INTERVIEWING TIPS
by Paul McLaughlin
Paul McLaughlin is one of Canada’s leading experts on interviewing. During Paul’s career, he has worked as a writer for most major magazines in Canada and as a broadcaster with CBC Radio. He has taught journalism at Algonquin College, Carleton University and Ryerson University. He has lectured on interviewing to numerous media, academic and other professional groups throughout Canada and is the author of the best selling “Asking Questions: The Art of the Media Interview.”
Paul has extensive experience training journalists and other professionals in interviewing, public speaking and communicating with the media. He is also an award-winning playwright whose works have appeared on stage and on CBC Radio.
A communications consultant with the forensic accounting firm Kroll Lindquist Avey, he is the editor of Report On Fraud, which is co-published by Kroll, the CICA and the AICPA.
PREPARATION, POLITENESS & PERSISTENCE
Prepare as much as possible before an interview by doing research, determining your questions (and the general order you'll ask them), working particularly hard on the wording of sensitive or difficult questions, and developing an overall strategy for the interview.
Ask your questions politely and in a non-threatening tone of voice unless you deliberately develop a strategy to do otherwise. It may sometimes be appropriate to become more aggressive than normal – but make sure you remain in control when doing so.
Persistence is the key to successful interviewing. Don't move on to the next question until you're satisfied that the previous question was answered clearly and thoroughly; or until you decide there is nothing more to be gained – at this point – by exploring the question further.
DO AS MUCH RESEARCH AS TIME ALLOWS
Not only does preparation make you better informed, it also relaxes you and boosts your confidence, which frees your intuition and creativity to flourish. If a particular person or subject intimidates you or you don't know much about it, prepare even more than usual.
TRUST & RAPPORT
Trust is one of the most important aspects of interviewing. If the person trusts that you are a sincere and straightforward person, the potential for a successful communication increases dramatically. Trust is gained through non-verbal behaviour (are you friendly without being phony, do you establish eye contact, where do you sit, etc.); and by what you say (are you empathetic, clear and concise, use plain language rather than jargon, do you understand the interviewee's needs and concerns, etc.).
LISTEN DEEPLY
Listening is hard work. It takes a lot of energy. It's also another way to build or lose trust. If a person senses you're not really listening, any bond between you will likely be weakened or broken. Most of us have poor listening skills (how many times have you been introduced to someone and immediately forgotten the person's name?). An interviewer must listen deeply, deeply, deeply. Listen to what people are saying, what they're not saying, how they're saying it.
TONE
How you say something is just as important as what you say. Tone of voice is critical to establishing trust and meaningful communication. Become aware of your tones. Your goal is to be natural, genuine, enthusiastic (but not too gushy), interesting, energetic and funny (but be careful not to offend). Never be sarcastic, pushy, obnoxious, judgmental, etc. Don't assume these never creep into your tones.
ASK DIFFICULT QUESTIONS IN A REASONABLE TONE
Asking tough questions makes most people feel uncomfortable. Therefore, some compensate by asking them in a harsh and unpleasant tone. This allows a person to respond to the tone ("How dare you speak to me like that!") rather than the question. If you're going to ask a difficult question, ask it clearly, directly (don't apologize for it) and in a calm, assertive voice.
PREPARE A REASON WHY SOMEONE SHOULD TALK TO YOU
Give people a reason to talk to you. It might be one of the following: to provide information that will benefit their cause/needs/etc.; their company/boss has asked them to cooperate; to help resolve a problem at work; to refute allegations by others against them; to assist in the a chance to set the record straight/clear their conscience; to assist the interviewer's understanding of a complex matter, etc.
FLATTERY CAN GET YOU SOMEWHERE
Know as much as possible about an interviewee. When appropriate, the right amount of flattery (but don't overdo it) or acknowledgment of a person's accomplishments, etc. can help gain the person's trust.
PREPARE QUESTIONS.
Think of what questions you want to ask, the specific wording, and the order in which you're going to ask them. Don't assume that you'll think of them on the spot. Plan when you're going to ask difficult, sensitive or awkward questions. It's generally not a good idea to do so at the start of an interview. Better to build up a relationship of trust beforehand.
BUT DON'T READ QUESTIONS
An interview should seem like a conversation. Prepare questions beforehand but don't read off a list during the interview. An interview rarely proceeds in the way you plan it. But preparation makes you more relaxed, confident and thoughtful no matter what direction the conversation takes.
IMAGINE THE ANSWERS
As part of your preparation, imagine/visualize the interview beforehand. This helps prepare you for a variety of possible responses to your questions, and helps identify critical and vulnerable areas.
ASK ONE QUESTION AT A TIME
If you ask a long series of questions, the interviewee has the choice of which one to answer. Invariably, some of the questions from the series don't get answered.
ASK SIMPLE, SHORT QUESTIONS
Avoid long, confusing, multi-part questions. Avoid making speeches or lengthy prologues to your questions. The more simple and direct your questions, the easier for the interviewee to answer likewise.
DON'T ANSWER YOUR OWN QUESTIONS
Your goal is to elicit the interviewee's thoughts, ideas, etc. Be careful not to ask questions such as, "I guess you must have really thought this and done that..." Questions that elicit little beyond yes or no are of little use to you.
LET THE INTERVIEWEE DO THE TALKING
Successful interviewers say little, preferring to let the other person talk. Instead, they guide the interview along a direction they've mapped out, always bearing in mind that a new direction – unanticipated – might arise.
FOLLOW UP YOUR QUESTIONS
Interviewing is not simply asking one question after another. It's the exploration of ideas in depth and detail. It's not enough to ask a question, receive an answer and then proceed to the next one on your list. You must ask yourself if the question was answered to a satisfactory point, or if there's more to the answer. Stay with a question area until you're satisfied there's nothing more to be gained.
MAINTAIN CONTROL BY BEING IN CONTROL
Your role as the interviewer gives you considerable control. The person with the right to ask questions has a certain power advantage. If an interviewee tries to take control, treat the attempt as a valuable piece of information. Why is he/she doing this? Is there anything you can learn that will help you in the interview?
You regain control by asserting your rights as the interviewer. You have a right to direct the conversation towards certain points. By knowing and accepting this as your role, you're more likely to give off an impression of being in control. You're well within your right to say something such as, "What you're saying is interesting and I feel clear about the point you're making. What I'd like to do now is turn our attention to..."
In extreme cases, you might consider confronting the person's reluctance to answer your questions. For example: "I need to interrupt you at this point because I feel that every time I ask you about X you answer by talking about Y. I wonder if there's something about the question we need to discuss or if I'm asking it in an unclear way?"
BE INTERESTING. HAVE ENERGY
It's your job to stimulate the interviewee with pertinent and interesting questions. And to have high and positive energy. If you sound bored and uninterested, why should the interviewee put any energy into his or her answers?
DON'T GET IN A FIGHT
It's never wise to argue with an interviewee or get into a fight. Nor to take an unpleasant or antagonistic response by the interviewee personally. You don't need to defeat interviewees or put them in their place. Stick to your agenda, which is to elicit information. Be challenging but remain professional.
DON'T JUMP IN TOO SOON
Don't be afraid of a little silence. Let people speak. Let their thoughts "breathe". If you jump in you may lose important answers.
DON'T BE JUDGMENTAL
Ask straightforward questions without value judgments attached to them, such as "How could you do something so awful," "that's pretty disgusting" or anything else that might close the interviewee up.
HOW TO INTERRUPT
If a person rambles on and time (or your patience) is running out, interrupt politely by saying something like, "I'm sorry to interrupt but because there's so much I want to ask you I wonder if I could direct my next question to..." or a variation on the theme.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO ADMIT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
This is not a point to underestimate. It's very tempting to nod as if you've understood an answer, particularly if the interviewee is intimidating or someone you'd like to impress. You must keeping asking until you understand. You might say: "Can you elaborate", "explain that further" or "I'm sorry, I don't understand what that means," etc.
BE AWARE OF YOUR BODY LANGUAGE
When interviewing in person (as opposed to over the phone), make sure you sit in an open and assertive way. Don't slouch, cross your arms, etc. How you come across affects the communication between you and the interviewee. Conversely, notice the guest's body language and see if it indicates possible nervousness, antagonism, boredom, etc.
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAKE AN IMPRESSION
Don't forget that the other person is responding to everything you do and say, consciously and unconsciously. Be on red alert throughout the entire interview process.
Paul McLaughlin, who annually puts on an interviewing seminar at Wordstock, can be reached at
416-690-2617