Interview Training

Basic Skills

Course Objectives

To understand: your policies and procedures interviewing as a methodology documenting interviews

To practice: developing different types of interviews and

questions conducting an interview

When to do interviews?

Background information

Technical information

Issue identification

Problem identification

Follow-up information

Categories of Evidence

Physical – direct inspection or observation

Analytical – comparisons or computations

Documentary – letter, contracts, and

invoices

Testimonial – interviews or questionnaires

Types of Interviews

Informal and conversational

Guided

Standardized open-ended

Closed, fixed response

Question Sets

Class Exercise #1

Review the standardized open-ended

interview, and;

Identify the type of question that was

asked.

Question Order

Non-controversial items Current condition Opinion about condition Past condition Future condition Anything else...

Question Wording

Avoid: unintentional “primes” dichotomies “why” questions implied critiques or judgments indirect questions

Question Wording

Clear Concise Contain single ideas Correct grammar

Class Exercise #2

Review the standardized open-ended

interview, and; identify issues in question sequence wording strengths and weaknesses

Managing the Interview: The Three P’s

Priming

Creating associations

between groups or

objects to elicit a

particular response.

Managing the Interview: The Three P’s

Probes

Following up on a

question to obtain more

information.

Elaboration

Clarification

Detail

Managing the Interview: The Three P’s

Prompts

Sends the message that

you are engaged and lets

you control the interview

through setting the pace,

tone, and tasks.

Stop. Now.I’m Serious.

Listening

Be engaged

Demonstrate your interest

Tolerate silence

…and watch for non-verbal cues.

Tips on Note Taking

Make attributions

correctly Note follow-up

questions and info

requests Develop a short hand

style

Closing the Interview

Stay on time Ask if they have any questions Thank the person for their time Ask for permission to follow up with

questions

Documenting Interviews

Write up your notes quickly

Identify follow up

Have others review your work

Distinguish between facts and stated

personal views

Documenting Interviews

Q&A SequenceOrganized by question

listEnsures complete

answers to questionsMay be tedious or

difficult to readMay miss big picture

Topical SequenceNarrative structure,

easy to readSummary of big pictureMay miss responses to

specific questions

Class Exercise #3

The Hot SeatThe ProudThe DismissiveThe Quiet OneThe TalkerThe Whistleblower