BUSN 20017 Soliciting Information: Interviewing, Asking Questions and
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................1
The difference between an interview and a conversation................................................................2
Establishing the purpose and goals of that interview .....................................................................2
The different types of questions............................................................................................3
The interview structure .....................................................................................................4
The interview schedule .....................................................................................................4
Ethics of interviewing .......................................................................................................5
Summary.....................................................................................................................5
Activity ......................................................................................................................5
Assigned journal article .....................................................................................................8
References and Bibliography ...............................................................................................8
Introduction
All of us have, at some time or another, watched or listened to a politician or celebrity being interviewed
on the television or radio, or watched clips of interviews posted on the web. Specifically, defined an
Interview is a structured conversation among 2 or more people that has a predetermined and serious
purpose designed to elicit facts and statements by asking and answering of questions (Stewart and Cash,
1978). Depending upon your occupation interviewing may be a vital means of soliciting information. As
is the case for the police, doctors, nurses, lawyers, psychologists, councilors, journalists, accountants
and market-research analysts. As a part of their job, human resource managers, and managers generally,
will perform performance-appraisal interviews and sometimes exit interviews. Even if interviewing is not
a direct part of your work, you will participate in an employment interview either as the interviewer or
the interviewee. This module is designed to increase your proficiency in planning and conducting
interviews. As negotiation is a part of many types of interviewing, this module also covers negotiation.
The textbook defines negotiation as “a procedure by which people who wish to come to an agreement,
but have different expectations of the agreement, try to work out a settlement in which each party gives
and receives at a level tolerable to both” (p. 250). The specific purpose of this module is to provide
instruction in how to:
Plan and develop an interview.
Conduct an interview.
Understand and practice ethical interviewing.
Recognise and develop different specific types of interviews. Engage in negotiation.
The difference between an interview and a conversation
Interviews are different from conversations in a number of ways (Dwyer, 2005). In the first place, an
interview is planned. Both parties think about what they are going to say before an interview begins.
An interview is also different from many of the conversations that you have in that it is pre-arranged.
There is a specific time and designated location. An interview also has a clear structure involving
questions and answers. Whereas a conversation, may include questions and answers, but it also
includes other types of communicative actions. Generally speaking, unlike the conversation, and
interview is led by one person-- that interview. The interviewer leads the conversation in terms of
asking questions, motivating the interviewee to fully respond to the questions, stopping the interviewee
if they’re talking too much, handling upset or hostile interviewees and determining the pace so that
adequate time is available. Lastly, unlike many of your conversations, the interview has a clear predetermined purpose.
Establishing the purpose and goals of that interview
There are a number of purposes and goals of an interview (Carlopio et al. 2005; Dwyer, 2005). To begin
you need to ask yourself what is the purpose of the interview. Your purpose may be to gather
information, persuade, council or evaluate. The goals of an interview can be to hire a new person, to
change another’s behaviour, to get another person to act in a specific way and to make judgements. A
broader goal of the interview is to establish a particular relationship with the interviewee.
Sequencing questions
There four ways that you can sequence the questions in an interview. The first of which is the funnel
sequence. In this sequence the interviewer begins with broad, open-ended questions and moves to
more narrow, close ended questions. The interviewer may also begin with more general questions and
gradually ask more specific questions. You would use this question sequence when the interviewee
knows the topic well and feels free to talk about it or when the person wants to express strong feelings.
This is the most common of all interview sequences. The next type of question sequence is the inverted
funnel. In this sequence the interviewer begins with narrow, close ended questions moves too broad,
open ended questions. The interviewer may also begin with more specific questions and gradually ask
more general questions. This question sequence is effective when an interviewee needs to help
remembering something or to motivate an interviewee to talk. A third type of question sequence is the
diamond. The diamond question sequence combines the funnel and the inverted funnel question
sequences. This sequence begins with specific, close ended questions about a situation similar to the
interviewees’ then asks general, open-ended question about the interviewee. Next the interviewee
would ask specific close ended questions about the interviewee’s particular circumstances. This
question sequence may be useful when dealing with topics interviewees find particularly difficult to talk
about and are reluctant to discuss. The last sequence is the tunnel sequence. In this sequence all
questions have the same degree of openness. This is also called the string of beads question sequence.The tunnel sequence allows for little probing or variation in the question structure. It can be useful for
simple, surface information interviews, but not for in-depth interviews.
The different types of questions
There are a number of different types of questions that you may wish to use in your interview (Carlopio
et al., 2005; Cielens and Aquino, 2007; Dwyer, 2005) the first type of questions are open versus closed
questions. Open questions are broad and ask for a more detailed range of response. For example, if
you were to take over this department what changes would you make? On the other hand, closed
questions restrict the interviewee’s response. Closed questions may ask the person to choose from a
range of answers. For example, ‘Which days would you like to work this week?’ Closed questions ask
for specific data. For example, a closed question would be ‘how long have you worked in your current
position?’ There are a number of circumstances which you should think about in your decision to use
either open or closed questions (Wilson and Goodall, 1991). You would use open questions to relax the
interviewee. These type of open questions are easy to answer and nonthreatening. You would also use
open questions to discover the interviewee’s opinion or to evaluate the interviewee’s communication
skills. Open questions also allow you to explore the interviewee’s knowledge of a particular topic and to
discover the interviewee’s feelings and values. You would use closed questions when you want to
maintain control over the conversation. If you want specific information and you are not interested in
interviewee’s feelings or opinions than you would use closed questions. If time is an issue then close
questions are a better choice than open questions. Closed questions are also easier, so if you are not a
highly skilled interviewer then you may want to start with closed questions. Finally, when a high degree
of standardisation is necessary then closed questions would be appropriate.
The next type of questions you can use of factual versus opinion questions. Factual questions seek
information of matters of fact. For example,’ have you any training in human resource management?’
Is a question of fact. In contrast, opinion questions asked of matters of judgement or opinion. ‘How
would you evaluate John Smith’s performance this year?’ is an opinion question.
Other types of questions are primary and secondary questions. Primary questions introduce new topics.
‘How do you hear about this job?’ is a primary question. Secondary questions are designed to gather
additional information about the topic that has been already introduced by the primary question. You
can use secondary questions when the previous answer is incomplete or when the answer is superficial
or vague. In addition, secondary questions can be used if the answer is a relevant or seems to you to be
inaccurate.
Hypothetical and critical incident questions can be effectively used in the context of a job interview.
Hypothetical questions seek a response to a 'what if' situation. For example, ‘if you were in charge of
this department what would you do?’ is a hypothetical question. Hypothetical questions I’d useful
forgetting acts the respondents beliefs and attitudes. Critical incident questions, on the other hand, ask
the interviewee about a specific account of the real situation. ‘Think about a time when you are unable
to meet a deadline. Please describe the situation talk about what you would do differently’ is a critical
incident question.The last type of question is the leading question. A leading question forces or tempts the respondent to
answer in one way. For example, the question ‘don’t you think that this course of action would alienate
the marketing people?’ would be a leading question because it assumes that the marketing people
would be alienated. Leading questions are often inappropriate because in situations of clear power
imbalances the respondent may be led by the questioner instead of articulating his or her own opinion.
Perhaps the only benefit of the leading question is it offers a chance to the respondent to argue his or
her position.
The interview structure
Interviews can be non-structured, moderate restructured, highly structured and highly structured and
standardized (Carlopio at al., 2005; Dwyer, 2005; Stewart and Cash, 1978; Wilson and Goodall, 1991). A
non-structured interview consists of a topical agenda without specific questions. It may consist of a few
key questions that the interviewer can build on. This structure is useful when the information area to be
discussed is extremely broad. You may also want to use this type structure when there is a large
difference between what the interviewee knows what the interviewer knows. This structure may also
be useful when the interviewees are reluctant or have vague recollections about the topic of discussion.
This type of structure allows the freedom to probe into answers and adapt to the changing conversation
as it evolves. Moderately structured interviews contain major questions and possible probes. This
allows the interviewer a great deal of freedom to probe into the answers and adapt to different
interviewing situations. A highly structured interview consists of a standardised list of questions. These
questions are asked in exactly the same way and order each time the interview is conducted. There is
no deviation from the planned list of questions. More often than not the questions are closed. If using
this structure you would want to include questions that only allow for a limited range of responses.
These type of interviews are easy to replicate and easier for unskilled interviewers, in addition they take
less time. Lastly, highly scheduled standardised interviews are thoroughly planned and structured. All
the questions and answer options are included and are stated in identical language to each interviewee.
The interviewee picks an answer and the interviewer notes the answers chosen. This type of structure is
easy to conduct, record, tabulate analyse and replicate.
The interview schedule
An interview schedule is an outline of questions that you take with you to the interview. This can be
something that you’ve memorised or that you write down on paper or a combination of the two. All
interviews have an introduction, body and conclusion. The introductory part of the interview needs to
accomplish a number of tasks. In the first place, the interviewer needs to greet and build rapport. This
may consist of the primary interviewer formally introducing him or herself and if other people present
introducing them as well. In addition, the introduction should orient the interviewee to the purpose of
the interview. If necessary the interviewer may need to talk about how the information is going to be
used. For example, if you are conducting research interview you would need to tell the interviewee that
the information is being recorded, it is anonymous, and will be analysed for the purpose of conducting
research. Lastly, if necessary, the introduction can motivate the respondent to answer the questions.
This may involve offering an incentive for participating or an explanation for how the information will be
valuable. The next part of the interview schedule is the body. Here you may want to think about howyou are going to sequence the information. You can use any of the structures already described. In the
conclusion you may wish to review and clarify what was discussed. This may involve summarising the
main issues talked about during the interview. The conclusion may also want to focus upon future
actions. So in a job interview you would talk about asking for referees ’reports, if you have not done so
already, and provide a timeline for getting back to the interviewee. The last part of an interview
irrespective of type is concluding with pleasantries. This is where you thank the respondent for his or
her time.
Ethics of interviewing
Wilson and Goodall (1991) suggest a number of ethical considerations when interviewing. The first of
these is clear identification. The interviewers must identify themselves and their sponsoring
organisation. In addition, interviewers should not schedule interviews under false pretenses.
Intentionally deceiving by suggesting one purpose to the interviewee and them proposing another
during the actual interview is unethical. In addition, interviewers must be informed. That is they need
to do their homework prior to the interview. Uninformed interviewers can waste the time of
interviewees and may misinterpret information. Interviewers also have a responsibility to respect the
dignity of the interviewee. This means they should not ask questions that are non-relevant or delve into
highly personal information. Interviewers should also be sure that any conclusions that they draw are
based upon the information that they have collected from the interview and supported by data in that
interview. For example if you are conducting a research interview any conclusions that you draw based
upon the interview should clearly be supported by cited data from the interview. Also interviewers have
the responsibility of using information gathered for the stated purpose only. Lastly, interviewers should
keep their promises especially if the information is off the record.
Summary
This module explores interviewing, asking questions and negotiation. Based upon this information you
should now be able to plan, develop and conduct an interview by understanding the purpose and goals
of the interview, sequencing questions, understanding the different kinds of interview questions,
structuring the interview and developing an interview schedule. In addition this module discusses some
of the ethical considerations about interviewing. The different types of interviews were discussed in the
lecture. Based upon this information you should now have a clear idea about information gathering
interviews, employment interviews, performance appraisal interviews, persuasive interviews,
disciplinary or reprimand interviews and counselling interviews. You knowledge of negation is based
upon your reading in the assigned textbook.
Activity
The Job Interview Activity
IntroductionThe following information describes the general structure of an employment interview (Dwyer, 2012).
Please read over this information. Having read over this description, you will next need to fulfil the task
described below.
The General Structure of an Employment Interview
Opening
Welcomes the candidate
Formally identifies all those present at the interview
Discusses the purpose of the interview and identifies how the interview will be conducted
Body
The interviewer(s) asks the preset questions
The interviewer(s) actively listens (using the verbal and non-verbal skills already identified in the
module on interpersonal communication)
Interviewee answers the specific questions clearly
Interviewee does not provide tangential or irrelevant information
If the interviewee does not understand the questions, then clarification can be sort.
Closing
Main interviewer asks the candidate if they have any questions.
Main interviewer provides a summary of what has taken place
Main interviewer talks about what will happen next (e.g. asking for recommendations, indicating
how long before a decision will be made, verifies the candidate contact details)
Main interviewer thanks the candidate for his/her time and closes the interview
(Dwyer, 2016).
With this information in mind, please complete the following task.
You are to work in groups of three or four. One of you should be prepared to draw upon you own
current work experience as a means of completing the following task.
The Task
You are leaving your current position. You have been asked to write up an advertisement for your job
and plan the interview. The first action that you need to think about is a description of:1. The role
2. The duties and responsibilities
3. The skills and experience required
4. The skills and experiences desired
This is the pre-interview stage
Next you need to think about how you will initially build rapport with the job candidate and prepare
questions that seek to understand if the job candidate possesses the desirable skills and qualities. The
following list contains questions that you may wish to use. You will be asked to share this information
with the class.
Potential Questions
How to Ace The 50 Most Common Interview Questions
Jacquelyn Smith , FORBES STAFF
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/01/11/how-to-ace-the-50-most-common-interviewquestions/#2a9cd2234873
1. Tell me about your self
2. What are your strengths?
3. What are your weaknesses?
4. Why you are interested in working for [insert company name here]?
5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
6. Why do you want to leave your current company?
7. Why was there a gap in your employment between [insert date] and [insert date]?
8. What can you offer us that someone else can not?
9. What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
10. Are you willing to relocate?
11. Are you willing to travel?
12. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
13. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
14. What is your dream job?
15. How did you hear about this position?
16. What would you look to accomplish in the first 30 days/60 days/90 days on the job?
17. Discuss your resume.
18. Discuss your educational background.
19. Describe yourself.
20. Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
21. Why should we hire you?
22. Why are you looking for a new job?
23. Would you work holidays/weekends?
24. How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?
25. What are your salary requirements?26. Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project.
27. Who are our competitors?
28. What was your biggest failure?
29. What motivates you?
30. What’s your availability?
31. Who’s your mentor?
32. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss.
33. How do you handle pressure?
34. What is the name of our CEO?
35. What are your career goals?
36. What gets you up in the morning?
37. What would your direct reports say about you?
38. What were your bosses’ strengths/weaknesses?
Conclusion
Lastly, I would like for you to think about how you would close the interview. You should be prepared to
share this information with the class.
Assigned Readings
Dwyer, J. (2016). , Resumes and Interviews. In Dwyer, J. (2016). Communication for Business and the
Professions: Strategies & Skills (6th ed.) (pp. 668-660). Australia: Pearson.
Decarie, C. (2010). Literacy and information interviews. Business Communication Quarterly, 73(3), 306-
317
Kleiman, L. S., & Benek-Rivera, J. (2010). A four-step model for teaching selection interviewing skills.
Business Communication Quarterly, 73(3), 291-305.
References and Bibliography
Adler, R. B., & Elmhorst, J. M. (2002). Communicating at work: Principles for business and the
professions (7th ed.). . New York: McGraw-Hill.
Carlopio, J., Andrewartha, G., & Armstrong, H. (2005). Developing management skills: A comprehensive
guide for leaders (3rd. ed.). Australia: Pearson Education Australia.
Cavana, R. Y., Delahaye, B. L., Sekaran, U. (2000). Applied business research: Qualitative and
quantitative methods, John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd., Australia.
Dwyer, J. (2005). Communication in business: Strategies and skills (3rd ed.). Australia: Pearson Prentice
Hall.
Dwyer, J. (2012). The business communication handbook. (9 th ed.). Australia: Pearson Australia
Stewart, C. J., & Cash, W. B. (1978). Interviewing: Principles and practices (2nd ed.). Iowa: W.M. C.
Brown Company Publishers.
Gerald L Wilson, G.L., & Goodal, H. L. (1991). Interviewing in context. New York: McGraw-Hill
Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.