Interviews: Interview techniques asking questions and getting answers

Interviewers often wonder why they don't get much out of interviewees, and assume it's 'interview nerves'. Sometimes it is, but much more often it's the interviewer's fault, the result of bad interview techniques. They don't engage with the interviewee effectively. They create a negative, or even hostile, environment by their own behavior.

The interviewee isn't sure what's wanted, doesn't know how to interpret the questions, or lacks enough information. That largely destroys their confidence, and they say much less.

To engage with an interviewee:

• Design your questions to ask clearly for the information required.
• Create a friendly, receptive, interview environment at the introduction stage.
• Monitor the interviewee to check their comprehension.
• Check the interviewee's stress levels continuously.
• Maintain proper body language, including eye contact.
• Modify questions where necessary to ensure correct information quality.
• Make it clear to the interviewee that you're listening.
• Be patient under all circumstances, even when trying to move on.

To ensure answer quality:

• Make sure you understand the answers. Always ask for clarification, if not. (This also reassures the interviewee you're actively paying attention.)
• Some interviewees add too much information. Do some editing, but make sure you've got the correct meaning of the answer.
• Interviewees can go off topic. Make sure the answer relates to job criteria.
• Put a value on additional relevant information. The interviewee is trying, and that should be recognized.
• Ensure the interviewee can express themselves properly, and say what they mean.
• Take notes to retain relevant points and confirm the interviewee's performance relative to job criteria standards.

Interviewee problems: Stress

Try as you might, even good interviewees can have difficulty with questions. To achieve a good result, you need to find and fix any problems they're having.

IMPORTANT: Make sure your interviewees are not put under undue stress. In some cases interviewees lose all confidence. They won't be able to function properly. Allow rest breaks, if the interviewee is under obvious stress. You can even reschedule the interview, if necessary.

In cases of extreme interviewee stress, requiring medical treatment, standard OHS procedures must be used:

• Your appointed First Aid officer should attend the interview immediately, and arrange for any necessary actions.
• Ensure notification of family and emergency contacts.

Interviewee problems: Dealing with questions:

• Clarifying questions can mean reworking the whole question or part of it. Always make sure the interviewee is correctly understanding the question before proceeding.
• If the interviewee looks stuck on a question, ask if they want help, time or options. Get them to define what's wrong, and what they want to do about it. This allows them to de-stress themselves before coming back to the question.
• If a particular question is a problem, and delaying progress of the interview, say 'We can come back to that question, if you like?'
• Some interviewees express themselves incorrectly at first. It is permissible to allow them to rephrase their answers, and to explain the meaning of their answers.

Wrong answers

Interviewees do make mistakes. It's not the interviewer's job to correct them. That can be done in feedback sessions after the interview.

Interviewers must remain neutral when listening to answers.

Interviewees are required to have adequate knowledge bases. If not, the interview has exposed the deficiency.

The interviewer's job is to make sure all interviewees have a fair chance to give their answers, right or wrong.