How to avoid awkward small talk and keep your interview bias-free

For crying out loud, interviewers – just talk about the weather!

A participant in one of our recent interviewer training workshops told us that the most awkward part of the interview for him was the small talk that immediately preceded and followed the official interview. Collecting the candidate from reception, walking them to and from the interview room and saying hello at the start of the Zoom call. Can you relate?

Banal chit-chat, trying to appear friendly and welcoming but remaining professional. I asked what he talked about..

“Oh, you know the usual things…”

• Did you have far to travel?
• What’s the traffic like?
• Was it an early start for you?
• Is this a busy time of the year for you?
• Did you manage to get away on a holiday this summer?
• Did you find this place easily enough?

STOP!

The only safe topic to talk about during that walk to the interview room or during the time before the Zoom interview officially starts is… the weather. You may feel like you are on autopilot, having the same pre-interview chit-chat with every candidate but it will stop you inadvertently straying into the territory of asking discriminatory questions, creating unwelcome bias… or the candidate offering you information that they had planned not to – eg:

Innocent question while walking to the interview room:

Was it an early start for you this morning?

Nervous candidate’s response (that tells you they have a family):

Yes – I had to drop my kids off at my mother’s so that she could take them to school.

Why it matters

Just because the interview hasn’t officially started and after it has officially ended doesn’t mean that there isn’t a risk that you will ask a question that could land you and your organisation in deep legal water after the interview.

Stick to the weather! Endless hours of questions on this topic.

Ready to elevate your interview skills?

Join our Interviewer Training Workshop to ensure every candidate experience is professional, consistent, and bias-free. Or contact us for more information — we’d be happy to discuss how we can support your organisation’s interviewer training needs.

Image Credit: Photo by Freepik