The idea for this WorkPuzzle was forwarded to me by Andy Nazaroff, the President and CEO of Guarantee Real Estate in Fresno, California.

Andy has been a friend and client for many years, and he’s one of the best hiring managers we’ve ever observed. He was a natural at building trust quickly with the candidates he interviewed, and perhaps it was the secret to his recruiting success.

If you asked Harvard School Professor Amy Cuddy, she would probably agree.

Why? Because Cuddy’s research reveals people want the answers to two basic questions when they meet someone for the first time.

If the answer to both of these questions is “yes,” the chances of making a hire greatly increase.

First Impressions

The questions Cuddy refers to are quite simple:

Can I trust you?

Can I respect you?

Psychologists refer to these dimensions as warmth and competence respectively, and ideally you want to be perceived as having both.

Jenna Goudreau, deputy editor at Business Insider reported,

Interestingly, Cuddy says that most people, especially in a professional context, believe that competence is the more important factor. After all, they want to prove that they are smart and talented enough to handle your business.

But in fact warmth, or trustworthiness, is the most important factor in how people evaluate you.

How do you spend the first few minutes of your interviews? If you’re focused on competence, you’re probably starting off on the wrong foot.

Warmth First, Competence Second

While competence is highly valued, Cuddy says it is evaluated only after trust is established. And focusing too much on displaying your strength can backfire.

So how can you establish warmth in your interviews? Initially spending 20 or 30 minutes asking open-ended questions and actively listening to the candidates is a great way to build trust.

Without this foundation, the second question can’t be appropriately addressed.

If someone you’re trying to influence doesn’t trust you, you’re not going to get very far; in fact, you might even elicit suspicion because you come across as manipulative, Cuddy says.

A warm, trustworthy person who is also strong elicits admiration, but only after you’ve established trust does your strength become a gift rather than a threat.

Helping someone change careers and start a real estate business is a gift. But, it will only be received if a candidate trusts and respects you as a hiring manager.

Questions or Comments?  Reply to your WorkPuzzle subscription email.

Didn’t get the WorkPuzzle email?  Subscribe below.  We promise not to share your email with others or use it for any other purpose but delivering WorkPuzzle notices.