2. Agenda for Todays Training
Types of Interviews
Interview Preparation
The Interview
After the Interview
Final Thoughts
3. Types of Inter views
Elicitation?
Information
Seeking/Gathering?
Admission Seeking?
4. Defining the Purpose of the Interview
“The goal in an interrogation, or in any situation
where a person with information might be
uncooperative, is to effect a transition in
willingness ethically and legally. A successful
interrogation becomes, in fact, an interview when
the subject grows willing to yield details freely and
honestly.”
-Don Rabon, Interviewing and Interrogation
6. Who and Why are you interviewing?
Goal or Purpose of the Interview?
Executive
Department Head
Salary
Hourly
Third Party – Outside the Company
Learn What You Can
Personality - Calm/Explosive?
Talkative/Reserved?
Generally Helpful/Not Helpful?
7. Ques t ion Outline
It is an outline not a script!
Questions range from the general to the specific.
Close ended questions that can be answered with
just “Yes” or “No” should be avoided…
Examples are those starting with “Do”, “Is”, “Are”,
“Did”
Open ended those questions that start with “How”,
“Could”, “Would”, “What”, “Why”
It is an outline not a script!
8. Number of Inter viewer s
The number of people in the room should be
kept to a minimum.
Empirically we have found that three seems to
work.
Interviewee
1st Chair – Primary duties are to ask questions
2nd Chair – Primary duties are to document the
interview and come in with any follow questions
Who is in which chair should be determined prior to
the interview if at all possible. How do you choose?
However, be flexible when arriving at the interview.
9. Subject Matter
Even when in information seeking interviews try
to have some subject matter knowledge going in.
This will help you confirm if the information you
are receiving makes sense overall
If possible be familiar with company policies prior
to your interview.
10. “No plan survives contact with the enemy.”
-Moltke
“I’m always thinking, what kind of answer can I
give this man with giving him nothing. Regardless
of the question that has just been asked, I am
thinking what kind of answer can I give him so
that he can go and I can go on.”
-Rick
The Interview
11. Interv iew Ches s Matc h
Opening “Game”
Middle “Game”
End “Game”
12. Documenting the Interview
In the case of admission seeking interviews our
policy is to video or audio whenever possible. Notes
will also be taken. Written statements.
In information seeking interviews normally one
person (2nd chair) will be responsible for the notes
taken during the interview. However, everyone
involved in the interview should be taking some
notes throughout.
13. Starting the Interv iew
Introductions
Be professional
Always shake their hand
Who you are
Who you are with
Why we are all here
Thank them for coming/taking the time
14. Obs erv er Effec t
“It is not possible to observe a system without
changing the system, so the observer must be
considered part of the system being observed.”
15. Getting Started: Calibrating
General knowledge questions not necessarily about
the interview subject
If possible will help establish a rapport.
Will help establish language pattern and mirroring
Will assist the interviewer in gauging the types and
lengths of responses for later as well as body
language cues (tone of voice, leaning forward,
leaning away, crossed arms, lack of contact etc.)
16. Body of the Interv iew
The “body” of the interview is at its core a
“conversation”.
Logically sequence your questions to access more
information. Use to motivate the thought process of
the interviewee.
Your job is to provide cues both physical and verbal
that keeps the person talking.
Avoid giving “outs” to questions.
You cannot get information if you are doing all of the
talking.
17. Stres s Cues
Changes in Body Language
Restless
Body locked – immobilizing a body a part
Backing away
Crossing arms
Flushing of the face/neck
Nail biting
Stomach Distress
18. Concluding the Interview
In conclusion always ask if there is anything you did
not cover or anything that they want to share with
you.
Be professional
Always shake their hand
Thank them for coming/taking the time
Always provide contact information so they can
follow with additional information
Always ask one more question….
19. After the Interview
Summarize and compare notes as quickly as
possible
“Lessons Learned” Session after the interview
21. Final Thoughts
Any question not asked is a “no”.
It’s a matter of practice in varying environments.
Perishable skill
What’s getting in the way of our interviewing
skills?
Questions?
Notes de l'éditeur
Our goal for todays training is three fold.
1.) To walk through the process as we currently view it in preparing for an interview.
2.) To float back and forth between admission and information seeking interviews.
3.) To integrate this preparation with live interview experiences.
Elicitation - a more conversational method of developing intelligence or information. Forms include but not limited to flattery, humor, self-deprecation, common interests or assistance.
Information Seeking - process of developing intelligence or information.
Admission Seeking – used when investigating a fraud, theft or some type of action or actor.
It is rare that you will go directly to an admission seeking interview. Normally you would flow through some variation of all three.
Interviewing accountants etc.
1.) Question: What type of interviews do you? What is the purpose or goal or your interview?
More time will be spent in this phase than any other.
Writing your story backwards….
When you come to the end of your interview what is that you hope to have learned or accomplished.
2-5 Depending on who you are meeting with you will largely determine your preparation. If they are union – non union etc.
6-9 NBC – “The More You Know”
1.) Mostly important that you are keeping your “outcome” in mind. But not to the point that you don’t let the interview happen.
2.) Your questions should allow the interviewee to respond to such a degree that they allow you to generate momentum by way question after question going forward. (Kevin Smith- Example)
So for our interview we actually ended up with different two question outlines. The first was basically the “kitchen sink” version and second a much leaner one that looked to put the bulk of the talking on to interviewee. In the end the KS version was helpful in it that it made sure it got every question on the table then you can scale back and tighten it up.
Remember the goal is the more they talk the better off you are…
Choosing who is the first or second chair may large part depend on who is being interviewed. It can be based on perceived status of the interviewee to the interviewer. It can also be the status or experience of the people doing the interviews.
During the interview itself the 1st chair is in control of the interview and the 2nd is primarily in documenting role. It is best if the interviewee has one person to focus on. Constant interruptions will cause the interview to breakdown. It will confuse the interviewee. The 2nd if possible should try and remain out of the direct line of sight if at all possible. In information seeing interviews it would be considerate to inform ahead of time how may people will be attending.
So in the case of the interview we did we ended up with six people in the room. Not ideal. We had our two interviewers. Two counsels and the actors father. We did not would be attending.
Knowing does not mean sharing.
For our interview we had been collecting information for a over year.
1.) Nothing about the interview is personal to you. Even if the interviewee makes it.
2.) It must be kept in mind that for all intents and purposes the interviewee in the dominate position. They have the information that you want or need. Approaching incorrectly or to aggressively and they may shut down.
3.) This is also not a time to show how smart or time to satisfy the ego.
1.) Conversational awareness. This is something you would work on outside the interview environment.
2.) If you take some time to objectively observe your conversational and communication habits you will get a pretty idea of where you strengths and weakness lie.
Are you good at ice breaking with new people? More comfortable once the “conversation” gets going?
Good closer or never sure when or how to end a conversation ends?
If taking notes during the interview note taking should be “even” throughout. Do not only write those areas of interest as it will be a “tell” to the interviewee. This will change the tone of the interview.
Interviewees will watch the interviewer closely.
In admission seeking interviews we will add the caveat that what is shared in the interview is confidential. In information seeking interviews this is not necessary. However, any and all information from any interview should be treated as confidential.
Interview where subject watched us write responses
This is someone you may have never meet or had little contact with. Calibrating is the opportunity to get feel for length of responses, tone, and body language. This is maintained in the back of the interviewers mind as the interview continues to look for significant changes in response to questions. (Seven – Devil Himself)
Language and body language mirroring… most people talk by “sense referencing” it is how we interact and interpret the world around us…
The way I see things…
I see…
If you were to see things my way…
I don’t see what this has to do with me….
I hear or heard that…
I feel that…
Cues – Heading nodding, “yes” anything giving approval to what they are saying.
1.) Especially in correlation with a line of questioning.
2.) What you are looking for is the release of stress from the body. It has to find an out an outlet.
3.) Some indicators of deception.
Excessive Assertions of truthfulness.
Incomplete or broken sentences.
Excessive assertion of “religion” or “clean living” – story about club.
Stuttering or stammering
Inconsistent narrative – have them tell it backwards.
In relation to our case study what we saw was if we maintained a line of questioning that was objective about the situation our subject was calm and cooperative. Once we shifted to his involvement even with the number of psycho pharmaceuticals the stressors were still there and the subject began crying more than once and had to leave the room.
If they came to see you escort them out. Especially if this is a third party interview.
- Jay Mohr and Tom Cruise Story from Jerry McGuire firing scene
email, cell phones, ear buds, text messaging. Recent story about job interviews.