4.1 Interview Preparation and Planning
5 min read•july 30, 2024
Preparing for an interview is like gearing up for a big game. You need a game plan, research on your opponent, and the right equipment. It's all about setting yourself up for success before you even step onto the field.
Effective interview prep involves crafting smart questions, doing your homework on the interviewee, and choosing the right setting. By nailing these basics, you'll be ready to dive deep and get the most out of your conversation.
Interview Planning
Developing a Comprehensive Plan
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- Define the purpose and goals of the interview, ensuring the interviewer stays focused and on track
- Craft well-structured, that encourage detailed responses and allow for follow-up inquiries
- Questions should be designed to elicit valuable information from the interviewee
- Examples: "Can you describe a specific challenge you faced in your role and how you overcame it?" or "How do you think your experience in this field has shaped your perspective on the current industry landscape?"
- Allocate sufficient time for each question or topic while allowing flexibility for unexpected discussions or insights
- Prioritize questions based on their importance and relevance to the overall objectives
- Ensures that the most critical information is obtained, even if time runs short
- Consider ranking questions as high, medium, or low priority
Identifying Key Objectives
- Objectives may include gathering specific information, exploring a topic in-depth, or obtaining insights into the interviewee's experiences, opinions, or expertise
- Examples: Understanding the interviewee's role in a particular project, exploring their views on a controversial issue, or learning about their career journey and lessons learned
- Align objectives with the overall purpose of the interview and the intended use of the information gathered
- Consider how the interview findings will be used (e.g., for a news article, research paper, or business strategy)
- Break down broad objectives into specific, measurable goals to guide the interview process
- Example: If the objective is to understand the interviewee's leadership style, specific goals might include identifying key characteristics, eliciting examples of how they handle challenges, and exploring their approach to team motivation
Background Research for Interviews
Researching the Interviewee
- Conduct thorough research on the interviewee's professional background, areas of expertise, and relevant publications or public statements
- Review their LinkedIn profile, company website, or academic bio to understand their roles and responsibilities
- Read any articles, blog posts, or research papers they have authored to gain insight into their perspectives and knowledge
- Review any previous interviews or media coverage involving the interviewee
- Provides valuable insights into their communication style, potential talking points, or areas of sensitivity
- Helps the interviewer avoid redundant questions and build upon existing knowledge
- Identify key accomplishments, challenges, or controversies associated with the interviewee
- Examples: Notable projects they have led, awards they have received, or public debates they have engaged in
Contextual Research
- Familiarize oneself with the broader context surrounding the interview topic
- Research industry trends, current events, or historical background relevant to the subject matter
- Example: If interviewing a tech CEO, research recent developments in their industry, such as emerging technologies or regulatory changes
- Identify key stakeholders or other individuals who may have relevant knowledge or perspectives on the topic
- Consider reaching out to colleagues, experts, or other sources for additional insights or context
- Example: If interviewing a politician about a specific policy, identify constituents, advocacy groups, or opposition leaders who may offer valuable perspectives
- Gather and synthesize information from a variety of credible sources
- Consult academic journals, reputable news outlets, government reports, or other authoritative sources
- Critically evaluate the reliability and relevance of each source to the interview objectives
Interview Format and Setting
Choosing the Appropriate Format
- Select between in-person, telephone, or video interviews based on various factors
- Consider the interviewee's availability, geographic location, and personal preferences
- Evaluate the nature of the interview topic and desired level of interpersonal connection
- In-person interviews offer advantages such as nonverbal communication and a more natural, conversational flow
- Allows for a more engaging and dynamic interaction between the interviewer and interviewee
- Enables the interviewer to observe body language, facial expressions, and other visual cues
- Telephone or video interviews may be more convenient or necessary in certain circumstances
- Useful for interviewees who are geographically distant or have limited availability for in-person meetings
- Video interviews provide some visual connection, while telephone interviews rely solely on verbal communication
Optimizing the Interview Setting
- Choose a setting that minimizes distractions, ensures privacy and confidentiality, and creates a comfortable, professional atmosphere
- Select a quiet, private location free from background noise or interruptions
- Ensure that the space is well-lit, ventilated, and temperature-controlled for comfort
- For in-person interviews, carefully select and prepare the physical space
- Arrange seating to promote a natural, conversational flow (e.g., chairs facing each other at a slight angle)
- Test any necessary equipment or materials (e.g., recording devices, notebooks, or pens) in advance
- For remote interviews, ensure a stable internet connection and familiarize oneself with the chosen communication platform
- Test audio and video quality, and troubleshoot any technical issues before the interview
- Minimize background distractions in the interviewer's environment (e.g., mute notifications, close unnecessary applications)
Structured Interview Guide
Creating a Roadmap for the Conversation
- Develop a structured guide that outlines key questions, topics, and themes to be covered
- Ensures that all essential information is obtained and maintains consistency across interviews
- Serves as a reference point for the interviewer to stay on track and cover all planned areas of discussion
- Organize the guide in a logical, coherent manner
- Group questions by theme or topic to create a natural, progressive flow of discussion
- Arrange questions in a sequence that builds upon previous responses and allows for a deeper exploration of key issues
- Include a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions, as well as probes and follow-up questions
- Open-ended questions encourage detailed, reflective responses (e.g., "Can you describe your approach to problem-solving in your work?")
- Closed-ended questions elicit specific, factual information (e.g., "How many years have you been in your current role?")
- Probes and follow-up questions prompt elaboration or clarification (e.g., "Can you provide an example of a time when you applied that strategy?")
Refining and Reviewing the Guide
- Carefully craft each question to elicit specific, relevant information
- Pay attention to wording, tone, and phrasing to minimize ambiguity or bias
- Avoid that suggest a particular answer or perspective
- Provide space for notes or observations within the guide
- Allows the interviewer to capture key insights, nonverbal cues, or areas for further exploration during the interview
- Helps with post-interview analysis and synthesis of information
- Review and refine the guide prior to the interview
- Ensure that the questions are comprehensive, focused, and aligned with the overall objectives
- Seek feedback from colleagues or stakeholders to identify any gaps or areas for improvement
- Consider pilot testing the guide with a trusted colleague or friend
- Practice delivering the questions and gauge the effectiveness of the structure and flow
- Incorporate feedback and make necessary adjustments to optimize the guide for the actual interview.
Key Terms to Review (17)
Active Listening: Active listening is a communication technique that involves fully focusing, understanding, and responding to a speaker, ensuring that their message is received accurately. It plays a crucial role in gathering information, building rapport, and effectively capturing the essence of individuals' personalities and characters during interactions.
Anonymity: Anonymity refers to the state of being unidentified or unacknowledged, where individuals can provide information or participate without revealing their identity. This concept is crucial in various contexts, including interviews, where it can encourage openness and honesty from sources, as well as protect them from potential repercussions. Maintaining anonymity can lead to more candid responses and provide a sense of security for individuals sharing sensitive information.
Audio recording: Audio recording is the process of capturing sound waves and converting them into a digital or analog format that can be stored and played back. This technique is essential for preserving interviews, discussions, and other spoken content, making it easier to reference and analyze later. The accuracy of the recorded audio can enhance the quality of notes and provide an authentic representation of spoken interactions.
Creating an Outline: Creating an outline is the process of organizing information in a structured format before writing. It serves as a roadmap, helping writers arrange their thoughts and ideas logically, ensuring a coherent flow in the final piece. Outlining is particularly useful in interviews as it aids in formulating questions, anticipating responses, and focusing on key themes.
Establishing trust: Establishing trust is the process of building a reliable and authentic relationship between the interviewer and the interviewee, which is essential for gathering honest and insightful information. Trust enhances communication, allowing interviewees to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences, leading to more engaging and valuable interviews. It involves demonstrating respect, empathy, and integrity throughout the interaction.
Field notes: Field notes are detailed written records taken during research activities, such as interviews or observations, that capture the context, interactions, and insights related to the subject being studied. They serve as a vital tool for researchers and writers to document real-time information and reflections, which can later inform their work and analysis. Field notes enhance the understanding of a subject by preserving immediate reactions and observations that might not be captured through other means.
Informational interview: An informational interview is a conversation between a job seeker and a professional in a specific field, aimed at gathering insights and advice about a career path. This type of interview allows the job seeker to gain valuable information about the industry, the company, and potential career opportunities while establishing a network for future job prospects.
Informed Consent: Informed consent is the process through which individuals are fully informed about the purpose, risks, and implications of participating in research or sharing personal information, allowing them to voluntarily decide whether to participate. This principle ensures that participants have autonomy and control over their involvement, which is crucial when working with sensitive topics or vulnerable populations.
Lack of preparation: Lack of preparation refers to the insufficient planning and groundwork done prior to an interview, which can lead to missed opportunities, ineffective questioning, and a general sense of disorganization. When an interviewer does not adequately prepare, it not only affects their ability to engage effectively but also undermines the quality of the information gathered during the interview.
Leading Questions: Leading questions are inquiries designed to guide a respondent toward a particular answer or to suggest a specific viewpoint. They often contain assumptions or implications that can influence the way an interviewee responds, making them crucial in shaping the direction of an interview and the quality of information gathered.
Open-ended questions: Open-ended questions are inquiries that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no,' encouraging the respondent to provide more elaborate and thoughtful responses. These types of questions are essential for capturing depth in interviews, allowing interviewers to explore personality, character, and complex thoughts that reveal insights about an individual.
Primary Sources: Primary sources are original materials created during the time under study or by individuals who experienced the events firsthand. These sources provide direct evidence and insight into a particular subject, making them crucial for authenticity and accuracy in research. They can take various forms such as documents, interviews, photographs, and artifacts that reflect the original context of the information.
Reflective Practice: Reflective practice is the process of critically analyzing and evaluating one’s own actions, decisions, and experiences to enhance learning and improve future performance. This continuous loop of reflection helps individuals identify strengths and weaknesses, fostering personal and professional growth through a deeper understanding of their practice.
Researching the subject: Researching the subject involves gathering relevant information and background knowledge on a particular topic or individual prior to conducting an interview. This process is essential for understanding context, preparing insightful questions, and fostering a more engaging dialogue during the interview itself.
Secondary Sources: Secondary sources are documents or recordings that analyze, interpret, or summarize primary sources. They provide context and commentary on original materials, helping to synthesize information and give a broader understanding of a subject. In journalism, secondary sources are essential for verification processes and in-depth reporting, as they help to back up claims and provide additional perspectives.
Structured interview: A structured interview is a research method where the interviewer asks a predetermined set of questions in a specific order, ensuring consistency across interviews. This format allows for easier comparison of responses and can help minimize interviewer bias, which is crucial when preparing and planning interviews as well as applying effective interviewing techniques.
Thematic coding: Thematic coding is a qualitative data analysis method used to identify, analyze, and report patterns (themes) within data. This technique helps researchers systematically categorize and interpret the meanings and insights from various data sources, such as interviews or open-ended survey responses, facilitating a deeper understanding of the subject matter being studied.