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Guide to Interviewing
2
Contents
 Types of interviews
 Three steps in successful interviewing
 The interview schedule
 The interview guide
 Conducting the interview
 Rapport
 Questioning
 Interview review
 The interviewee
 Dos and donts
 Further assistance
3
Interviews
Some examples are:
 Requirements gathering interviews
 Post implementation review interviews
 Job and team selection interviews
 Performance review interviews
 Exit interviews
Interviews are in essence guided dialogues to
gain information, made effective by using a well
prepared interview guide.
4
Three steps in successful interviewing
Preparation: produce an interview schedule
and interview guides.
Execution: conduct the interviews
Review: write up the interview notes
5
Interview
schedule
Interview
Interview
guides
Interview
notes format
Who you are going
to interview, why,
when and where?
What questions are
you going to ask?
What results were
obtained?
 Information found
 Decisions
 Actions
 Structure
 Rapport
 Listen
 Probe
 Clarify
An interview guide should be created prior to all
interviews to ensure the interviews are focused and
efficient and enable comparison and summarisation.
Steps in the interview process
Preparation Execution Review
6
Name Position Rationale Date
John Smith R&D Manager To understand R&D strategy
and get future R&D
expenditures
25/4
Roy Wilkinson Head of metalurgical
research
To get facts on competitor
Xs latest development.
In particular:
 Potential customers
 Our position
27/4
Bob Johnson Lab assistant
The interview schedule
An interview schedule is helpful, to track who is going
to be interviewed, when and why.
7
Preparing the interview schedule
 Identify what the objectives of the interviews are,
what information you need to find out and therefore
what areas of the business you need to obtain
information from.
 Identify who needs to be interviewed to obtain this
information.
 Create an interview schedule, allowing time to review
and record notes between interviews.
 Book the interviews and record them in the schedule.
8
To make the most out of an interview, a well thought
through interview guide is extremely helpful.
Section Question Sub Question
Introduction 1.Personal background
2.Key mission of the department
3. ..
件 Education
件 Work experience
件 Major activities
件 Major interfaces
件
Body 4.Recent development in area x
5.Customer reactions
6. .
7. .
8. .
件 Major products
件 Competitor activities
件 Switching costs
件 Timing of change
件
Wrap up 9.Future trends
10.Restate key points
件 Next S - curve
件 Timing
件
The interview guide
9
Preparing the interview guide
 Determine the objectives of the interview.
 Plan the structure of the interview.
 Prepare interview questions.
 Prepare additional notes if they assist. For
example having an organisation chart helps in
clarifying roles and responsibilities.
The interview guide enables standardisation of
interviews for effective comparison and summarisation
10
Focused
Many interviewees tend to go off on tangents during interviews. Your interview
guide should clearly state the boundaries for your interview. These should be
stated generally at the beginning with more specific instructions to refocus when
appropriate.
Quantifiable
Open questions tend to produce long answers that are difficult to quantify and
compare. If you need measured responses ask the interviewee to assign a value
to their answer so direct comparisons to be made. For example How reliable is
the current system, what score would you give it out of ten?
Complete
Check that the guide addresses all the objectives of the interview and have a
colleague review it.
Guidelines for structuring an interview
11
Interview execution
Interviews are exceptionally rich sources of information. However,
no two interviewees are alike: some tend to ramble, others are
suspicious and curt, some will need only the slightest
encouragement to speak their minds, while others will have to be
guided along.
The interviewers job is to conduct the interview to gather the
information required, which takes skill, practice and structure.
Once you have concluded your interviews, they must be
summarised to yield the big picture.
Your questions should therefore allow for valid comparison and
summarisation of your interviewees viewpoints.
12
Listen to the answers and request clarification if necessary
Avoid making criticisms or taking sides
Keep control of the interview: refocus the interviewee if they
are rambling or clarify if they misunderstood the question
Stay focused and follow your interview guide
Allow the interviewee to ask questions
How to conduct the interview
Introduction
Body
Wrap-up
Conduct at their place of work where possible
Always state the reason for the interview and how it will be conducted
Put the interviewee at ease
Ask the interviewee if they agree to you taking notes
Thank the interviewee
Advise them what the next steps are and the timeframe
13
Build rapport
Your interview needs to balance the building of rapport and collecting of required
information.
Introduction
Gain rapport first. Explain the context, set the tone, and make the interviewee feel
at ease. The introduction serves to:
 Introduce yourself
 Gauge the interviewees style, expectations and concerns
 Confirm the timeframe
Sequence the interview items
Items should be ordered by importance and sensitivity. The more sensitive your
interviewee, the more important it is to avoid an inquisitorial interview tone. A
non-threatening format for interviews involves the careful arrangement of
interview topics:
 General before specific
 External before internal
 Historic before current
14
Listen and question
Listen
To reassure the interviewee you are listening and to gain information:
 use non-verbal cues such as head nods to show you are listening.
 wait until the current question is answered before preparing the next one
 listen for emotions and attitudes as well as facts
 interrupt only if you sense avoidance of answering the question or if the
interviewee has drifted too far from the topic
 request clarification and ask follow on questions
Ask open questions
To initiate discussion on a broad subject and to encourage a comprehensive
explanation:
 use clear, direct phrasing that asks a single question
 ask how, what or when but avoid the intimidating why question
Ask closed questions
To elicit a specific reply:
 use this type of question sparingly to avoid appearing as an
interrogator
 ask in order to understand rather than impress
 be concise
15
Open questioning
Advantages Disadvantages
 Puts interviewee at ease
 Interesting for interviewee
 Provides depth of detail
 Reveals other areas of
enquiry
 You may lose control
 May use up too much time
 Interviewer may appear unprepared
 Harder to analyse later
 Lower reliability of data
Examples:
So what do you enjoy about the role?
Are there any other issues I should be aware of?
16
Closed questioning
Advantages Disadvantages
 Efficient use of time
 Easy to compare interviews
 Higher reliability of data
 Less interviewing skill needed
 Focuses interviewee
 Can be boring for interviewees
 Doesnt provide the
opportunity to qualify answers
 You may miss other areas
Examples:
Is the new form better or worse than the old form?
Is it Mary or Jane who enter the application details?
Do you stamp the form before or after the details are
recorded?
17
Probe questioning
Advantages Disadvantages
 Provides data on new aspects
 Supplies detail in context
 Shows interest in conversation
 Can appear threatening
Examples:
How does that happen?
How did that change impact your department?
What specifically do they do as a result of that?
Probe questioning is honing in on a particular area of interest and drilling
down to obtain more detail. It includes asking for more information to clarify
a vague phrase or statement made by the interviewee such as quite high or
often late. Probe questioning needs to be balanced with open and closed
questioning to avoid the interview seeming like an interrogation.
18
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is a technique used to confirm or clarify something the
interviewee has said or implied. There are three levels of
paraphrasing:
1. The first level confirms or clarifies expressed thoughts and
feelings, for example: so there are three factors that
determine the present situation
2. The second confirms implied thoughts or feelings, for example:
so you would really like to change this situation
3. The third surfaces core thoughts or feelings, for example: you
are afraid that it might make things worse for you or so you
think the strategy is wrong
(Note that with paraphrasing of feelings you can trigger a
strong emotional response particularly with this third option )
19
 Write interview notes
as soon as possible
after the interview
 Outline key findings,
note emerging
hypotheses
 Consider how findings fit
with earlier evidence
 Identify gaps to be
filled in subsequent
interviews
Interview notes are valuable when sharing
information with other team members.
Key Steps
Interview Notes
Interviewees:
Interviewers:
Location:
Date:
KEY FINDINGS
BACKGROUND AND
SITUATION
DISCUSSION NOTES
NEXT STEPS
Format
Interview review
A standard interview note format is useful in orienting interviews to results:
20
The interviewee may be
 Assuming no possible improvement
 Assuming they have the full picture
 Assuming knowledge on your part
 Describing work out of sequence
 Covering up their own failings
 Exaggerating
 Scoring off others
 Overwhelmed by you
 Protecting others
 Exaggerating the immediate problem
 Overestimating the importance of the job
 telling you what they think you want to hear
21
The interviewee can be
Inarticulate
A jargoneer
A familiarist
An obstructionist
Too familiar with the job
Shy
Loud
A deceiver
A hypochondriac
An empire builder
22
The nervous interviewee
Be very explicit in setting the scene, tell why you are there and what they can
expect. Establish rapport and make sure you are relaxed and confident
The non-talker
Make a special effort to build rapport and find common language and
experiences. Avoid closed questions, use open questions to draw them out
The angry/hostile interviewee
Do not tolerate threatening behaviour.
If anger is directed at you:
 admit your mistake if you are wrong
 stay calm, avoid getting angry in return
If anger is directed at others:
 do not get involved and do not taking sides
 correct misinformation tactfully
ie do not challenge honestly held opinions
Adjust your style to suit the interviewee
23
Poor interviewing behaviour
 Did not make an appointment
 Arrived late
 Was rude
 Exhibited one upmanship
 Did not explain the purpose of the interview
 Did not explain the scope of interview
 Used jargon
 Became confrontational
 Was inconsiderate
 Talked down to the interviewee
 Abruptly ended the interview
 Did not explain what happens next
Examples:
24
Do not
 Arrive without warning
 Forget interviewees name or role
 Show off
 Criticise
 Interrupt
 Be impatient
 Use coarse language
 Fidget, lounge or appear bored
 Go over time without agreement from interviewee
 Fail to thank the interviewee for their time
25
Do
 Create rapport
 Make notes
 Be sincere
 Be objective
 Be courteous
 Verify your findings
 Separate fact from fiction
 Pitch the interview at the right level
 Keep within the scope of the interview
 Establish the option to ask follow up questions
 Wrap up the interview and thank the interviewee
for their time.
26
Further assistance
 Guide to communicating
 Guide to requirements gathering
 Guide to conducting meetings and RAP sessions
For additional supporting guides refer to:

More Related Content

Interviewing

  • 2. 2 Contents Types of interviews Three steps in successful interviewing The interview schedule The interview guide Conducting the interview Rapport Questioning Interview review The interviewee Dos and donts Further assistance
  • 3. 3 Interviews Some examples are: Requirements gathering interviews Post implementation review interviews Job and team selection interviews Performance review interviews Exit interviews Interviews are in essence guided dialogues to gain information, made effective by using a well prepared interview guide.
  • 4. 4 Three steps in successful interviewing Preparation: produce an interview schedule and interview guides. Execution: conduct the interviews Review: write up the interview notes
  • 5. 5 Interview schedule Interview Interview guides Interview notes format Who you are going to interview, why, when and where? What questions are you going to ask? What results were obtained? Information found Decisions Actions Structure Rapport Listen Probe Clarify An interview guide should be created prior to all interviews to ensure the interviews are focused and efficient and enable comparison and summarisation. Steps in the interview process Preparation Execution Review
  • 6. 6 Name Position Rationale Date John Smith R&D Manager To understand R&D strategy and get future R&D expenditures 25/4 Roy Wilkinson Head of metalurgical research To get facts on competitor Xs latest development. In particular: Potential customers Our position 27/4 Bob Johnson Lab assistant The interview schedule An interview schedule is helpful, to track who is going to be interviewed, when and why.
  • 7. 7 Preparing the interview schedule Identify what the objectives of the interviews are, what information you need to find out and therefore what areas of the business you need to obtain information from. Identify who needs to be interviewed to obtain this information. Create an interview schedule, allowing time to review and record notes between interviews. Book the interviews and record them in the schedule.
  • 8. 8 To make the most out of an interview, a well thought through interview guide is extremely helpful. Section Question Sub Question Introduction 1.Personal background 2.Key mission of the department 3. .. 件 Education 件 Work experience 件 Major activities 件 Major interfaces 件 Body 4.Recent development in area x 5.Customer reactions 6. . 7. . 8. . 件 Major products 件 Competitor activities 件 Switching costs 件 Timing of change 件 Wrap up 9.Future trends 10.Restate key points 件 Next S - curve 件 Timing 件 The interview guide
  • 9. 9 Preparing the interview guide Determine the objectives of the interview. Plan the structure of the interview. Prepare interview questions. Prepare additional notes if they assist. For example having an organisation chart helps in clarifying roles and responsibilities. The interview guide enables standardisation of interviews for effective comparison and summarisation
  • 10. 10 Focused Many interviewees tend to go off on tangents during interviews. Your interview guide should clearly state the boundaries for your interview. These should be stated generally at the beginning with more specific instructions to refocus when appropriate. Quantifiable Open questions tend to produce long answers that are difficult to quantify and compare. If you need measured responses ask the interviewee to assign a value to their answer so direct comparisons to be made. For example How reliable is the current system, what score would you give it out of ten? Complete Check that the guide addresses all the objectives of the interview and have a colleague review it. Guidelines for structuring an interview
  • 11. 11 Interview execution Interviews are exceptionally rich sources of information. However, no two interviewees are alike: some tend to ramble, others are suspicious and curt, some will need only the slightest encouragement to speak their minds, while others will have to be guided along. The interviewers job is to conduct the interview to gather the information required, which takes skill, practice and structure. Once you have concluded your interviews, they must be summarised to yield the big picture. Your questions should therefore allow for valid comparison and summarisation of your interviewees viewpoints.
  • 12. 12 Listen to the answers and request clarification if necessary Avoid making criticisms or taking sides Keep control of the interview: refocus the interviewee if they are rambling or clarify if they misunderstood the question Stay focused and follow your interview guide Allow the interviewee to ask questions How to conduct the interview Introduction Body Wrap-up Conduct at their place of work where possible Always state the reason for the interview and how it will be conducted Put the interviewee at ease Ask the interviewee if they agree to you taking notes Thank the interviewee Advise them what the next steps are and the timeframe
  • 13. 13 Build rapport Your interview needs to balance the building of rapport and collecting of required information. Introduction Gain rapport first. Explain the context, set the tone, and make the interviewee feel at ease. The introduction serves to: Introduce yourself Gauge the interviewees style, expectations and concerns Confirm the timeframe Sequence the interview items Items should be ordered by importance and sensitivity. The more sensitive your interviewee, the more important it is to avoid an inquisitorial interview tone. A non-threatening format for interviews involves the careful arrangement of interview topics: General before specific External before internal Historic before current
  • 14. 14 Listen and question Listen To reassure the interviewee you are listening and to gain information: use non-verbal cues such as head nods to show you are listening. wait until the current question is answered before preparing the next one listen for emotions and attitudes as well as facts interrupt only if you sense avoidance of answering the question or if the interviewee has drifted too far from the topic request clarification and ask follow on questions Ask open questions To initiate discussion on a broad subject and to encourage a comprehensive explanation: use clear, direct phrasing that asks a single question ask how, what or when but avoid the intimidating why question Ask closed questions To elicit a specific reply: use this type of question sparingly to avoid appearing as an interrogator ask in order to understand rather than impress be concise
  • 15. 15 Open questioning Advantages Disadvantages Puts interviewee at ease Interesting for interviewee Provides depth of detail Reveals other areas of enquiry You may lose control May use up too much time Interviewer may appear unprepared Harder to analyse later Lower reliability of data Examples: So what do you enjoy about the role? Are there any other issues I should be aware of?
  • 16. 16 Closed questioning Advantages Disadvantages Efficient use of time Easy to compare interviews Higher reliability of data Less interviewing skill needed Focuses interviewee Can be boring for interviewees Doesnt provide the opportunity to qualify answers You may miss other areas Examples: Is the new form better or worse than the old form? Is it Mary or Jane who enter the application details? Do you stamp the form before or after the details are recorded?
  • 17. 17 Probe questioning Advantages Disadvantages Provides data on new aspects Supplies detail in context Shows interest in conversation Can appear threatening Examples: How does that happen? How did that change impact your department? What specifically do they do as a result of that? Probe questioning is honing in on a particular area of interest and drilling down to obtain more detail. It includes asking for more information to clarify a vague phrase or statement made by the interviewee such as quite high or often late. Probe questioning needs to be balanced with open and closed questioning to avoid the interview seeming like an interrogation.
  • 18. 18 Paraphrasing Paraphrasing is a technique used to confirm or clarify something the interviewee has said or implied. There are three levels of paraphrasing: 1. The first level confirms or clarifies expressed thoughts and feelings, for example: so there are three factors that determine the present situation 2. The second confirms implied thoughts or feelings, for example: so you would really like to change this situation 3. The third surfaces core thoughts or feelings, for example: you are afraid that it might make things worse for you or so you think the strategy is wrong (Note that with paraphrasing of feelings you can trigger a strong emotional response particularly with this third option )
  • 19. 19 Write interview notes as soon as possible after the interview Outline key findings, note emerging hypotheses Consider how findings fit with earlier evidence Identify gaps to be filled in subsequent interviews Interview notes are valuable when sharing information with other team members. Key Steps Interview Notes Interviewees: Interviewers: Location: Date: KEY FINDINGS BACKGROUND AND SITUATION DISCUSSION NOTES NEXT STEPS Format Interview review A standard interview note format is useful in orienting interviews to results:
  • 20. 20 The interviewee may be Assuming no possible improvement Assuming they have the full picture Assuming knowledge on your part Describing work out of sequence Covering up their own failings Exaggerating Scoring off others Overwhelmed by you Protecting others Exaggerating the immediate problem Overestimating the importance of the job telling you what they think you want to hear
  • 21. 21 The interviewee can be Inarticulate A jargoneer A familiarist An obstructionist Too familiar with the job Shy Loud A deceiver A hypochondriac An empire builder
  • 22. 22 The nervous interviewee Be very explicit in setting the scene, tell why you are there and what they can expect. Establish rapport and make sure you are relaxed and confident The non-talker Make a special effort to build rapport and find common language and experiences. Avoid closed questions, use open questions to draw them out The angry/hostile interviewee Do not tolerate threatening behaviour. If anger is directed at you: admit your mistake if you are wrong stay calm, avoid getting angry in return If anger is directed at others: do not get involved and do not taking sides correct misinformation tactfully ie do not challenge honestly held opinions Adjust your style to suit the interviewee
  • 23. 23 Poor interviewing behaviour Did not make an appointment Arrived late Was rude Exhibited one upmanship Did not explain the purpose of the interview Did not explain the scope of interview Used jargon Became confrontational Was inconsiderate Talked down to the interviewee Abruptly ended the interview Did not explain what happens next Examples:
  • 24. 24 Do not Arrive without warning Forget interviewees name or role Show off Criticise Interrupt Be impatient Use coarse language Fidget, lounge or appear bored Go over time without agreement from interviewee Fail to thank the interviewee for their time
  • 25. 25 Do Create rapport Make notes Be sincere Be objective Be courteous Verify your findings Separate fact from fiction Pitch the interview at the right level Keep within the scope of the interview Establish the option to ask follow up questions Wrap up the interview and thank the interviewee for their time.
  • 26. 26 Further assistance Guide to communicating Guide to requirements gathering Guide to conducting meetings and RAP sessions For additional supporting guides refer to:

Editor's Notes

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