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

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

OB : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Objectives Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording 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 Also be aware of... what you are not interested in potential areas of confusion related, but different topics

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

OB : 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 Feedback/Reinforce Recording 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

OB : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Formulating Questions Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording 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. Do respondents have information to answer question? Will respondents be willing to answer question? 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?

OB : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Formulating Questions Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording 3. Decisions about Form of Response What is the appropriate form for response? 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?

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

OB : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Motivating Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording 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 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 Provide periodic reinforcement on the process of the interview

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

OB : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Asking Questions Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording 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? Use bridging technique 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? What if response does not answer the question? What if response includes multiple answers?

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

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

OB : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Probing Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording 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: “As you look over the last year’s work, how would you rate your own performance?” Respondent: “I think I’m doing great.” Interviewer: “I’m glad to hear that. What accomplishments in particular have made you feel that way?”

OB : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Probing Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording 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: “…” Interviewer:Repeat bi-polar probe, then repeat question using dislike 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 : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Maintaining Control & Providing Feedback Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording Maintaining Control 1. Initial Contact 2. Structuring dialogue 3. Bridging 4. Summarizing 5. Managing 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 : Building Effective Interviewing Skills Providing Feedback & Reinforcement Structure Objectives Basic Design Content Areas Questions Interview Analysis Process Motivate (participate) Motivate (produce) Asking Questions Listening Understanding Probing Maintain Control Feedback/Reinforce Recording Dealing with “Contradictions”: 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 are 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.

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