Stop giving away your leverage in job interviews (without realising it)
Here’s a hard truth: the moment a hiring team realises they ‘have’ you, your perceived value as a candidate can quietly drop. Having spent 22 years in Financial Services executive search, and now working as a Career Coach, I know there’s a fine balance between appearing too easily ‘sold’ and not showing enough enthusiasm. Understanding that balance—and how to achieve it—is what we’ll explore in this short blog.
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It’s not about playing hard to get or playing games —it’s about protecting your leverage whilst understanding basic human psychology. In fact, if a hiring team thinks you are trying to ‘game’ the situation, they’ll most likely terminate the process. That said, it is human nature to want something more when we have to work to get it. To an extent, the greater the investment, the stronger the commitment. At the same time, if a candidate comes across as overly enthusiastic, with little or no curiosity or critical thinking, the tension that creates respect and interest is lost. This has implications not only for your chances of being selected but also for how much the company may be prepared to offer you.
Retaining your leverage—and your perceived value—is therefore extremely important.
Striking the balance
Know the value you offer
Stay grounded in the value you bring. Remember the impact you can have and how you may genuinely be able to solve the business problem they are facing.
Show interest without attachment
You can be genuinely enthusiastic while still maintaining perspective by focusing on two key areas:
First, understand the business challenge.
What’s the nature of the issue?
Is it solvable?
Do you have the skills and experience required?
Do they have the resources and internal support to address it?
Second, assess the environment.
Is this the right culture for you?
Do you like the people you’d be working with?
Do your values align?
Maintaining high energy, curiosity, and strong critical thinking allows you to demonstrate interest without becoming overly attached.
Have options
If you only have one opportunity, it’s very difficult to remain objective. Without alternatives, you have nothing to walk away to. Even if the role or company isn’t ideal, or the offer is suboptimal, you may feel pressure to accept—especially if you’re currently out of work.
It can be difficult to line up multiple offers at the same time—life rarely works that way. However, having several credible conversations progressing in parallel can help you maintain the right mindset:
If this doesn’t work out—whether I’m not the right candidate for them, or it’s not the right role for me—I have other opportunities in play.
Bottom line
Don’t give away your leverage by acting as though the decision is already made. Stay curious. Stay thoughtful. Stay engaged in the process as an equal. If you’re preparing for an interview, and would benefit from a free 15-minute consultation, let’s talk. You can use this link to book a call at a time that suits.