Transcript Interviewing - Cengage Learning

Interviewing
communication
transaction that
emphasizes
questions and
answers.
Microsoft Photo
• An interview is a
Types and Purposes of Interviews
provides information to
another person
• Information-getting – the
interviewer asks
questions to learn about
the interviewees’
opinions, knowledge,
attitudes, behaviors
• Persuasive – designed to
influence attitudes or
actions
Microsoft Photo
• Information-giving –
Types and Purposes
of Interviews
• Problem-solving – seeking others’
perspectives to broaden our
understanding of problems and our
insight into potential solutions
• Counseling – the counselor tries to help
the client understand the problem and
collaborates to develop strategies for
coping with or overcoming the difficulty
Types and Purposes
of Interviews
• Employment--allows employers and job
candidates to assess each other and
decide if there is a good fit between them
• Complaint—allows people to register
complaints about a product, service, or
person
• Performance reviews--comment on a
subordinate’s achievements and
professional development
Types and Purposes
of Interviews
• Reprimand – identify lapses in conduct,
determine sources of problems, and
establish a plan for improvement
• Stress – designed to create anxiety in
interviewees
• Exit – gains information, insights, and
perceptions about a place of work, or
education, from a person who is leaving
• The Opening Stage




Is brief
Creates an effective climate for interaction
Clarifies the purpose
Previews issues to be discussed
• The Substantive Stage



Content relevant to the purpose of the interview
Requires careful planning and thought
Includes questions prepared in advance and used
for notes during the interview
• The Closing Stage



Summarizes what has been discussed
Discusses follow-up
Creates good will in parting
Funnel Sequence
Communication moves from broad to narrow
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your interests.
So you especially enjoy working with others, right?
Have you ever supervised others?
Are you comfortable dealing
with conflict?
Tell me about a situation
in which you had
a conflict with
a co-worker.
Styles of Interviewing
• Formal – participants stay closely
within social and professional roles
Written questions
 Nonverbal cues

• Clothes
• Formal meeting room
• Stilted postures
• Stiff handshake
Styles of Interviewing
• Informal
Relaxed, personal, and flexible
 Communication is more individualistic
 Questions are only guidelines
 Nonverbal cues include

• Smiling
• Relaxed postures
• Casual surroundings
• Informal dress
Who Sets the Interview Style?
The interviewer usually has
primary control and the
interviewee adapts.
Styles of Interviewing
• Mirror – the interviewer consistently
reflects the interviewee’s comments to
the interviewee
• Distributive – professionals are equal in
professional or social standing
• Authoritarian – the interviewer exercises
primary control over interaction

Efficiency is the primary strength of the
authoritarian style.
Greatest Interviewee Power
Mirror (reflective) Interviews
Distributive Interviews
Authoritarian Interviews
Stress Interviews
Greatest Interviewer Power
Forms of Questions
• Open – broad questions that allow a
wide latitude of appropriate responses
• Closed – call for specific and brief
responses
• Mirror – paraphrase, or reflect the
previous communication
• Hypothetical – ask for response on a
speculative situation
Forms of Questions
• Probing – go beneath the surface of a
response to gather additional
information and insight
• Leading – predispose a certain response
• Loaded – biased in wording
• Summary – summarizes the discussion
and allows participants to see if they
agree on what was discussed
Preparing to Interview Effectively
• Conduct research.

If you have researched the company or
institution you will be able to adapt your
communication.
• Engage in person –centered
communication.
• Practice responding.
Managing Illegal Questions
• Know the law – The Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission protects
interviewees in all states from intrusive
questions about race, ethnicity, marital
status, age, sex, disability, and arrests.
• If asked an illegal question respond
diplomatically but be aware that you
have the right to not answer the question.
It’s legal to ask:
But illegal to ask:
1. Are you a law
abiding person?
1. Have you every been
convicted of a felony?
2. Do you have the
physical strength to
do this job?
2. Are you physically
disabled?
3. Are you fluent in
any languages other
than English?
3. Are you a native
speaker of English?
It’s legal to ask:
But illegal to ask:
4. Could you provide
proof that you are old
enough to meet the
age requirements for
this job?
4. How old are you?
5. Your transcript
shows you took a
course in socialism.
Did you find it
valuable?
5. Are you a socialist?
Other questions illegal to ask:
6a. Would you be
willing to live in a
town without a
temple/church/
synagogue?
6b. Does your
religion allow you to
work on Saturdays?
7. May I have a
picture to put with
your file?
8. Do you have (plan to
have) children?
9. Are you married?
10. Do you have
reliable child care?
11. Do you own a car
or a house?
12. What is your
political affiliation?
Experiencing Communication
in our Lives . . .
View the following video clip and then
answer the questions that follow based
on material presented in this chapter.
A script of the scenario can be found at
the end of Chapter 12.
Wadsworth Thomson: Wood Scenarios
1. Did Ms. Bourne provide a good opening for
the interview?
2. How effectively do you think Mr. Miller
handled the tough questions that Ms.
Bourne asked?
3. Did Mr. Miller seem well prepared for the
interview?
4. Identify leading questions asked by Ms.
Bourne and evaluate how Mr. Miller
responded to them.
You may go to your student CD that accompanies the text to compare
your answers to Julia Wood’s.