Introduction:
A job interview is for both the candidate and the company involved, an important
situation. It might be tempting for the candidate to adjust the answers to the job in question or what he
or she thinks the recruiter wants to hear. This behaviour is a part of what socialpsychology would call
impression management. This term means that you try to control the impressions you send out and
accordingly adjust your behaviour for the current situation.
Purpose:
Candidates usage of impression management is a widely debated subject where the
research mainly has focused on the candidates, their strategies and the efficiency of impression
management. Our purpose with this thesis is therefore to see how recruiters experience candidates
impression management in a job interview, how they handle it and what level of acceptance they have
for it.
Theoretical perspectives:
The theories and previous research used as models for explanation and
basis for discussion is mainly Erving Goffman´s (1974) dramaturgical perspective and thoughts about
impression management and Mark R Leary´s (1995) theories concerning impression management
tactics. In addition to these we also used more specific research concerning attribution, selfdescription
and problems with applicants use of impression management.
Methodology:
We carried out six qualitative semistructured interviews with recruiters from two
marketleading Swedish companies. The empirical foundation was analyzed through the method
concentration of meaning and thereafter put in relation to relevant theories and previous research.
Finally the empirical foundation was discussed on the basis of the thesis purpose.
Empirical foundation: The empirical foundation is mainly a description of the recruiters experiences
of different impression management tactics and their coping strategies. The result shows that there is
many different experiences of the various tactics and whether they are seen positive or negative is
dependent on which job it is and the candidates impression in general. The empirical foundation also
describes the recruiters thoughts about how a candidate carries out a successful interview and what
their interviewsituation looks like. The chapter ends with a description of which importance the
recruiters ascribe candidates usage of impression management.
Conclusions:
Our main conclusion is that even if the recruiters on direct questions concerning
different impression management tactics describe it as negative, the result shows that it often is seen
as a relevant social skill and something ...
