Etre ou paraître un bon candidat : récits conversationnels, parole rapportée, comportement non-verbal et leur impact dans les entretiens de sélection

The job interview is a selection process where the candidate uses verbal and non-verbal means to make a "good impression" and stand out. However, the perception of competence through narrative and non-verbal cues remains a research field to develop. This thesis aims to study the characteristics or perceived characteristics of candidates influencing their interview performance by exploring three interactional phenomena: storytelling, reported speech and non-verbal behavior. Telling a story to illustrate a competency is a complex task for candidates. This difficulty makes the production of stories rare. In Article 1, I tested two variables that may influence the production of stories, pseudo-stories and interviewee performance: information and professional experience. In job interviews, candidates produced more stories than pseudo stories. Candidates' level of information and professional experience did not increase the production of stories and pseudo-stories. Nevertheless, informed candidates felt fewer negative emotions than uninformed candidates. In addition, professional experience significantly predicted interviewee performance. Analysis of the thoughts and feelings felt by the candidates at the time of the interview showed that they were primarily concerned about the quality of the story and its impact on the recruiter. Making a story captivating is a challenge for candidates. One way is the use of reported speech. In Article 2, I studied the phenomenon of reported speech in job interviews conducted in two public service organizations. Direct reported speech is more likely to be produced by women candidates, experienced candidates, and depends on their self-reported capacity to listen. The amount of reported thought is more important for self-control and is correlated with its self-reported degree of mastery. The use of reported speech is a more vivid, authentic and convincing way of demonstrating their skills during job interviews. In Article 3, I explored what underlying perceptual dimensions predict interviewer evaluation from thin slices of non-verbal behavior. Holistic impressions, attractiveness and sympathy can be combined into two fundamental dimensions of perception: Warmth and Competence. Only Competence predicts the evaluation of recruiters. Furthermore, professional experience correlates positively with the competence dimension. The combination of non verbal cues provides an explanation of how recruiters intuitively form their judgments about the perception of Competence during job interviews. The main findings, implications, limitations and future prospects are further discussed.