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Decoding the Hidden Language of Cues 5:33 Lena: Okay, Miles, so we have our structure—the questions are set, the rubric is ready. But as we’re sitting across from someone—whether it’s in person or on a screen—there’s this whole other layer of communication happening. You know—the things they aren't saying out loud.
5:49 Miles: Oh, the nonverbals. This is where it gets really interesting—and where a lot of interviewers accidentally trip themselves up. Galina Hitching and the team at Science of People have some great insights on this. They point out that in high-stress situations like an interview, candidates are naturally going to show "self-soothing" behaviors—fidgeting, maybe a bit of a shaky voice, or even avoiding eye contact.
6:13 Lena: Right! And the danger is that we see that and immediately think, "Oh, they’re nervous, so they must not be confident" or even worse, "They’re hiding something." But Hitching warns us not to penalize someone for that. Nervousness isn't a lack of competence—it’s just a biological response to a high-stakes moment.
6:30 Miles: Exactly. It’s about distinguishing between "baseline" jitters and actual "red flags." This is something Pamela Meyer—who wrote *Liespotting*—is a huge proponent of. She says you have to establish a "behavioral baseline" during the low-stakes part of the conversation—the "how was your commute" or "how’s your day" phase. You watch how they move and speak when they’re relaxed.
6:49 Lena: So, then, when you get into the tougher questions—the behavioral ones about past failures or conflicts—you’re looking for *deviations* from that baseline.
2:21 Miles: Exactly! If they were calm and steady during the small talk but suddenly their vocal quality shifts, or they start doing a "lip press"—where the lips disappear into a thin line—that’s a cue. That lip press is often a gesture of withholding or suppression. They’re literally holding something back.
7:16 Lena: That is such a vivid image. And I think we’ve all felt that "Contempt" microexpression, too—that little lift on one side of the mouth. If you see that when you’re talking about a former manager or a specific company policy, that tells you way more than the words they’re using.
7:31 Miles: It really does. But Meyer and the research she cites—including some of the studies on deception—warn us not to look for a "single tell." There’s no Pinocchio’s nose. You’re looking for *clusters*. If the posture tightens, the gaze shifts, and the vocal speed increases all at once—that’s a signal to dig deeper. It doesn't mean they’re lying, but it means there’s some internal friction there worth exploring.
7:53 Lena: And what about us as interviewers? We’re sending cues too, right? I was fascinated by the idea of "Open Posture." The research suggests that if we sit with our arms and legs uncrossed, facing the candidate directly, we actually process information more accurately.
8:10 Miles: It’s wild, isn't it? It’s not just about looking friendly—though that helps. It’s about how our own brains work. An open posture seems to prime us for engagement and reduces our own internal distractions. We focus less on irrelevant "noise" and more on the meaningful behavioral evidence the candidate is providing.
8:29 Lena: It’s like we’re clearing the signal on our end so we can receive their signal better. And then there’s the "Interest Cues"—the simple stuff like nodding three times or leaning in slightly. Apparently, that encourages the candidate to elaborate more naturally.
8:43 Miles: It does. If you’re a "Resting Bothered Face" person—and I think we all have our days—you have to be intentional about that. A small smile or a raised eyebrow when they say something interesting can make a huge difference. If the candidate feels like you’re genuinely interested, they’re more likely to drop the "interview persona" and show you who they actually are.
9:03 Lena: Which is the whole goal! We want the real person, not the rehearsed script. It’s funny—we think we’re so rational, but even the color of what someone is wearing can flip a switch in our brains. I saw that survey where blue is read as "trustworthy" and "collaborative," while orange is frequently perceived as "unprofessional" before the person even opens their mouth.
9:23 Miles: It’s a literal minefield of snap judgments. That’s why the structured rubric is so vital. It’s the tether that keeps us from drifting off into "color psychology" or "handshake quality" and keeps us focused on, "Can this person actually solve the problems we have?"
9:38 Lena: So, we’re using our awareness of nonverbals to look for evidence and build rapport, but we’re using the structure to make sure we don’t get seduced by a "Halo Effect" just because they’re wearing a "trustworthy" blue suit.
5:13 Miles: Precisely. It’s about being a "disciplined observer." You’re watching the cues to know where to ask follow-up questions, but you’re using the rubric to decide what the answers actually mean for the job.