Let’s be honest, most interviewees will tell a white lie from time to time to exaggerate their strengths and play down their weaknesses; we all do it. But what’s much more difficult is for them to fake their body language. This week we’ve put together a list of the top 5 most revealing body language indicators, as well as 20 warning signs that you should look out for. Discover what your candidates really don’t want you to know!

1. 20 Body Language Warning Signs to Watch Out For
When Interviewing Candidates!
coburgbanks.co.uk/blog/assessing-applicants/20-body-language-warning-signs-to-watch-out-for-
when-interviewing-candidates/
By Mark Wilkinson | May 18, 2015 |
Have you ever had a negative gut reaction about an interviewee that you couldn’t explain?
55% of our communication is non-verbal (put really simply) so it could well be that your interviewee’s
body language was the issue that tickled your distaste.
The study of body language isn’t just about detecting your liars, there are other warning signs that
could trigger unease, hinting at character traits that could be far worse than a propensity for telling lies.
This week, to help you separate the wheat from the chaff, the serious from the time wasters and the
liars from the honest, we’ve investigated 5 of the most revealing body indicators and come up with
20 warning signs that you should be looking out for.
Discover what your candidates really don’t want you to know!
1. The Eyes.
“The eyes are the window to your soul!”
Take a leaf out of Shakespeare’s book and look out for ‘eye language’ that could give you a glance into
your interviewing candidate’s soul…
Warning Signs:
Glancing to the right when asked to recall is considered a sign of deception!
Pupil dilation could betray intense interest, and perhaps even sexual attraction.
Excessive blinking implies that the interviewee is really feeling the pressure.
Prolonged staring into your eyes. If a candidate’s stare starts creeping you out, then chances
are, they’re trying a little too hard to seem calm and collected.
Lack of eye contact. This candidate feels insecure.
Squinting. Sight problems aside, squinting could mean two things. The candidate could be
considering the question or topic or it could be a sign of distrust, or even frustration. If the latter
is the case, then it’s more than likely that your intuitive alarm bells will start to ring!
Great Signs:
Glancing to the left when asked to recall is considered as a sign of honesty.
Comfortable eye contact that isn’t too prolonged shows confidence and ease with the situation
and your presence.
(Whether a candidate looks up or down doesn’t really matter.)

2. Recruiter Pro Tip
There are a many behavioural signs to spot a liar, during an interview and in general life.
Make sure you look out for:
Sudden changes in voice.
Fidgeting too much, or too little.
Micro-expressions.
Covering up of vulnerable body parts.
Giving up too much information.
Speaking in the third person.
For more insight, check out our previous blog: 8 Ways to Spot a Liar in an Interview .
The eyes are difficult instruments to fathom and therefore it is very important that you use your intuition
while assessing “eye language”.
A combined assessment of a candidate’s behaviour, body language and interview answers will give you
a more rounded picture of what’s going on in their brain!
2. The Mouth.
You can acquire a lot more information from someone’s mouth than you might imagine!
But firstly, it is important to note that almost all candidates will be trying to force a smile during the
interview to hide nerves, worry and downright panic.
A simple, “cut and pasted” smile is a sign of forced agreement and something you’ll see a lot as an
interviewer.
But even these fake (well-meaning) little smiles can appear with subtle nuances.
Warning Signs:
A thin-lipped smile, with no teeth could translate this as a sign of anger or rejection.
Mouth shrugs could imply signs of denial.
A jutting bottom lip is the adult equivalent to crying.
A lopsided smile could be a sign of cynicism or sarcasm.
A mouth that moves a lot while talking could imply a dominant and over-excited nature.
Great Signs:
Genuine laughter implies ease and confidence with the situation. You’ll usually be able to tell if
laughter is forced, but in general, genuine laughter will last for a shorter amount of time.
A real smile (also called a ‘duchenne smile‘) that draws in the eye muscles also implies ease
and confidence with the situation.
3. The Lungs.
No matter how accomplished a candidate is at masking their body language, breathing can give subtle

3. indications of how they’re truly feeling.
Warning Signs:
A sharp intake of breath or short, shallow breaths could be construed as a sign that the
candidate is really feeling the pressure.
Great Signs:
Breathing in rhythm with yourself would suggest one of two things:
1) They are feeling at ease around you.
2) They’re skilled in the art of body language and are attempting to gain your trust through the art of
mirroring.
You’d like to think that the latter is much less likely.
4. The Hands.
Hand signals can also betray an interviewing candidate’s true emotion.
Warning Signs:
Tapping fingers. Despite being fairly rude, tapping one’s fingers could betray impatience,
boredom and disinterest in the job.
Pointing (especially without context) too much can be a sign of aggression.
Clenched fists are a fairly obvious sign of aggression or anger.
Hiding their hands could indicate deception (they’ve got something to hide!)
Great Signs:
Steepling. Pressing the fingertips together in a steeple position is generally considered as a
sign of confidence, deep thought and elevated thinking.
Open hand gestures reveal openness, positivity and honesty.
Flipping over of hands can reflect genuine thought and deliberation. These candidates are
considering their options and it subconsciously manifests in their hands.
Recruiter Pro Tip
The interviewee’s handshake is also very revealing.
We always advise candidates to practise their handshake, to make sure it’s giving the
right impression – it’s just interview etiquette!
A weak and limp-wristed handshake reflects nervousness, whereas a strong and firm
handshake implies confidence and ease.
However, an overbearing handshake could indicate a domineering persona and
someone who possibly won’t play well with others.

4. 5. The Body as a Whole.
You can tell an awful lot about a candidate based on the way they sit, their posture and their general
body movements.
Warning Signs:
Slouching. Depending on the kind of slouch, this could be a sign of disinterest and arrogance or
(if nervous) a lack of confidence and submission.
Leaning forward with hands on thighs. This may seem like a sign of confidence, but it could
also be a sign that the candidate can’t wait to leave (not uncommon in interviews!) They’ve
already subconsciously started to leave, when they make this motion.
Touching their arm. No matter how fleeting this gesture is, the interviewee is comforting
themselves with a reassuring hug. They probably don’t think the interview is going very well!
Crossing arms is a big interview no-no and implies that an interviewee could be confrontational,
arrogant or even bored.
Great Signs:
A straight and neutral posture will show interest, confidence and in general, is just good
interview etiquette (for both interviewer and interviewee).
Recruiter Pro Tip
When your candidate crosses their legs, you may feel tempted to read into it; don’t.
Some people simply have bad posture and cross their legs for comfort.
Summary
If you take a glance online, you’ll find heaps of body language resources, emphasising a wide variety of
techniques to suss someone out by minor body movements and involuntary actions.
In truth, you’d need a psychology degree (and more) to understand every micro-expression, twitch and
movement.
It’s also really important to bear in mind that interviews are high pressure situations and it’s unlikely that
your candidates will offer a natural representation of themselves.
Your assessment will be far more successful if you combine the general body language guidance
sketched out above with your own sense of intuition.
Ask yourself…
Does their laugh seem genuine? Was there something to laugh at in the first place?
Does their slouch seem arrogant and uninterested, or is it just bad posture?
Does their smile seem angry, or could they just be self-conscious about their teeth?

5. To get a proper and fair assessment of your candidates, it’s also a great idea to try and make them feel
at ease during the interview.
This will allow them to answer questions more easily and will quell their behaviour to be as natural as
possible.
For tips on how to relax your interviewees, check out our recent blog: 10 ways you can put a candidate
at ease in an interview.
Who are Coburg Banks?
Coburg Banks are an award-winning UK-based, multi-sector recruitment consultancy, specialising in
the health and social care, marketing, sales, technical, and IT sectors.
Having been in the business since 2002, we’ve headhunted, interviewed and secured thousands of
candidates for our clients and we’ve racked up a wealth of knowledge about how to attract the most
prestigious employees to a business.
But we’re not going to keep that knowledge to ourselves…
We’ve started spreading the word with our blog, which delivers…
Cutting edge guidance, revealing how to attract and retain the best candidates, without
wasting precious time on inappropriate ones.
More insider secrets revealing how to draw out the best (and the worst) in your interviewing
candidates.
Shocking and embarrassing true confessions from recruiters across the globe; we’ve all
made mistakes, now you can learn from them!
Enjoy and Good Luck!
Mark Wilkinson
Mark is one of the founders of Coburg Banks and heads up the permanent
recruitment division of the business. Every day he helps companies with
their recruitment projects, sourcing the very best individuals for their
vacancies. He understands recruitment inside-out.