The Importance of Building Rapport During Your Interview

Building rapport is huge during an interview. You may have the best qualifications in the world, but if you fail to make that connection, you probably won’t be hired. Here are some strategies to find a common connection and help cultivate this rapport:

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW: Try to find out the names of the persons who will be interviewing you and conduct a LinkedIn and Google search on these people. Maybe they’re connected with people you’re connected with on LinkedIn. Maybe they attended the same college you did. Maybe they worked at a company that your sister worked at. Maybe they just completed a marathon and you are an avid runner. These are all connections that can help build rapport.

DURING THE INTERVIEW: If you’re interviewing in somebody's personal office, look around. Maybe there’s a picture of his/her children at a swimming meet and you swam in high school. There’s a connection! Maybe the interviewer has hunting pictures on his/her walls, and you (or your father) is a hunter. There’s a connection!

These connections serve as great ice breakers, and an ideal time to mention them is at the beginning of the interview when, typically, candidates are asked the question “Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

Finding a connection helps build rapport, and this is a recipe for success.