Ask Interview Questions

Asking interview questions is a much smoother process if you do research and prepare the questions beforehand. Begin the interview with straightforward questions, and keep all questions brief and concise. Make your interview subject feel comfortable by initiating small talk before the interview, showing them that you are listening, and letting them speak. If possible, record the interview and avoid accepting simple “yes” or “no” answers.

Steps

Putting the Interview Subject at Ease

1. Make the interview seem casual. To set your respondent at ease, make the interview seem as casual as possible. Beforehand, refer to the interview as an opportunity for you to talk with them (as opposed to interviewing them), which will put less pressure on them as the designated subject. Be friendly and kind, and allow them to see any nervousness you may be feeling as well.
   • Before starting the actual interview, engage your interview subject in casual small talk to break the ice.
   • Say something like, "I'm happy that I have the chance to chat with you. I find your work so interesting!"
2. Show that you are listening. To build the interview subject’s confidence in you, demonstrate that you are listening to them. In between questions, restate the subject’s last response briefly but accurately. Do not reinterpret the answer to summarize it, which will give your interviewee the clear impression that you don't understand them.
   • For instance, if the subject states that their neighbour’s dog startled them, do not summarize by presuming they are scared of dogs in general.
3. Stay quiet after posing a question. It is important to give your interview subject the opportunity to speak freely after you ask them a question. If you attempt to control the conversation too much, you run the risk of missing important points or surprising developments. Let your respondent address the question to their satisfaction before talking again.
4. Keep the interview subject on topic. If your interview subject goes off topic, let them finish without interrupting. Gently guide them back to the context of your original question. Be polite and respectful to avoid seeming critical or uninterested.
   • For example, if you are interviewing a city councillor about the safety of local playground equipment and they end up talking about other city developments, guide them back by saying something like, “It’s wonderful to hear about these new developments, but I am eager to hear what you have to say about the issue of playground safety in the city.”
5. Keep questions brief and concise. Avoid writing questions that are too detailed or lengthy, as they may overwhelm your interview subject. Break longer questions up into smaller, simpler questions that are more conducive to a dialogue. Similarly, avoid two part questions, as the answers to the two parts may be different and result in a confusing response.
   • For instance, instead of writing the question, “Have your health and family life been good recently?”, write, “How is your health?” and then, “How are things with your family?” as a separate question.

Leading a Job Interview

1. Ask all candidates the same questions. When conducting job interviews, it is important to maintain fairness and create an even playing field by asking all candidates the same questions. Write a list of essential questions to ask each candidate and follow this guide during each interview you conduct. To ensure that you evaluate all candidates within the same parameters, ask the interview questions in the same order each time and give each interviewee ample time to answer thoughtfully.
2. Avoid asking illegal interview questions. Before writing job interview questions, take note of the things that you are legally prohibited from asking potential employees. As a general rule, personal questions are inappropriate during an interview. Be sure to avoid any inquiries about:
   • Age
   • Gender identity
   • Sexual orientation
   • Race or ethnic origin
   • Disabilities
   • Marital status
3. Write some open-ended questions. While an interview will unavoidably require some specific, detailed questions, asking open-ended questions is a great way to broaden the conversation. Open-ended questions can yield interesting, unexpected responses and buzz-worthy quotes. For instance, you might get a variety of responses to a question like, “where do you see yourself in five years?”
4. Don’t accept “yes” or “no” answers. If your interview subject answers a question with a simple “yes” or “no”, politely ask them to elaborate. One word responses offer very little to the interview and can dull the momentum of the conversation. Ask something simple, such as, “would you mind elaborating on that?” to prompt a more informative answer.
5. Ease into the more difficult questions. To ease your interview subject into opening up, start with simple, straightforward questions and work up to more detail-oriented questions. Answering easier questions first will allow your interviewee to get into a rhythm of speaking, which should lead them to feel less nervous than at the start of the discussion. Start with questions about the present (e.g. “how are you enjoying the summer?”) before asking questions about the past or future, which will likely require more thought and reflection.

Conducting a Journalistic Interview

1. Do research beforehand. To be well-informed during your interview, learn as much as you can about your interview subject and the topic you will be discussing before speaking with them. While the internet can be a quick way to get information, be sure that your sources are credible. Double check information with several sources, or refer to peer-reviewed, academic sources (e.g. scholarly journals).
2. Find what has been overlooked. If you are interviewing a public figure who has conducted other interviews, refer to those discussions and look for a missing link in the narrative. While other interviewers may opt to ask the same, buzz-worthy questions and yield the same results, you can conduct an original interview by asking about something they’ve overlooked.
   • For instance, while other reporters may be asking a local sports hero about their winning streak, you can shift the focus by asking them about their participation in local community organizations.
3. Record the interview. Having a recording of your interview will vastly improve your chances of accurately representing the discussion later on. Record the interview on your smart phone, or using a simple tape recorder. Note that you must ask your interview subject’s permission before recording any conversation you have with them.
4. Take detailed notes. Whether or not you are recording your interview electronically, take notes about other details of the conversation. These may include distinguishing features of the interviewee, things that were happening in the background during the interview, or notable emotional reactions to certain questions. If you can’t record these details during the interview, write them down immediately following it while the experience is still fresh in your mind.
   • For instance, note that the cafe that you conducted the interview in was particularly crowded that day, and that your interview subject teared up when asked about their parents.

Sources and Citations

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See also

• Hire an Employee Relations Consultant
• Make a Job Offer to Prospective Candidates
• Conduct a Detailed Interview
• Avoid Asking Bad Interview Questions
• Take Control in Your Interview
• Prepare for a Technical Interview
• Obtain Free Employment Verification of Someone
• Prepare for an Interview
• Show Your Personality in an Interview
• Improve Non Verbal Communication for an Interview

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• Conduct an In Person Interview