Managing Interviewers Perception: Impression Management
Theory Intro
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7
Erving Goffman’s Theory of Dramaturgy, also known as Impression Management, is no different from the extract above. Goffman (11 June 1922 – 19 November 1982) was a Canadian-born American sociologist, social psychologist, and writer. He first conceptualised Impression Management in his 1959 work, ‘The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life’. He uses theatre as a metaphor to represent how people behave in society and how they describe themselves.
Theory Explained
Front Stage is where the interaction occurs, what other people see, and our active engagement with others, where we strive to leave a good impression on our audience.
Backstage is who we are when we are not in any social context – alone or no one is watching.
Consider the difference in how you act with your partner, friends, family, and work colleagues or how you may represent yourself on social media. This difference may be conscious or subconscious, but individuals adapt their actions and words to fit their audience.
Impression Management Theory is essentially about how individuals consciously or subconsciously present themselves, influencing another person’s interpretation by controlling the information they receive to satisfy their needs and goals.
In the context of a job interview, it is essential to consider conscious Impression Management tactics to adapt your behaviour to give off the correct impression to the interviewer. This approach is usually synonymous with self-presentation, in which a person tries to influence the perception of their image through how they dress.
Creating the desired impressions can be achieved using a culmination of ‘signs’, verbal and body language, dress, and personal energy. Before the interview, plan how you want to be perceived by the interviewer – what impression do you want to make, and how do you plan to make it? As you plan what you will wear, apply the same approach to what you will say but how you will say it, how you will sit, your composure, hand gestures, facial expression, and how you show enthusiasm.
Interviews are unquestionably nerve-racking experiences, but no matter how you feel inside, remember that the interviewer only sees your exterior. So, as long as you leverage conscious Impression Management, no one else knows how you feel inside. This is no different from the Swan analogy, where the Swan glides effortlessly across the water’s surface, but below, the legs kick like mad. Make sure your interviewer sees the swan on the surface.