People in business use interview skills all the time - in recruiting staff, in appraising staff, in selecting suppliers and sub-contractors etc. These types of interview will require different approaches and different emphases, but the core requirement for all remains the same.

By structuring interviews and using appropriate interviewing questions, everyone will gain more from the process. Some strategies to try include using the following questioning techniques:

• Do use open questions which invite full and revealing answers such as:

'What attracted you to...?'
'How do you think you would like...?'
'Why do you think this post is right for you...?'

• Don't use closed questions such as 'Do you go out with people a lot?'

Try instead, 'How important is it to you to be with people in your spare time?'

• Do aim to encourage some self analysis by the interviewee:

'What strengths and qualities did you feel you needed to...?'
'What have your previous experiences of school, college or work given you in terms of skills, outlook and attitude?'

• Probing questions can bring more details to the surface:

'How would you react to opposition from your parents?'
'When was the last time you saw something through from start to finish?'

• The importance of tone and encouragement is stressed with attentive active listening coming top of the list in interviewing qualities. Depending on the responses made, a whole range of questions could be appropriate:

'What are your main 'selling points'?'
'How much do you know about...?'

 

Taken from Enterquest Bulletin -