Interviewers know that using the right kind of questioning pays off in obtaining information. They also realize that there are "two" applicants present during the interview: One is the real you; the other is the applicant as you present yourself. Of course, you want to show yourself in the most favorable light or at least as you'd like the interviewer to see you. It's the interviewer's job to distinguish between the real and the make-believe. Good questioning techniques help to make that distinction.
First let's look at what interviewers won't do. In most cases, the interviewer will not ask questions that reveal his or her own attitudes, such as:
- "That was a good reason to change jobs."
- "I thought you did a good job. How do you feel about it?"
- ''What's been your experience in dealing with troublemakers who review your expense statements?"
- ''What did you think of the ball game last night?"
- "How has the weather been out your way?"
- "How long have you worked for your present supervisor?"
- "What was your favorite course in college?"
- "How many people work out of your office?"
- "Would you tell me about your present job?"
- "How would you describe yourself?"
- "What do you feel are your supervisor's strengths?"
In most situations, the interviewer probing for information regarding your attitudes, successes, failures, and the like will use open-ended questions. Open-ended questions allow you to express yourself freely. And they encourage you to do most of the talking. If the interviewer talks a third or more of the interviewing time, he or she is poor interviewer. If you find yourself doing most of the talking, then you know you're in the hands of a pro.
Two other types of questions often used in an interview are "reflection" and "interpretation." The reflection question can be very effective. The interviewer repeats or rephrases a portion of what you have said. For example, suppose you say, "And then I began having disagreements with my boss." The interviewer will want to know more about this disagreements; so he or she will reflect your statement by saying, "You had disagreements with your boss?" Almost inevitably, you'll begin to talk in more detail about your disagreements with your boss. Reflection issued sparingly. Overuse of this technique can lend an air of absurdity to an interview. But when it's intermixed with other techniques, interviewers find it useful in getting information out of you.
"Interpretation" is a technique in which the interviewer goes beyond merely repeating what you say and attempts to interpret. He or she pieces together what you've said and then adds something to it, hoping to delve more deeply into the subject. The interviewer might say,
"Could it be that these disagreements with your supervisor resulted from your resentment of his promotion?" Be careful this technique doesn't catch you off guard and force you into a direct response. When this occurs, the interviewer can dig even deeper. If the interviewer is not highly skilled, rapport can be destroyed by "interpretation." This loss of rapport can hurt you more than the interviewer, so be on guard against making implications from which an interviewer can structure an interpretation.
CANDIDATE: I am interested in joining your firm, because the opportunity for advancement is greater.
INTERVIEWER: You're looking for advancement? (Reflection)
CANDIDATE: Yes. If I stayed longer, I'd probably do well where Aim. But I hear that advancement is faster in your industry.
INTERVIEWER; why do you feel that way? (Open Ended)
CANDIDATE: Well, I've talked to several people, and they say that your company is the leader in a fast-growth industry.
INTERVIEWER: These people have convinced you that it's the best thing to do? (Interpretation)
CANDIDATE: Yes, that's a fair way of putting it.
INTERVIEWER: Let's talk a little more about your present job. How are things going?
CANDIDATE: Things are going along fine. But I'm not moving as fast as I'd like to.
INTERVIEWER: You don't think you're moving fast enough? (Reflection)
CANDIDATE: I have been doing okay. I do my work well. No complaints. But things could be much better in a way.
INTERVIEWER: Could you please explain?
CANDIDATE; Well, I like the company. They like me, and they give me plenty of responsitality. I like the people, but not the setup there.
INTERVIEWER: You don't like the setup?
CANDIDATE: Too much firefighting, a lot of paper work, and node to think. It makes you feel like you're on a merry-go-round and going no place.
INTERVIEWER: Would you say more about that? (Open Ended)
CANDIDATE: I don't know. I thought of quitting, but that would have been foolish. Then I thought of your company,
INTERVIEWER: You mean that the idea of joining our company might have been triggered by your situation?
As you can see, the interviewer skillfully used various types of questions to get the applicant to open up. The final question was one of interpretation. The interviewer interpreted the candidate's reasons for wanting the position as having come about by accident rather than by design. The candidate has talked himself into a corner and is faced with the problem of talking his way out.
What's the message?-to recognize how a skillful interviewer can use various types of questions to get information out of you, information that may work to your disadvantage. To guard against that happening, you must learn to recognize where the interviewer is leading you with his or her line of questions. We talk about that next.
