal human reactions that occur when the body gets ready for a challenge and should not be mistaken for failure. Although nervousness is expected by interviewers, there are strategies to mitigate the symptoms. One can boost their level of confidence when their skills align with the role by doing research on the potential employer and the job duties involved. Frequently, the way that a situation is perceived rather than the actual circumstance itself is what creates anxiety.