The job market is highly competitive right now in these uncertain times, and potential employers are choosing from a large pool of qualified candidates. Going through the resume of an applicant and getting a regular interview with them in today’s world is not enough in the quest for the perfect employee. That’s why employers have to use certain tricks and most of them are so easy that one of these psychological tests might fail by an applicant and not even recognize the test itself.

Job interviews can be stressful. You can prepare all you want and guess what you think they might ask you, but they always seem to ask you something you didn’t think of. HRavailable wants you to nail your next interview and land that dream job.

Here HRavailable is discussing a few tricks that hiring managers can be used to secretly test you.

1. The Coffee Trick

Have you ever been in a job interview and they’ve offered you a beverage – coffee, tea, juice, soda, or water? If yes, here is the reason for that.

The coffee trick is a simple test to determine if a candidate is a good fit. Here’s how the coffee trick works: When someone comes in for an interview, the interviewer takes them to the kitchen and makes sure they come away with a cup of coffee or tea. After the interview is done, the interviewer watches to see if the person offers or attempts to take the empty coffee cup back to the kitchen. If they do, he believes they’d be a good fit for the workplace. If they just leave their cup at the table and walk away, they won’t get the job.

So, if you find yourself sipping a beverage, make sure you at least ask what you should do with the empty cup, or take it with you when you leave.

2. The waiting Game

Employers know that you are likely to be at least a little bit nervous heading into your interview., but some employers actually want to make it harder.

The waiting game – or purposely making you wait past your scheduled interview time to start – is a stressful interview tactic. Stress interviews are ones in which employers put recruits in purposely stressful situations to see how they will react. They want to see how you react to stress and how you think on your feet.

Interviewers might leave candidates sitting in the waiting room longer than they need to assess how well they handle uncomfortable situations. Try to remain calm and focused. How you handle this situation will tell your potential future employer about you.

3. Silence or Long Pause

Another trick an interviewer may employ is a technique used by journalists when they interview a subject: Leaving silence. the interviewer may be trying to see how you handle the situation. Do you remain calm, or do you rush to fill the awkward pause?

If there is silence, we don’t want to take over the situation and try to fill it. We need to just be patient, take a deep breath, and wait for them to re-engage. If it’s still quiet, you can ask, “Did I answer your question or would you like me to elaborate further?” This puts you in a position of control and shows that you are a hard-to-crack nut.

4. Rude and Aggressive Interviewer

This is usually in the form of aggressive questioning, but can also be in the way the interviewer asks you the question. Raising their voice while asking tough questions like “why were you fired from your last job?” or “what makes you think you are qualified for this job?” If you’re feeling uncomfortable, then it is working.

This style of questioning is meant to make you feel that way. By this trick, they assess the candidate’s ability to resist stress. If you can handle it in the interview, you can likely handle it in real life, too.

5. Weird behaviour by the interviewer

Another stress interview tactic is where the employer acts like they are disinterested in you. Perhaps they will keep checking their phone, take a call, or fiddle through papers. They may also interrupt you, or may ask you to repeat the entire things you presented.

The interviewer is testing both your confidence and patience. Don’t backtrack – calmly repeat your answer, stick to your response, and clarify anything that may need it. If they have questions, calmly respond to them. This way, you are showing them that you can remain calm and respectful in tough situations, but you are also confident enough to stand your ground.

6. Drop the Pen trick

It’s possible that at some point during your discussion, the interviewer might “accidentally” drop their pen on the floor. If the candidate instinctively bent down to pick up the pen, he/she has passed the ‘jerk test’.

This trick can help the employer to evaluate the spot responsiveness and sensitivity of the candidate.

7. Meet the Team

Some employers may introduce you to others in the office after the interview. After these interactions with future colleagues, the employer will then ask them what their impression of you was. Their opinions are important as they are the ones who will be working with you daily. Be friendly and be yourself.

Interviews are tricky, and you should expect them to at the very least ask you some tough, out-of-the-box questions. Be prepared and don’t forget to take your time, breathe, and think of your response. They are going to try to fluster you a bit. If you are aware of this ahead of time, you will be mentally prepared and ready to handle whatever they throw at you.

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