The Ultimate Body Language Book

Chapter 14 - Office Body Language
Laissez-faire
The final type of boss is the laissez-faire type. The words “laissez-faire” is French for “let be”.
Literally, this boss will give an employee free reign, or seemingly so. They have confidence in the
ability of others to do a good job, and check in only occasionally to measure progress. This boss will be
relaxed and not status conscious, they will try to avoid others as much as possible to afford them the
room and space they need to work. They might be friendly, but lack eye contact and expression so as
not to become involved with others and take them off task. To work well with this boss, use confident
and independent body language. Give off signals that you are working efficiently and are coping with
any project given to you. Keep meetings short, update them of your progress every so often, then get
back to work.
Chapter 14 - Office Body Language
Job Interview Body Language
More than anything else during a job interview is the overall impression you leave with your
prospective employer. Your credentials including your resume and even what you say will all be long
forgotten minutes after you leave the interviewer’s office. They may recall certain things you said, but
they won’t key in on them specifically. Instead the interviewer will key in on how you said them. In
fact, most studies agree that job interviews are a fairly unproductive affair, as how you are rated, and
whether or not you are hired, has more to do with how much you are liked by the interviewer than any
other factor.
Body language during an interview is simple. All that is required of you is to convey that you are
competent, qualified and most importantly, that you will fit in with the current company’s structure
without causing problems. This raises a common misconception about job interviews which says that
standing out from the other applicants is the goal, but in reality, fitting in should be your primary
objective. The following are some tips to taking a proper interview.
Chapter 14 - Office Body Language
Before You Get There
Some advanced preparation can help you match or mirror the language of the office. Choosing dress
that fits into the workplace is common knowledge, so it’s not necessary to cover this at lengths, suffice
it to say that you should try to wear attire that is much like what current employees are already wearing
except if it includes scrubs or overalls. In most cases a cleanly pressed suite for men is appropriate,
whereas women should wear something professional yet asexual.