CONDUCT GREAT INTERVIEWS

The author is a Jaipur-based Communication Skills Educator & Writer) Conducting an effective, engaging, informative, immersive interview is a task that combines knowledge and skills. It is a hugely advantageous asset to students, professionals and almost anyone. That one may not aspire to be a journalist or reporter, talk show host or presenter, has nothing to do with developing this ability. A great interviewer will always make for a sound conversationalist, improve his/her confidence levels and always come across as a convincing communicator. So what are these elements or prerequisites to becoming an astute Interviewer? Read on.

RESEARCH (BASIC SECONDARY RESEARCH ONLINE):
Go online and search for your interview subject (interviewee). Find out as much information as you can about the subject. If the subject has his/her own website, research that thoroughly and gather as much Factual Information as possible. In addition to the factual information from the subject’s own website and social media handles, also search generally about him/her on google. Try and read articles about/by the subject. Create a mental picture of your subject – education, work life, personal life, professional highs and lows, experiences and jot down points in a diary.
OCCASION (WHAT/ WHERE/WHEN):
Be extremely mindful of what the event/occasion for the Interview is. Is it for a function at college with a live audience? Is a for a Publication/Newspaper? Who is the Target audience of the interview? Is it people from a specific/certain section of society? All this information will give you clues on how to construct the questions in order for the interview to be most Relevant and Interesting/ Engaging to the intended audience. For instance, if you are interviewing the subject for a college newsletter, then your questions should seek to have inspirational answers, and delve into the subject’s own educational journey, and work-life journey so as to provide a path and point of context for the majority of the readers who will be Students. On the other hand, if the interview is for a Conference or Professional Forum, then your Questions should be more Business Oriented, focusing more on the Professional life of the Subject. If the interview is for a more light-hearted social-media platform, your questions can/should include some humour and less serious topics too!

PRE-PLAN BUT STAY FLEXIBLE:
It is a good idea to develop and pre-write a questionnaire. This questionnaire might have around 10 to 12 questions. However, once the interview starts, and you begin asking your prewritten questions, you must remain flexible. Sometimes, your subject will be difficult, not very open, will answer in yes/ no, and will not elaborate – then, you will have to have enough presence of mind to ask him/her the same question in different words (rather than moving on to your next question), without irritating the subject. In another situation, maybe the subject gives you an answer that might take the interview in a completely different direction. You must have the presence of mind to not stick to your questionnaire too strictly, and notice and take advantage of the interesting direction your subject is wanting to take the interview. For example, you ask your subject, What was your school life like? And your next question was to tell us one bad incident from your school life. And the subject answers, my school life was happy and uneventful, but when I got my first job, I almost did not get selected for the interview! (forget your follow-up school-related question and have the presence of mind to probe the job interview further).

ETIQUETTE:
This stays the same if you are the interviewer or the interviewee. You must be gracious, thankful, complementary, and polite. Say things like, Thank you for Taking the Time and talking to me/us. Likewise, say thank you for having me (if you are the subject). Always express your gratitude at the beginning of the interview as well as at the end, and off the record, ask how the interview was.

EQUALITY:
Having just talked about etiquette, being polite in no way means that one comes across as subservient, in-awe-of, or ‘less than the interviewee. No matter who the interviewee is, how accomplished, respected, senior, or someone who enjoys celebrity status; be on equal terms and footing with the person, or else it will show. And if it shows, the interview will be both unprofessional and likely to be editorially compromised. With the aforementioned tips and tricks, you can be sure to combine knowledge and skill in a manner that makes you a very gifted and natural interviewer. Go ahead, try it!