Speech Chapter 6 Principles Interviewing Resource Guide The Opening Page Each Communicating Work

CHAPTER 6

Principles of Interviewing

Resource Guide

The opening page of each chapter in Communicating at Work lists desired learning outcomes. The

Resource Guide will assist you in locating activities and resources from the text and Instructor Manual

that are relevant to each objective.

Chapter Objectives

Resources

Plan and conduct an information–gathering

interview to assist you in a current work or school

project; plan and conduct a career research

interview that will help you clarify and/or achieve

your career goals.

Key terms: interview, leading questions,

gatekeeper, and career research interview

In the text:

Activities: 1, 2

Case Study:

The Coffee Bar

Technology Tip:

Internet Job and Internship Searches

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 1-5

Classroom Activities: 1-4

Describe the features of various types of employment

interviews, including video interviews, and explain ways

to prepare for each.

Key Terms: Audition interview, behavioral interview,

employment interview, and stress interview

In the text:

Activities: 3, 4

Career Tip:

Conducting Research on a Company’s Culture

Technology Tip:

Video Resumes

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 6,7

Classroom Activities: 5

Written Application Exercises: 4

Identify the purpose of a performance appraisal

interview and the steps involved in preparing for this

type of interview.

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 10

Distinguish between legal and illegal employment

interview questions, and identify advantages and

disadvantages of each of four methods of responding to

illegal questions.

Key Terms: Bona fide occupational qualification

(BFOQ)

In the text:

Activities: 5

Table 6–4:

Questions Interviewers Can and Cannot Legally

Ask

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 8

Classroom Activities: 6

Explain how to define interview goals, identify and

analyze the other interview party, and choose the

best interview structure.

Key terms: structured interview, interview,

moderately structured interview, and unstructured

interview

In the text:

Activities: 6

Table 6–5:

Differences between Structured and Unstructured

Interviews

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 10–13

Classroom Activities: 7, 8

Written Application Exercises: 1

Demonstrate knowledge of the uses and limitations

of each type of interview question: primary,

secondary, ;closed, open, factual, opinion, direct,

indirect, hypothetical, and critical incident.

Key terms: closed question, direct question,

factual question, hypothetical question, indirect

question, open question, opinion question, primary

question, and secondary question.

In the text:

Activities: 7

Table 6–6:

Types of Interview Questions

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 14–16

Classroom Activities: 9, 10

Video Activity: 1

Describe the purpose of and appropriate conduct

during each stage of an interview: opening, body,

and conclusion.

In the text:

Activities: 8

Career Tip:

Successfully Navigating Job Fairs

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 17,18

Classroom Activities: 11, 12

Video Activity: 2

Describe and observe the ethical obligations of

interviewers and respondents.

In the text:

Ethical Challenges:

Handling Difficult Questions

Instructor’s Manual online:

Discussion Launchers: 19–21

Classroom Activities: 13

Video Activity: 3

About Chapter 6

This chapter introduces interviewing skills and strategies, and it demonstrates how these communication

skills are essential for career entry and advancement. Chapter 6 explains how interviews differ from other

interpersonal communication situations. It emphasizes the importance of goals, analysis, and structure in

interviews. Different approaches to structuring interviews are presented, as are the advantages and

disadvantages of each approach for achieving different goals in various contexts. The chapter illustrates

the importance of planning, organizing, and asking questions, and it assesses the outcomes that usually

gathering interview, the career research interview, and the employment interview. Students can increase

their chances of success in the professional world as they become competent in each type of interview. In

presenting employment interviews, the text guides students through an interview from the viewpoint of

the interviewee: conducting background research on employers, developing networks for potential

employment interviews, answering interview questions with specific evidence, and following up with a

Personal Reflection for Individual Journaling

One of the first steps in preparing for a job interview is to equip yourself with some brief narratives that

demonstrate your experience and will capture the attention of the interviewer(s). Consider a job that you

are currently qualified to apply for. For each of the following four topics, write down one brief, lively,

very specific story that demonstrates your competence in relation to this specific job: education, prior

Discussion Launchers

1. Since the purpose of an information–gathering interview is to gain information about a topic, why

does the text exhort you to gather background information first? What might go wrong if you fail

to do adequate research before the interview?

2. Consider a career field you might want to enter. What types of interviews are conducted in that

field? What interviewing skills might help you succeed in that field?

3. What is the most enjoyable interview you ever participated in? What made it so?

7. What are the most frequent complaints of job interviewers about their interviewees? How could

you avoid being the type of interviewee an interviewer might complain about (or joke about) after

8. Compare the primary functions of each type of interview covered in this chapter. Think of a

variety of situations in which each type might be used.

9. Recall the most threatening interview situation you’ve experienced. What made it seem

threatening? What format did the interviewers use? If you had a chance to do that interview over

again, how would you prepare differently?

10. Review the section in your text titled “Interviewing and the Law,” and rank–order the suggested

responses from least to most effective. (Note to instructors: Emphasize to students that no one

11. What is the relationship between the amount of control an interviewer has and the interview

structure?

12. Who should assume responsibility for the structure of the question–response phase of the

interview, and why?

13. What is the relationship between the amount of control an interviewer has and the interview

structure?

14. Who should assume responsibility for the structure of the question–response phase of the

17. Observe your conversations for a day. What types of questions do you usually ask? Which types

of questions elicit the most interesting answers?

18. Do you think it’s necessary for all interviews to follow the three–stage pattern of opening, body,

and closing? If so, why? If not, why not?

19. Imagine that you are about to be interviewed by a three–person panel as part of the process of

applying for a very competitive scholarship. What could the interviewers do to put you at ease?

What might the interviewers do that would increase your anxiety? Which approach would be

most effective for the purposes of the interview? Why?

Classroom Activities

1. Identifying Sources for Information–Gathering Interviews

Objective: The purpose of this activity is to help students develop skills in identifying people who are

sources of information when they are preparing for the interview process. Additionally, students should

better understand the multiple sources of information available to them.

1. What is the average rent for a two–bedroom apartment in the YT area?

2. Who are the best internists in town?

3. What have been the rates of return on investments over the past five years for index

mutual funds, certificates of deposits, and corporate bonds?

4. What is the academic success rate for students in each age group: 17 and below, 18–24,

25–30, 31–40, 41+?

5. Who are the biggest employers in YT? Who hires the greatest number of college

graduates?

6. What’s the lowest airfare from YT to London?

7. Where can you find the best price for a personal computer with 32 megabytes of RAM,

3.2GB hard disk storage, a CD–ROM, and a modem with at least 56K?

8. What are the best elementary schools in YT?

Class Discussion: After students have completed this activity, the following questions could be used to

2. On the Web: Searching for Company Information

Objective: The purpose of this activity is to provide students with an opportunity to practice finding

appropriate information about a company in preparation for an employment interview. Additionally,

students should obtain skills in relation to navigation of organizations’ web locations.

• Why would you like to work for us?

• How did you hear about this opening?

• What material have you read about our organization?

• What do you know about our products or services?

• What do you know about the history of our organization?

Class Discussion: After completing this activity, discuss topics such as:

• What information was easy to locate on the Internet?

• What information, if any, would you need to know but found unavailable on the Internet?

• What other methods are available to you for finding information that is not available on the

3. Conducting an Information–Gathering Interview

Objective: Students will analyze a real–world information–gathering interview using the text’s guidelines

for conducting the body of an interview.

Procedure: Review with students the strategies from the text related to interviewer and interviewee roles

for conducting the body of the interview. (This exercise does not include an analysis of the introduction

and closing, because published transcripts often omit these stages.)

Divide the class into several groups. Supply each group with a transcript of a real–world interview (you

can give them a hard copy or a URL). Transcripts should include at least 15 substantive questions. An

Class Discussion: Give each group an opportunity to share their analysis with the class. Encourage the

class to ask questions of the presenting group. You could follow up the presentations with additional

questions:

• Which techniques for control and focus seemed most effective?

• How could you tell from a transcript whether an interviewer is engaging in active listening?

• Did you notice any similarities among the probing questions that were asked? Which probes

seemed to elicit the most relevant responses? Why?

• Which interviewees gave the most clear and detailed answers? Compare the responses of

interviewees whose answers were clear and detailed with those whose answers were unclear

and vague.

o If you wanted to give detailed answers, what techniques would you use?

o If you wanted to use strategic ambiguity, what tactics would you use? Why?

• Identify at least one situation in which an interviewee (or an interviewer) corrected a

• If you could give advice about interview strategies to one of the interviewers or interviewees,

to whom would you give it? What would you say? Please be specific.

4. Receiving Accurate Information

Objective: Students will recognize communication elements that may interfere with receiving accurate

information and suggest methods for managing those challenges.

Procedure: Elicit from students the general purpose of all information–gathering interviews, whether

highly structured, unstructured, or moderately structured. Then review the communication model from the

first chapter, focusing on elements of the communication process that might interfere with receiving

5. Types of Employment Interviews

Objective: Students will gain experience with job interviews in panel, audition, and behavioral formats.

Procedure: Divide the class into six groups. Assign to each group one of the job interview formats

(panel, audition, behavioral). Allow seven minutes for each group to construct a role play demonstrating

three or four questions and answers in their assigned format.

Class Discussion: For each format discuss questions such as:

• Have you ever participated in this type of interview before?

• How does this format differ from traditional job interview formats?

• What advice would you give to a friend who will soon be interviewed in one of these

6. Bona–Fide Occupational Questions

Objective: Students will become more familiar with the BFOQs.

Procedure: Invite a representative from your college human resources department to visit your class to

explain the following aspects of BFOQs: (1) how the concept of BFOQs developed in the U.S., (2) the

rationale behind these regulations, (3) basic guidelines for remembering which types of questions are

Class Discussion: Allow the guest speaker time to present her or his remarks. Follow with a question–

and–answer session. Prepare some of your own questions in case students forget. You might ask:

• What’s all the fuss? Is this concept really important, or is just nitpicking?

• I’m overwhelmed by all the details in Table 6–6. How can I ever remember which topics I’m

not supposed to ask about?

• What if I accidentally inquire about a topic that is not a BFOQ? Will I be liable for damages?

• In your experience, is it worth protesting if an interviewer asks me questions that are not

BFOQs?

• What do you think is the most effective response to a BFOQ that I think could hinder my

7. Preparing for Interviews

Objective: This activity acquaints students with resources through which they can learn more about

interviewing.

Procedure: Divide students into several groups, and give each group a list of websites and published

materials that offer information and advice about interviewing. Several possible resources are listed under

the Resources section at the end of this chapter. Groups will assign each member one resource to

Class Discussion: When groups submit their bibliographies of interviewing resources, discuss their

findings:

• Which resources did your group find most useful? Why?

• Did any groups find resources that were not on the original list your instructor gave you?

How did you find these additional resources?

• Which information corresponds to material found in your text?

• Did any resources contradict material found in the text? If so, how would you explain the

discrepancy?

• Did you find any supplementary material not covered in the text? Describe.

• How could you best apply these resources in your own lives?

8. Choosing the Best Interview Structure

Objective: Students will learn the strengths and weaknesses of various interview structures by selecting

the best structure to use in various situations.

• A professor is confronting two students who submitted papers with several paragraphs that

show very similar wording.

• The members of a community college department of communication are interviewing the five

top candidates who have applied for a teaching position. Assume that the college is governed

Class Discussion: For each situation, compare students’ suggestions, and ask them to explain their

choices. If there is disagreement about the best structure for a situation, explore the differences.

9. Types and Combinations of Questions

Objective: The purpose of the following activity is to demonstrate that not all types of questions are

mutually exclusive and to have students develop various combinations of questions and rationales for

their use.

Procedure: Provide students with a list of the types of questions discussed in the text. First, discuss how

some types are mutually exclusive and some are not. (For instance, a question can be both open and

opinion, or opinion and secondary, but it can’t be both open and closed). Second, have students construct

Class Discussion: Generate class discussion during this activity with questions such as:

• Which types of questions are mutually exclusive? Which types are not?

• Which types of questions do you think are the most difficult to generate? Which types seem

the most difficult to answer?

• How would you generate questions that are mutually exclusive?

• Why would you want to use a mutually exclusive question? Why wouldn’t you?

10. Preparing Questions

Objective: The purpose of this activity is to provide students with the opportunity to prepare a list of

questions for various interviews.

Procedure: Individually, or in small groups, have your students identify the type of interview each

situation below represents, develop four quality questions they might ask in each situation, and label each

C. You are a student attending a job fair. You see a recruiter who represents a company you are

really interested in working for. Write questions you could use to help determine if this

company would be a good match for your skills and personality.

D. You are a newly hired member of the human resources department of the ABC Company

Class Discussion: The following questions could be used to lead a class discussion.

• What rationale did you use in developing each question?

• How would you prepare for each of these situations differently? Why?

• In what way do questions differ across the three contexts?

• How is the information obtained from each of these situations used in different ways?

11. Openings and Closings

Objective: Students will increase their comfort level in conducting interviews by planning, practicing,

and analyzing the opening and closing phases of interviews.

Procedure: Arrange students in pairs. Each pair will think of a specific interview situation. They will

Class Discussion: After students have had time to plan and practice their openings and closings, elicit

some volunteers to act out their role plays in front of the class. Ask the class to identify each element of

the opening and closing. Then discuss the quality of the role plays.

• How did the interviewer establish rapport?

• Did the rapport step seem gimmicky or sincere?

• Did the opening lines include an adequate orientation? Was the orientation informative, yet

not too mechanical?

• Was the interviewer successful in sincerely motivating the interviewee without sounding

12. Planning the Interview

Objective: This exercise gives students practice in the steps of planning various types of interviews.

Procedure: Divide the class into several groups. Review the four interview situations Gina will be

working with in the case study about the coffee bar (clarifying the regional manager’s expectations; hiring

Class Discussion: Ask groups to share their interview plans and explain their rationale for each step.

Allow the class to critique and expand on each group’s interview plans. You can follow up by presenting

discussion questions such as:

• Does this plan create a threatening or a supportive climate? Explain.

• How might the climate impact the outcome of the interview?

• If the class suggests an alternative structure, setting, etc., how might those changes impact the

climate of the interview?

• If you had to limit your interview to only five minutes, which of the topics and/or questions

would you eliminate, and which would you keep for sure?

• If you did not include some of the question types described in the chapter (e.g., factual,

opinion, indirect, hypothetical), why didn’t you? If possible, think of at least one example of

each type that you didn’t include. Could you add these questions to your interview without

13. Ethical Obligations

Purpose: This exercise emphasizes the importance of ethical communication during interviewing.

Procedure: Ask students to locate professionals who conduct interviews as part of their job. Instruct

students to ask these professionals what they consider to be the most important ethical obligations of

interviewers and interviewees and what advice they might have for conducting ethical interviews.

Class Discussion: Try to categorize ethical guidelines mentioned by the interviewees in terms of

the ethical guidelines in the text. Ask students to relate what they have learned from these

interviews to the information in the text. Elicit consequences of unethical behavior and reasons

why ethical behavior is desirable and important.

Types of Questions

Instructions: Watch a 10- to 15-minute segment of an interview news show. As you watch, take

notes, and jot down the questions asked and the kinds of responses each generated. Categorize

the questions by types.

Types of Questions

Open vs. Closed

Direct vs. Indirect

Primary vs. Secondary

Opinion vs. Fact

Hypothetical

Verbal and Nonverbal Probes

Question

Type of Question

Purpose

Response

Sample Job Interview Questions

Interest in the Organization

1. Why would you like to work for us?

2. How did you hear about this opening?

3. What material have you read about our organization?

Work-Related (General)

1. Which position has given you the most satisfaction?

2. How have your previous work positions prepared you for this experience?

3. Why did you choose this career?

4. What did you do that was innovative in your last position?

Work-Related (Specific)

1. When you are supervising others, how do you get your point across?

2. Describe a typical strategy that you would use in a sales call.

3. What criteria do you use when assigning work to others?

Education and Training

1. What special skills do you have?

2. Which aspect of your education has best prepared you for this position?

3. Which course did you like most in college?

4. If you had your education to do over, what would you do differently?

Career Plans and Goals

1. What are your long–range career plans?

2. If you join our organization, what would you like to be doing five years from now?

3. How do you feel about the way your career has gone so far?

Job Performance

1. How do you ensure that you are receiving feedback regarding your performance?

2. All of us have pluses and minuses in our performance: What are some of your

pluses/minuses?

3. Which criteria do you use when making decisions?

Written Application Exercises

1. Definition of Interview and Types of Interviews

An interview is one type of conversation, which has the following characteristics:

• between two parties

• at least one party has a specific, predetermined purpose

• structured (some planning and organization is needed)

Do we engage in such purposeful conversations very often? Yes, in the classroom, at work, and in the

community, we often engage in interviews. This exercise will help you recognize the different types of

interviews we often participate in.

Part 1: In your own words, define and explain the difference between an informal conversation and an

interview. How does this difference impact you as in interviewer? As an interviewee?

Part 2: First write a two or three–word definition of each type of interview in the chart below. Then draw

a symbol to help you remember this form of interview. Finally, provide an example. One row has

already been completed for you.

Type of Interview

Key Word Definition

Symbol

(your drawing)

An Example

Selection interview

(also called job

interview or

employment interview)

Performance appraisal

interview

Disciplinary interview

Survey interview

Diagnostic interview

Research interview

Investigative interview

Find the cause

?

Insurance adjustor

wants to find out why a

driver rear–ended a

school bus.

Exit interview

1. Interviewing as a Job Skill

Learn more about the frequency and importance of interviewing. Choose a person whose work interests

you and who spends much of his or her time interviewing in the course of a typical week. Ask your

2. Recovering From Career Interview Blunders

Read several articles about Interviewing Mistakes, such as those listed below:

http://www.worktree.com/tb/in_mistakes.cfm

Write an essay about five blunders of your choosing. Address the following:

• Devise a strategy for recovering from these mistakes if you made them.

• How could you guard against making each of these mistakes?

3. Conduct your own Mock Interview

Visit the InterviewNet Mock Interviews site (available at http://www.job–

interview.net/sample/demosamp.htm). Scroll down to the list of mock interviews and choose a field that

4. Definition of Interview and Types of Interviews

An interview is one type of conversation, which has the following characteristics:

• between two parties

• at least one party has a specific, predetermined purpose

• structured (some planning and organization is needed)

• an element of control by the interviewer (to keep the conversation moving toward the

Do we engage in such purposeful conversations very often? Yes, in the classroom, at work, and in the

community, we often engage in interviews. This exercise will help you recognize the different types of

interviews we often participate in.

Part 1: In your own words, define and explain the difference between an informal conversation compared

to an interview. How does this difference impact you as in interviewer? As an interviewee?

Type of Interview

Key Word Definition

Symbol

(your drawing)

An Example

Selection interview

(also called job

interview or

employment interview)

Performance appraisal

interview

Disciplinary interview

Survey interview

Diagnostic interview

Research interview

Investigative interview

Find the cause

?

Insurance adjustor

wants to find out why a

driver rear–ended a

school bus.

Exit interview

Video Activities

1. Types of Questions Used in News Interviews

Objective: This activity illustrates that different types of questions may necessitate different types of

answers and to gives students the opportunity to prepare questions on content–specific areas.

Class Discussion: After students have completed this activity, class discussion could focus on their

ability to distinguish among the different types of questions.

• Can you make any generalizations about the types of questions that are most prevalent?

• Which types of questions do guests seem to like the most?

• Which types of questions do guests seem to like the least?

• Which types of questions elicit the most information for viewers?

• Which questions are guests most adept at dodging?

• Compare the kinds of questions you and your classmates observed. Can you make any

2. Observe an Interview

Objective: Students will differentiate effective and ineffective communication behaviors in an interview.

Class Discussion: Discuss elements of the interview.

The setting:

Is the setting conducive to this type of interview? Explain.

The opening:

Was there an identifiable opening?

Did the interviewer build rapport, orient the interviewee, and motivate

the interviewee?

The body:

Did the interview follow any identifiable sequence of questions?

What types of questions were used most frequently? Were the questions

appropriate for this type of interview?

The closing:

Did the interviewer clarify the results of the interview, establish future

actions, and conclude with pleasantries?

Overall assessment:

Did it appear that the interviewer had prepared questions ahead of time?

What nonverbals did you observe? Were they appropriate for this

occasion? Why or why not?

How do televised interviews differ from most workplace interviews? (Suggested answers:

goal is to entertain a third party; teleprompters are used; content must be acceptable to the

3. Interview Ethics

Increase your awareness of ethical issues of interviewing by analyzing a televised or radio interview.

a. Evaluate the ethics of the interview by considering how well the interviewer and interviewee

comply with the ethical obligations covered in this chapter. Support your comments with specific

examples.

b. What role did nonverbal communication play in your assessment?

c. Are there situations in which it would be advisable to breach any of the ethical obligations?

Additional Resources

Print

Allen, J. (2000) The Complete Q and A job interview book. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Austin, N. K. (1996, March). The new job interview: Beyond the trick question. Working Woman, 23–24.

Criscito, P. (2000). Résumés in cyberspace: Your complete guide to computerized job search. Barron’s

Educational Series, Inc.

The title says it all. There’s plenty of practical advice for job seekers.

Fry, R. (2000). 101 great answers to the toughest interview questions. NJ: Career Press.

Practical advice for anyone preparing for a job interview.

Gill, A. M., & Lewis, S. M. (1996). Help wanted: An inexperienced job seeker’s complete guide to career

success. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland.

The authors divide their book into four sections: getting started, getting noticed, getting offers,

and getting ahead. Of particular note are the chapters on “Networking,” “High–Impact

Interviews,” and “Negotiating for Job Satisfaction.”

Gutman, A. (2010). EEO law and personnel practices (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Graben, S. (2000). The everything online job search book. Holbrook, MA: Adams Media Corporation.

DVD

Common Mistakes People Make in Interviews. (2003) 27 min. Cambridge Educational Media.

Uses a wrong way/right way format to illustrate how to project a professional image.

Effective Communication and Interviewing Skills. (2009) 20 min. Insight Media.

Methods for interacting with patients in a diagnostic interview.

Group Assessment Interview. (2008) 17 min. Insight Media.

How to present oneself during a group assessment interview.

How Supervisors Should Appraise Employee Performance. 23 min. Kantola Productions.

Illustrates keys to an effective review process.

Informational Interviewing and Networking. (2004) 28 min.

How to find networking contacts and conduct informational interviews.

Interviewing Strategies. (2004) 29 min. Cambridge Educational Media.

Explains the STAR (Situation–Task–Action–Result) framework for interview preparation.

An Overview of Investigative Interviewing. (1998) 62 min. Cambridge Educational Media.

British actors enact the right way to interrogate victims, witnesses, and suspects.

Performance Appraisals: Getting Results. 18 min. Cambridge Educational Media.

Use performance appraisals as a motivational tool for underperformers and top performers.

Includes study guide and instructor manual.

Question Types in Interviews. (2008) 12 min. Insight Media.

Situational, behavioral, and probing questions, as well as types of questions to avoid.

Tough Times Job Strategies. (2003) 24 min. Cambridge Educational Media.

Advice on framing your skills to show your value to many employers. Features interviews in a

variety of professions.

Who Would You Hire? First Impression. (2011) 30 min. Insight Media.

Presents six job interviews and asks students to evaluate each.

Provides an explanation of interview structure.

Oklahoma City Community College

http://www.occc.edu/ES/pdf/Guidebook.pdf

Download an interviewing guidebook covering interview preparation, etiquette, dress, typical job