Building Effective Interviewing Skills Structure Objectives Basic Design

Building Effective Interviewing Skills Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Interview Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Analysis Interview Analysis Process Questions Interview Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Objectives Structure Objectives Types of Interviews Selection Purposes • Gather information to predict future performance • Provide information about the organization Appraisal • Communicate and support decisions about salary, etc. • Employee development • Goal setting • Long-term career planning Exit • Learn about new job • Learn reason for leaving • Promote good public relations Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Research • Collect data to test hypotheses • Collect data to generate new hypotheses Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Objectives Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Setting Objectives - More Specific Have a clear idea of what. . . • the goals are for the interview • information sought to achieve goals • the final outcome should include • a successful interview consists of Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Also be aware of. . . • what you are not interested in Listening Understanding Probing • potential areas of confusion • related, but different topics Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Selecting Basic Design Structured Unstructured Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Questions Specific General Order Predetermined/ Fixed Evolving/ Flexible Responses Process Precise Open Ended Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Criteria • Ability of Respondent Understanding Probing Maintain Control • Willingness of Respondent • Cost / Time Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Content Areas Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control General Topics to be Covered 1. Introduction 2. Background / History 3. Opening Questions Satisfactions Frustrations 4. Follow-up Questions More detail Specific areas to elaborate on Motivation theory 5. Other Important Points Anything to add? Anything we missed? 6. Wrap-up Express appreciation Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Formulating Questions Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas 1. Decisions about Question Content • Is question necessary? How will it be used? • Are several questions necessary? Do not put multiple ideas in the same question. Questions Interview Analysis • Do respondents have information to answer question? • Will respondents be willing to answer question? Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control 2. Decisions about Wording • Is the language unclear or difficult to understand? • Is the language specific enough in terms of what, when, where, etc. ? • Is the question leading or biased in one direction? • Does the wording include unstated assumptions? Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Formulating Questions Structure Objectives 3. Decisions about Form of Response • What is the appropriate form for response? Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) 4. Decisions about Question Order • Do the initial questions easily launch the interview? • Does the order of questions reflect the importance of topics? • Is there any bias or priming effect in the order of the questions? Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Interview Process Structure Objectives Motivating Basic Design Content Areas Questions Recording Asking Interview Analysis Process Reinforcing Listening Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Maintaining Control Understanding Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Motivating Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas 1. Motivating the Interviewee to Participate • The purpose of the interview should be related to the respondent’s own goals and values • Specify the way in which information is used Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions • Explain what will be expected of the interviewee in the course of the interview (e. g. , the length of the interview, degree of expertise required) 2. Motivating the Interviewee to Produce • The interviewer must create and maintain an atmosphere in which the respondent feels fully understood and safe to communicate fully without fear of being judged or criticized Listening Understanding Probing • Provide periodic reinforcement on the process of the interview Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Motivating Structure Did you answer these questions? Objectives Basic Design Content Areas • Why are you doing the study? • What do you get out of it? Questions Interview Analysis • Will I receive the final report? • How do I know it will be confidential? Process • What does CMU get out of this? Motivate (participate) • Is this research being funded by someone? Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control • What will I get out of this? • How long will this take? • Are you doing other interviews? • Why did you select me? Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Asking Questions Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas What to keep in mind • Be sure to know the objective of the question • Ask questions in a simple, direct, clear manner • When to elaborate on questions? Questions Interview • Use bridging technique Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Trouble Shooting • What if person gives no response? • Question not understood • Unwilling to answer question • Unable to answer question • How long to wait for a response? Listening Understanding Probing • What if response does not answer the question? • What if response includes multiple answers? Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Listening & Understanding Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Listening means • Attending to verbal and non-verbal cues • Attending to the total message -- facts and feelings Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions • Being an active listener • Testing listening with feedback Understanding • Put yourself in the interviewee’s frame of reference • Be non-evaluative Listening Understanding • Don’t prematurely analyze or draw conclusions Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Probing Structure Objectives Non-Directive Probes 1. Reflecting feelings Basic Design Content Areas Respondent: “…I’ve been here for 15 years and I don’t feel I have been treated fairly. ” Interviewer: “You feel you haven’t been treated fairly? ” Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) 2. Indirect follow-ups Motivate (produce) Asking Questions “…tell me more” “I would like to hear more about that point, could you elaborate a bit? ” Listening Understanding Probing 3. Pause Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Probing Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Directive Probes 1. Open-ended questions “What were the major responsibilities of your most recent job? ” 2. Specific questions Respondent: “I’ve always had the ability to get my employees to extend themselves and work hard for me. ” Interviewer: “So you feel you’ve had success at motivating people. What specific steps do you take to promote this kind of motivation in your employees? ” Interviewer: Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording Respondent: Interviewer: “As you look over the last year’s work, how would you rate your own performance? ” “I think I’m doing great. ” “I’m glad to hear that. What accomplishments in particular have made you feel that way? ” OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Probing Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Directive Probes 3. Bi-Polar Probe: Interviewer: “We’ve talked to many people about their work. Most people can identify aspects of their job that they really like and other parts of their job that they dislike. ” “Would you tell me about those aspects of your job that you really like? ” Respondent: “…” Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Interviewer: Repeat bi-polar probe, then repeat question using dislike Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording 4. Elaboration Probe: Interviewer: “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about? ” “What else can you think of? ” “Any other thoughts? ” OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Maintaining Control & Providing Feedback Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Maintaining Control 1. Initial Contact 2. Structuring dialogue 3. Bridging 4. Summarizing 5. Managing Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording Feedback/Reinforcement: 1. Interviewees need to know how they are doing in producing information. 2. Reinforce early and often (i. e. throughout the interview) 3. Provide positive feedback without reinforcing specific content “We are making good progress. ” “Your comments are very helpful to us. ” OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Providing Feedback & Reinforcement Structure Dealing with “Contradictions”: Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control • What you consider a contradiction may not be for the respondent • Note any perceived contradictions with a quick note • Postpone probing contradictions • Wait for some natural break • Feedback the ideas that seem to be conflicting in a neutral way “You mentioned that there a lot of new members in your group and you don’t feel that they are really a team. You also mentioned members of your group do a lot of social things together. Help me understand the relationship between these two points. Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills

Recording Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Recording 1. This is one of the most difficult tasks 2. It should be verbatim 3. All questions & probes should be noted 4. Note all possible contradictions 5. Schedule interviews to permit review and editing Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording OB 1 - 70 -311: Building Effective Interviewing Skills