How to Deal With Silence in an Interview

Silence in any conversation is entirely normal. However, when you only have 60 minutes to impress a potential boss, silence in an interview seems wasteful. 

You have so much to say about your potential – silence isn’t acceptable from your side, surely? And if a hiring manager falls silent, maybe it means they aren’t all that interested? Neither of these suppositions are true.

Silence is entirely normal in an interview. It may occur for varying reasons. Here is how to deal with it so that it doesn’t disrupt the flow of your career story:

Accept the silence

Sometimes you need to accept that any prolonged silence is an opportunity for a hiring manager to think about what to ask next. Silence is a normal part of a conversation in any case, so although it may seem excruciating, be as patient as possible before attempting to fill it yourself. Keep thinking positive thoughts and remain relaxed.

If you are finding yourself being quiet for extended periods, don’t feel bad about it. Most hiring managers will give candidates plenty of time to ponder their responses. Only the inadequate interviewer will rush you – they will likely be a flawed boss.

Silence in an interview offers opportunity

Take a breath before you answer.

If you are the one being silent after a tough interview, don’t sweat those few moments. They will seem a lot longer than they are. It is better to offer a considered and full answer than an immediate but incomplete one.

Take a breath and reset your mind. What are they looking for with the question? How can you make your answer relevant to the role? If you need a little more time, there is nothing wrong with asking for a moment to think about it. This shows composure under pressure – just don’t do it more than 2-3 times throughout the interview.

Lost your train of thought?

Amidst the stress of an interview, it might be the case that you lose track of what you want to mention next. You stumble and fall silent, a bead of sweat running down the back of your neck. The interviewer will sense it, but they will likely give you a chase to reset.

There is nothing wrong with apologising and asking for a moment to gather your thoughts. Make a decent effort to answer the question fully. Don’t gloss over it. Try to move on.

Did you confuse the interviewer?

The hiring manager won’t always understand exactly what you mean. It may be that they were distracted and weren’t paying attention, or maybe you weren’t clear enough in your articulation. In both cases, there will be a pregnant pause as they decide how to respond. 

If you see that a particular answer has not landed as you wish, give them a few seconds to respond. If they are still struggling to find a way forward, it might be wise to clarify your comment. Speaking again will give them the time to regain their train of thought.

Silence is golden

Expand on your response

If the silence has gone on a little too long after one of your answers, act as if you have just thought of something else to say. Follow-up comments allow the candidate and interviewer to regain their composure and ensure the silence goes unacknowledged.

Continuing your thoughts after a silence allows you to present yourself as someone who can reflect and develop their thoughts. Only do this if your continuation adds value.

Meet silence with a question

You may never know the reason for the silence, but you can be sure that the interviewer has not fully engaged with what has just been said. It may be time to move the conversation on to a new topic, so ask if they would like to hear about a certain aspect of your career story that you have not yet touched on. Link this suggestion to your prior discussions if possible.

Alternatively, it might be an appropriate time to ask a question about the role or clarify something the interviewer said. This change in pace will engage any hiring manager.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).