What Makes a Skilled Interviewer?

Skilled interviewers have to listen to and look at a lot of information at one time. Then, they take that information and decide what is important, what is not important, what needs to be discussed in further detail, and what needs to be discussed later. If there is a file, or other documents, it is important to go over the information before the client arrives, so that it does not become a distraction to the interview. Along with all of the physical and verbal information they have to work with, the interviewer has to work with a variety and range of people. So, they have to be able to adapt to the individual that is speaking. This means that they might have to change their vocabulary, give an example to illicit a response, give time for each answer, or perhaps they might have to sit in silence because the client is protesting answering. These are just a few examples, but it goes to show that people are different (Morrison, p. 8-10).

Skilled interviewers will remember to pay attention to the setting, so that the interview is free from distractions and so that the environment is safe for them. This will allow the interviewer to focus on the client and the information that is provided (Morrison, p. 10-11).

While the client is sharing their information, the interviewer will have to take notes. This is extremely important during the interview process. However, during the sessions note taking can cause problems if the interviewer does not pay attention to how many notes they are taking and/or if they are becoming a distraction. On the other side, the clients might feel uncomfortable so there might need to be compromise. When discussing this or other information with the client it is important to be tactful (Morrison, p. 13-14).

Good interviewers will be straight forward, honest, and upfront. They will not say things just to make the client feel good. They will provide all of the options and allow the client to make a choice; however, they will also help the client to see that some choices will have better outcomes/consequences than others. That means that they will not set their client up to fail and then point it out to them. They will work on improving the client’s decision making skills.  

If the interviewer wants to build a rapport with the client they will help the client to feel at easy. They can do this by telling the client who they are, how long they will be there, what they will do, and that the client is there to be involved in the process.

Reference

Morrison, J., (2008). The First Interview. (3^rd Ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.