Smile, please… and maybe you’ll get the job! How a grin during a job interview makes you more ‘hireable’ by exuding ‘confidence and willingness’
- Employees rated candidates who smiled in pictures on LinkedIn as more competent
- Smiling can also make people look more attractive, researchers say
There are several things to keep in mind when going for an interview, but according to one study, simply smiling can be the key to landing the job.
Researchers said a flashy grin could make you more “rentable” because it conveys confidence and willingness.
It also makes people look more attractive — meaning others are more likely to like you, she added.
Researchers said a flashy grin could make you more “rentable” because it conveys confidence and willingness
In tests with 280 people, employees rated candidates who smiled at photos on job site LinkedIn as more competent than those with neutral expressions.
The study, presented at the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC, found that on a scale of one to seven, smiling candidates scored an average of 5.11, while non-smilers scored an average of 4.99.
Study leader Sabrina Chan, from the University of Toronto, said: “First impressions are very important and research shows that people have a better memory for happy faces.”
Past research has had mixed results, with some finding that a serious expression can make you look more professional and increase recruitment chances.
