Last week, we discussed the benefits of smiling while you’re talking to recruiting prospects.It helps your recruiting prospects feel less defensive, and it’s the foundation for building quick rapport.Even if your prospect can’t see your face (i.e. you’re on the phone), researchers have found your smile can be “heard” by those on the other end of the line.A positive attitude also comes across in your emails, text messages, and social media posts.With this much riding on your positivity, protecting yourself from negative influences is something you must consider if you want to perform at a high level.This is why a new study conducted by the University of Houston is so important—it revealed a source of negative emotion that is rampant in most workplaces:Multitasking and constant interruptions at work can lead people to display negative emotions in addition to stress.The connection between negative emotion and constant interruptions was so strong, the researchers likened it to a contagion.This emotional contagion can spread in a group or workplace through the influence of conscious or unconscious processes involving emotional states or physiological responses.This data draws a clear conclusion:It’s important to spend focused time on recruiting in a place where you’ll not be interrupted or distracted.Anything less will allow negativity to seep into your conversations and steal away your effectiveness.