UNIT V: INFORMATION GATHERING INTERVIEWS

WITH EXPERTS IN ONE'S DISCIPLINE

Intended Learning Outcomes

 Write interview questions

 Conduct and record an interview

What is an Interview?

When you split the

word ‘interview’ you get two words, ‘inter’ and ‘view’. This roughly translates to ‘between
view’ or seeing each other. This means that both the groups involved in an interview get to
know about one another.

What is the Definition of Interview?

An interview definition can be crafted as a gentle conversation between two people or more
where questions are asked to a person to get the required responses or answers.

People involved in an interview: Usually two groups or two individuals sit facing each other
in an interview. The person asking questions is the interviewer and the person answering the
questions is the interviewee.
Objectives of Interview:

So, why are the interviews carried out? In what way does it help the interviewer zero in on the
right candidate? Let us find out what are the objectives or goals of an interview.

 It helps to verify the information provided by the candidate. It helps to ascertain the
accuracy of the provided facts and information about the candidate.
 What the candidate has written in the resume are the main points. What other
additional skill set does he have? All these are known by conducting interviews.
 It not only gives the interviewer information about the candidate’s technical
knowledge but also gives an insight into his much needed creative and analytical
skills.
 Helps in establishing the mutual relation between the employee and the company.
 It is useful for the candidate so that he comes to know about his profession, the type
of work that is expected from him and he gets to know about the company.
 An interview is beneficial for the interviewer and the interviewee as individuals,
because both of them gain experience, both professionally and personally.
 It helps the candidate assess his skills and know where he lacks and the places
where he needs improvement.
 The interview also helps the company build its credentials and image among the
employment seeking candidates.
 Based on the Based on the Based on Based on the Based on the
count of people planning judging the facilities or task
involved involved abilities settings
Personal A structured Behavioural-based Telephonic Apprenticeship
interview interview interview interview interview
Group interview Unstructured Problem-solving Online interview Evaluation
interview interview interview
Panel interview Depth interview Job Fair interview Promotion
interview
Stress interview Lunch interview Counselling
interview
Tea interview Disciplinary
interview
Persuasive
interview

Types of Interviews:

Based on the count of people involved

1. One-to-one interview (Personal interview):

It is the most common among the interview types, it involves the interviewer asking questions
maybe both technical and general to the interviewee to investigate how fit the candidate is for
the job.
 Example: Posts in small organizations and mid-level and high-level jobs in big organizations.

2. Group interview:
This involves multiple candidates and they are given a topic for discussion. They are assessed
on their conversational ability and how satisfactorily they are able to have their own views and
make others believe in them. Here, the best among the lot gets selected.
Example: Fresher posts and mid-level sales posts.
3. Panel interview (Committee Interview):
The interviewers here are a group from among the company people who are in a senior
position and usually, the panel interview is when the candidate is supposed to make a
presentation. But many-a-times it could be for the job interview as well.
Example: Mid-level and high-level jobs.

Based on the Planning Involved:

1. Structured interview (Formal interview or guided interview):

Here in the traditional form of an interview, the questions asked are all in a standard format
and the same is used for all the candidates. This is to assess the ability of all the candidates
impartially.

 Example: Entry-level jobs for fresher.

2. Unstructured interview (Informal interview or conversational interview):

This is the opposite of a structured interview. Here the interviewer has a definite idea in mind
about the questions to be asked, but it doesn’t follow a certain format. The interviewer may
deviate and a conversation type interview follows.

Example: Mid-level job interview for managerial position

Based on Judging the Abilities:

1. Behavioral-based interview:

The interviewee is asked questions about past work experiences and how it was dealt with in a
particular situation. This helps the interviewer understand the candidate’s future performance
based on his past experiences.
Here the candidates need to provide examples when they have handled situations. The probing
maybe in detail to assess the candidate’s behaviour and responses and this determines the
candidate’s future job prospects.

Example: Interview for managerial positions, executive posts.

2. Problem-solving interview (Task-Oriented interview):

Here the interviewer is more concerned about problem-solving abilities be it technical,

managerial, creative or analytical skills. This is the most common among the interview patterns
and it may involve either writing and answering a questionnaire set or answering the technical
questions orally.

Example: Interviews for Software recruitments, technical industries, and managerial positions.

3. Depth interview (In-depth interview):

When you need to ascertain everything about the interviewee right from life history, academic
qualifications, work experiences, hobbies, and interests; you conduct the depth interview.

Here the interviewer has a clear idea about the questions he will be asking but once the
question is asked, he allows the conversation to flow and is more of a listener. This interview
takes time and more of a friendly approach of the interviewer towards the interviewee.

Example: For executive posts.

4. Stress interview:

Very rare, but such interviews are conducted to see how the candidate will be able to react in
stressful situations and to assess if he will be able to handle the crisis at his job.
Tactics involved include:

 Completely ignore the candidate by maybe, making a phone call in the middle of the
interview.
 Or some other tactic like continuously interrupting the candidate when he answers
the questions.
 Trying to enforce your point of view forcefully even if he disagrees.
 Asking a whole lot of questions all at once.
 Interrupting him by asking another question not related to his answer.

Example: For banker jobs.

Based on the Facilities or Settings:

1. Telephonic interview:

This interview is conducted over the phone and its main objective is to narrow down the
probable list of candidates so that only the most eligible ones finally get shortlisted. This is done
in the initial stages and before the personal interview.

Also when the candidate is far-off, the company first conducts a telephonic interview and if
satisfied then arranges the travel expenses for a one-to-one interview.

Example: Interview for entry-level jobs.

2. Online interview (Video interview or Skype interview):

This interview may be was done by instant messaging, online chats, email or through videos.
This involves the interviewer asking questions just like in a personal interview.

This is done based on situations like if the interviewee resides far-off or if the interview at the
appointed time gets cancelled due to valid reasons. Also, it is more convenient for the
interviewer that he can fix the interview at his spare time and convey the message to the
candidate a few hours before or so.
This helps as the interviewer doesn’t need to inform the candidate many days in advance.

Example: Interview for mid-level posts.

3. Job Fair Interview (Career Fair interview):

Here the interviewer does a mini-interview to know the qualifications and the technical
knowledge. Then basic technical questions are asked to know if the candidate can proceed
further for the main interview. This is a very short interview to net only the potential
candidates.

Example: Interviews for fresher jobs held at the college campus.

4. Lunch interview:

This interview is more of a conversational interview mainly designed so that the interviewer
gets to know more about the candidate. This also helps the interviewer to assess how the
candidate conducts himself in a less-formal environment and how he presents himself.

Example: Interview for managerial and sales posts.

5. Tea interview:

This is the same as a lunch interview but only that it differs in the time limit. Here the
interviewee gets less time to prove himself. The interviewer here has a structured format for
questioning since there is a time limit.

Example: Interview for positions in the fashion and glamour industry and sales posts.

Based on the Task:

1. Apprenticeship interview:
Here the candidate is a novice and the interview is a very formal one with general questions
and some skill related questions being asked.

Example: Interview for training programs in organizations.

2. Evaluation interview:

In this interview, a fixed set of questions are asked and a scoring system evaluates the points
scored. This type of interview negates the scope of the personal bias of the interviewer.

Example: Interview in corporate organizations

3. Promotion interview:

This is for an employee of the company seeking a higher position for career enhancement
purposes.

Example: Interviews in mid-level posts.

4. Counselling interview:

When employees are called and their problems and solutions are discussed within the
organization, such meeting type interviews are called counselling interviews.

Example: Interviews in big organizations

5. Disciplinary interview:

Here an individual or number of employees or sometimes the employee union is interviewed for
their misconduct or non-performance. This is more sort of a meeting between the manager and
the employees to get the problem resolved.

Example: Interviews in big companies.

6. Persuasive interview:

The interviewee here has to persuade the interviewer to accept his point of view as in case of
an employee persuading his manager to implement some changes in the policy or a sales
manager persisting on selling a product.

Example: Interviews in mid-level managerial posts

Guidelines for Effective Interviewing:

The job of an interviewer spans from preparing the right set of questions to assessing the
answers of the candidates and then finally selecting the best candidate for the job. So then
what are the guidelines for effective interviewing for interviewers or employers?

1. Know the candidate beforehand:

Review the bio-data clearly before the interview process. Know the candidate, his qualifications,
his experiences, and his skill sets. This will give you an idea of the line of questions to be asked
to the candidate.

2. Jot down questions both the technical and non-technical ones:

Note down all the questions you need to ask so that they help you in getting an assessment of
the candidate. Ask questions related to the role and responsibilities the post needs and see if
the candidate is ready to assume the roles responsibly.

3. Prepare an outline of the interview:

Know how you will go about the process of interviewing the candidates. Make a structured plan
so that you are able to review the candidate properly.

4. Be a responsible interviewer:
See to it that you ask appropriate questions. How you behave and conduct yourself while
asking questions is as important as the interviewee answering his questions.

5. Assess the candidate thoroughly:

Whether it is the technical skills or creative skills, assess the candidate and seek all relevant
information. Look at their conversational skills and how convincing they are.

6. Allow the candidate to speak:

Your job of talking is limited to asking questions. So listen and don’t talk or interrupt in
between. Thus you will be able to gather all the relevant and required information from the
candidate.

7. Be professional and ask job-related questions:

You don’t want to miss on a potential candidate by being too professional or being too
personal. Be polite and draw a line between being professional and personal. Let all your
questions be related to the job so that the candidate will feel at ease to answer the questions.

8. Do a follow up:

After the interview, do let the candidates know of their job status. That way you extend your
professional courtesy and help in building the credentials of your company.

Interview Process
During the analysis process, interviews are conducted for a variety of purposes and with a
variety of goals in mind. An interview can be conducted at various times within the process for

 Initial introduction
 Familiarization or background
 Fact gathering
 Verification of information gathered elsewhere
 Confirmation of information gathered from the interviewee
 Follow-up, amplification, and clarification
 Interviewing Components

The interview process itself consists of a number of parts.

 Selection of the interviewee and scheduling time for the interview
 Preparation of interview questions, or script
 The interview itself
 Documentation of the facts and information gathered during the interview
 Review of the interview write up with the interviewee
 Correction of the write up, sign-off, and filing
 What Are the Goals of the Interview?

At each level, each phase, and with each interviewee, an interview may be conducted to:

 Gather information on the company

 Gather information on the function
 Gather information on processes or activities
 Uncover problems
 Conduct a needs determination
 Verification of previously gathered facts
 Gather opinions or viewpoints
 Provide information
 Obtain leads for further interviews

Interviewing Guidelines
Given these various phases and the variety of goals of an interview, the importance of a
properly conducted interview should be self-evident. Since each interview is in fact a personal
exchange of information between two personalities, a set of guidelines for the interviewer
should be established to ensure that nothing interferes with the stated goal, i.e., gathering
complete, accurate information. The interview is not an adversary relationship; instead it should
be a conversation. Above all it is a process, and like most processes it has certain rules and
guidelines which should be followed.

 First and foremost, establish the tone of the interview.

 Let the interviewee know the reason for the interview and why he or she was selected
to be interviewed.
 Stress that the interviewee's knowledge and opinions are important, and will aid in the
analysis process.
 Gain the interviewee's trust and cooperation early on, and maintain it throughout.
 Establish what will happen to the information gathered.
 Determine any areas of confidentiality or restricted information.
 Let the interviewee know that candor and honesty will be valued and that nothing will
be published or passed on until it has been reviewed and verified by the interviewee.
 Firmly establish that there are no negative consequences to being interviewed.

Dos and Don'ts of Interviewing

The rules of interviewing are similar to the rules which govern most human interactions and to
the rules which govern most investigative and problem-solving processes. In effect they can be
called the rules of the game.

 Do not assume anything.

 Do not form pre-judgments.
 Do ask questions which start with who, what, where, when, why, and how, where possible.
 Do ask both open and closed questions.
 Do verify understanding through probing and confirming questions.
 Do avoid confrontation.
 Do act in a friendly but professional manner.
 Do not interrupt.
 Do listen actively.
 Do take notes, but do not be obtrusive about it.
 Do let the interviewee do most of the talking
 Do establish rapport early and maintain it.
 Do maintain control over the subject matter.
 Do not go off on tangents.
 Do establish a time frame for the interview and stick to it.
 Do conclude positively.
 Do allow for follow-up or clarification interviews later on.
 Do be polite and courteous.

The Need for Documentation

Everyone talks about the weather but no one can do anything about it. In the case of
documentation, everyone talks about it but few do it; however, unlike the weather, most people
can document, and document effectively.

Documentation, however painful and tedious it may seem, is one of the most critical tasks of
analysis. The documentation produced as a result of the analytical interviews, the analyst's
observations and research, and ultimately, the total analysis phase of the project serves a
number of purposes.

Permanence. The need for documentation is rooted in semantics and human memory. Verbal
communications are both transitory and subject to interpretation. The average person has a
language working set of about 500 to 1000 words. The written working set, by contrast, is
much larger, perhaps by as much as an order of magnitude. Verbal communication is
augmented by inflection, body language, and by a process of feedback and interaction, all of
which serve to clarify the ambiguous, the ill-defined, and ill-understood. Human memory is
imperfect. Words communicated verbally can only be recalled and examined with difficulty, if at
all.

Precision and recall. A written document is more precise and may be reviewed repeatedly
until understanding is achieved. It has the added advantage that small changes can be made to
it without having to restate the entire premise or thought. Additionally, once an idea is written
down, it may be recalled at will exactly as first presented and may be completed by someone
other than the original author, or authors. Because there is little feedback from the written
word, one can only take issue with misstatements of fact or with ambiguous wording. If it isn't
written down, it isn't there.
Graphics. Documentation usually includes both a narrative portion and an illustration portion.
These illustrations serve to amplify and enhance the narrative. One picture can be worth many
thousands of words, if properly drawn. The graphics of the analytical documentation, whether it
employs simple flowcharts, HIPO diagrams, data flow diagrams, or powerful modeling
techniques such as those based upon the entity-relationship-attribute approach, presents the
user and the analyst with a way to walk through the picture developed from the analysis, and
ultimately walk through the design developed from the analysis. These walk-through sessions
enable both to understand the environment and to detect any ambiguities and anomalies.
Illustrations have the added advantage that they can be viewed in their entirety, whereas
narrative may only be viewed in fragments.

Functions of Documentation

Documentation serves to clarify understanding, and perhaps most important, it provides the
audit trail of the analyst. That is, it creates the records which can be referred to at some later
date and which serve as the basis for future work and decisions.

Good documentation precludes the need to return to the interviewee for a repetition of ground
previously covered. Good documentation can be reviewed over and over until adequate
understanding is achieved.

Documentation is tedious and sometimes boring. But it is also vital. Good documentation allows
other analysts and the analyst's successors to pick up where the first left off, should he or she
be reassigned. Documentation is necessary if the next project phases are to be successful, since
they are predicated on the results of the analysis. To a very real extent, analytical
documentation provides the road maps for the remainder of the project. If the maps are faulty,
or incomplete, the succeeding teams may wind up in a swamp, or worse, in quicksand.

Most important, the finalized documentation serves as a contract between the user and the
data processing developer. In it the analyst has described the user's environment, the analyst's
understanding of the user's needs and requirements, and with the proposal for a future
environment, the analyst's description of the system to be designed and built by the
developers. With the user's sign-off, or approval of these documents, a contract is created
between the two. Barring unforeseen changes in the business environment, the problems
described in the documentation will be rectified and the environment proposed will be the one
built and installed for the user.

The document becomes, in effect, a statement of the work to be performed. The time to modify
and change it is before the work begins; afterward it may be too late. From the developer's
perspective, any post sign-off changes may require a re-negotiation of time frames, costs, or
resources. From the user's perspective, the design is what is contracted for and what he or she
is paying for. If the final product does not conform to the proposal, then it is up to the
developer to rework the product until the user is satisfied.

Conclusion:
Interviews are great tools that help both the company and the candidates to make the right
selection for the jobs. Interview not only helps the establishment to prosper and grow by
selecting the right candidates but it also provides a way for the employee to grow both
professionally and personally.

!! PROJECT FOR FINAL TERM!!

 Directions:

1. With the knowledge of the technical jargons and types of interviews, conduct a 3-5-
minute interview with an expert or a professional in the field which you hoped to
take since childhood (dream profession). Make use of the technical jargons from
your previous activity in your questions. You have the freedom to choose which type
of interview to use.
2. Prepare a script of your questions and submit it to our class drive.
3. Record your interview, edit it if you want to and post it in our GC.
4. Be guided with the following rubrics.

Criteria Poor 2points Fair 3points Good 4points Excellent 5points Score

Appearance Overall appearance is Appearance is Overall neat Overall appearance is

untidy somewhat untidy appearance very neat
(** This should
relate to the Choice in clothing is Choice in clothing is Choice in clothing is Choice in clothing is
core inappropriate for any job inappropriate (shirt acceptable for the appropriate for any job
concentration interview (torn, unclean, un-tucked, tee-shirt, type of interview interview
area and may wrinkled) too much jewellery,
be industry etc.) Well groomed (i.e. Very well groomed
specific) Poor grooming shirt tucked in, (hair, make-up, clothes
Grooming attempt is jewellery blends with pressed, etc.)
evident clothing, minimal
wrinkles) Overall appearance is
business-like
Greeting Unacceptable behaviour Used typical behaviour Acceptable behaviour, Professional behaviour
and language and language – did well mannered, and language
modify behaviour to fit professionalism (handshake, “hello”,”
Unfriendly and not the interview somewhat lacking thank you “, etc.)
courteous
Attempts to be Courteous to all Friendly and courteous
courteous to all in involved in interview to all involved in
interview setting interview

Communication Speaking is unclear – very Speaking is unclear – Speaking is clear with Speaks clearly and
difficult to understand lapses in sentence minimal mistakes in distinctly with no lapse
message of what is being structure and grammar sentence structure in sentence structure
said (i.e. mumbling) and grammar and grammar usage;
Volume is uneven speaks concisely with
Volume is inappropriate (varied) Volume is appropriate correct pronunciation
for interview (i.e. spoke
too loudly, too softly) Volume conveys
business tone
Body Language Fidgeted – (i.e., constant Fidgeted –(i.e., Minimal fidgeting No fidgeting;
movement of hands and movement of hands (i.e., occasionally consistently used
feet); none or very poor and feet frequently); shifting); average use physical gestures, facial
use of physical gestures, minimal use of of physical gestures, expressions and body
facial expressions and physical gestures, facial expressions and movements in a
 body movements
detracted from the
interview process
Posture and Eye Does not look at persons
Contact involved in the interview
process; keeps head
down; minimal eye
contact; does not have
good posture; slouching
Politeness Several times, the student
interrupted or hurried the
person doing the
interviewing; forgot to
thank person(s)
General Lack of interest and
Attitude enthusiasm about the
interview; passive and
indifferent
Overall Demonstration of poor
Demonstration interview skills with little
of Interview confidence displayed
Skills
https://wvde.state.wv.us/simulated-workplace/files/student-interview-rubric.docx
References:
https://content.wisestep.com/what-is-an-interview/
http://www.martymodell.com/pgsa2/pgsa07.html
facial expressions and body movements in a manner which
body movements in a manner which enhanced the interview
manner which enhanced the process
enhanced the interview process
interview process
Sits up straight; Sits up straight, good Sits up straight,
average posture; posture; establishes excellent posture; looks
establishes eye contact eye contact with relaxed and confident;
with interviewers interviewers during establishes eye contact
during the interview the interview 80 -90% with interviewers
70 -80% of the time of the time during the interview
90-100% of the time
Student interrupted or Student interrupted Student never
hurried the or hurried the interrupted or hurried
interviewer 3-5 times interviewer 1-2 times the interviewer and
during the course of during the course of thanked them after the
the interview, thanked the interview, interview
the person after the thanked the person
interview after the interview
Somewhat interested Shows basic interest Appropriately
in the interview; shows in the interview; interested and
little enthusiasm shows some enthusiastic about the
enthusiasm interview process
Demonstrated limited Demonstrated Highly proficient;
proficiency; limited average proficiency; appropriately utilized
demonstration of average interview skills in an
competent interview demonstration of enthusiastic, motivating
skills in a generally competent interview and engaging manner
confident manner skills in a generally
confident manner
TOTAL