JOB advertisements can have a whiff of the lonely heart about them - I offer you this and I expect that in return - so it is fitting that our final competency is that lovelorn loner’s favourite, a good sense of humour. Technically speaking, humour isn’t a competency in its own right so much as a trait that underlies competencies, but it is valuable because research indicates that it is associated with a number of positive career characteristics. For example, the ability to make jokes at your own expense suggests that you are self-confident and comfortable with yourself. It’s also linked with being able to create a pleasant office environment and to communicate effectively.
“Executives who display humour in interviews have a better chance of success both in the interview and in the job,” says Steve Cunningham, an associate director at Hay Group. “It’s important because it can help to create a good climate of fun and engagement.” It can also reduce tension at times of stress.
However, office humour should not be confused with Office humour. David Brent-isms or jokes aimed at others are a bad idea. “Negativity doesn’t come across well.” It needs to be positive, warm humour; it is better directed at you than at others. “If you can, use humour to create links with other people.” Keeping the quips appropriate for the situation will show that you have good judgment because you are able to understand the impact you have on other people and know what is the right thing to do and when to do it.
It can of course go very wrong - sexism, racism, and put downs are all clearly bad. Misjudging what a recruiter will find funny can send an otherwise successful interview straight down the plughole. On the other hand, the fact of possible wrongness does make rightness more impressive when you achieve it.
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So, the how is important. It is also hard. The simple rule is that “if you are not comfortable with humour do not use it in an interview … there is a fine line between being a prat and not”. Cunningham says that people tend to need some age and experience to make sure that they get the balance right; younger people are often a bit more stressed out and serious about trying to prove themselves.
Asked for an example of positive workplace humour from someone in the public eye, Cunningham cites William Hague. “Ironically in [his] later days he has [acquired] a sense of humour - he can tell jokes about himself.”
But humour doesn’t have to be a joke. “It can be how you talk, how you smile, how you animate yourself. A smile is a good start. It reflects the relationship between you and the interviewer,” Cunningham says. Moreover, if that relationship is good, you’ll feel more confident about wowing him or her with the well-prepared anecdotes that demonstrate other, more formal competencies.