Half or more of the information that moves across in an interview is carried in body language and other non-vernbal cues. When the signs in one culture carry a different meaning in another, the chances for misunderstanding are huge. The big secrets, if there are any, are to ask, listen and not to assume. Here are 10 specifics.

1. Don't believe the handshake. Some managers believe they can learn a lot from a handshake. What they do not know is that, in some cultures, handshakes are intentionally soft. They are meant to be more of a feel than a grip. In some cultures, a handshake is inappropriate. You may feel that people who want to work in your company should have a good, American three-pumper. You'll hire a lot of good hand-shakers, but you'll miss some great talent.
2. The eyes don't have it. When we communicate, most of the message is in the body language. Most of that is in the face. Don't read infrequent eye contact, such as a person who looks down or past your shoulder as a sign of dishonesty or timidity. It may, for that person, be an appropriate exhibit of respect or deference. How tragic it would be to mistake a sign of respect for a sign of deceit.
3. Loaded question: How could asking a Hispanic person "How good is your Spanish?" possibly be offensive? Let me tell you. Some interviewers ask this when they really mean, "How Hispanic are you?" It implies that, if you're Hispanic, you should speak pretty good Spanish. In some families and schools, Spanish was painfully discouraged, in order to hasten assimilation, and this question brings up all of that. The question presumes that the interviewee does not know Russian, Chinese or French. Better question: "Do you speak any other languages." Only ask if it is relevant enough for you to be asking all candidates.
4. Be careful about registering surprise. Are you surprised that the African American candidate went to Harvard, that the highly educated candidate likes country and western music, that the Asian-American candidate speaks such good English or that the older candidate snowboards? Why are you surprised? Does your surprise say anything about your assumptions?
5. Follow up your questions. One candidate, when asked whether he wants to be a sports writer, said, "I wouldn't mind that." The interviewer, confused because he thought this was what the person wanted, expressed surprise at this lukewarm response. "Oh, sports writing is my dream. I just didn't want you to think of me as only a sports writer because I know how hard those jobs are to get. I would do anything to work at your paper."
6. Still waters run deep. A Chinese American candidate was devastated when she didn't get the job she really, really wanted at a great newspaper in her home state. Crushed, she asked why she didn't get the job. "We didn't think you really wanted it," they told her. A person who is outwardly reserved, she had not been as animated as the other candidate, who landed the job but then never reported for work. (Your next mistake-assuming Asian Americans should be reserved.) Interview for desire, don't make assumptions about it.
7. It is a natural part of an interview to try to seek a contact point or to create rapport. You won't get there by telling the Native American that you just love turquoise jewelry or by telling the Asian American candidate about your trip to Japan. This is presumptive and superficial. Stick to experiences relevant to the job. And don't assume. One interviewer told an Asian American candidate: "We have a lot of Asian Americans at our paper." The candidate had grown up with white people, had always worked around white people and doesn't especially care whether she works with Asian-Americans, as the interviewer had assumed. What she wanted to know was how good her co-workers would be. The interviewer never mentioned that.
8. Meet them halfway: Conversational styles are like personal space. Each of us is comfortable with something different. Don't force a candidate to come to your conversational style. Instead, observe theirs, mirror it and meet them somewhere in the middle. You'll learn more.
9. Skip the guesswork: If you are forming an impression about the person, ask questions. Do not leave the interview thinking that the candidate is overly aggressive without asking him or her to describe a time when they were involved in an office conflict. Do not assume they are passive, without asking them to talk about a time when they had to accomplish something really difficult. Build your interview on evidence, not impressions.
10. Why does it matter? Beware of questions or implied questions that are not part of your standard interviews (you DO have one, don't you?). They may be questions like, "Where are you from?" "Where did you grow up?" or "Now that's an unusual name."