THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Steps in the Interview

Process
 Preparing
 Scheduling
 Opening
 Body
 Closing
 Recording
 Preparing
 Determine interview objectives
 Who should attend (one on one may
be best)
 Location and facilities needs (best on
auditees turf)
 Know interviewee (personality, job,
issues, history)
 Prepare agenda (order and content of
interview), questions (see slide), aids
to recording, and information/requests
 Scheduling
 Mutually acceptable time
 Avoid Friday afternoon, day before or
after a holiday or vacation, just
before lunch or quitting time. Best
times are morning or mid-afternoon
 Adequate notice about when and
what to bring
 Opening
 Purpose and how you will achieve the
purpose
 Make clear how the interviewee’s
contribution will be used
 Develop rapport (friendly and
sincere) without wasting too much
time
 Use interviewee’s name and position
correctly
 Opening Continued

 Be cordial and helpful (not

threatening)
 Start with positive points, if possible
(work not personal)
 Demonstrate good listening skills
 Be considerate of interviewee’s time,
work space, personal needs, work
schedule
 Solicit facts but don’t ignore opinions
 Conducting or Body
 Communicate (see slide)
 Pay attention to verbal and non-
verbal responses
 This is where the body of the
interview takes place (objectives are
achieved)
 Closing
 Be alert for signs that it is time to end
(verbal, non-verbal, tiredness, inability
to concentrate)
 Summarize interview results with
emphasis on positive if possible
 Record action items including
responsibility and timing
 Reschedule if unfinished
 Confirm rapport with interpersonal
skills
 Recording
 Brief notes in meeting, if necessary
 As soon as possible after meeting
(within a few hours) prepare detailed
notes (workpaper) with proper
heading including date, time,
location, and those present
 Schedule time to record meeting
results so it doesn’t get put off
 Questions
 Closed ended
 quick, easy to document
 Open ended
 encourages cooperation and
communication
 doesn’t presuppose that you know all
the possible answers or ramifications
 encourages interviewee to describe
related issues, may be more important
than question
 Questions Continued
 Don’t cue the interviewee about
what answer you expect by asking
leading question
 Phrase the questions so they are
non-threatening, non-judgmental,
and inclusive
 Listening Skills
 Empathy vs. sympathy
 Facts vs. opinions especially for
contentious issues
 Confirm understanding by rephrasing
 Provide verbal and non-verbal cues
for encouragement
 Make only non-judgmental comments
 Communication
 There are senders and receivers for
messages communicated through a
channel
 The message is encoded in written,
oral, actions, and/or body-language
forms
 Channel examples: report, letter,
presentation -effect of channel noise
 Receiver’s acceptance of message
depends on his experiences with
 Communication
Continued
 Receiver gives feedback to sender
via actions, words, body-language
 Barriers to effective communication
 attitudes
 channel noise

 technical words
Things Than Can Spoil and
Interview
 Be late or arrive w/o appointment

 Invade interviewee’s space

 Wait for permission to enter
 Don’t use his desk or other tools without
permission
 Assuming a poor attitude (know it all,
talk down, imply your work is more
important than his)
 Make interviewee feel inferior or
unimportant