Term Paper on "Interviewing Techniques"

Term Paper 11 pages (3074 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Interviewing: Case Analysis of Counseling Interview Skills and Sessions

Explain and discuss the differences between a counseling interview and other types of interviews such as information gathering, persuasive and job interviews.

The primary focus of a counseling interview is to offer advice and suggestions to someone else whether they are experiencing financial, personal, academic, work or emotional problems (Stewart & Cash, 2000). A counseling interview is different from other interviews as the outcome of the interview session might directly impact a person's well being. Counseling skills are often incorporated into a counseling interview to help facilitate adequate communication. The person engaging in a counseling interview has to consider multiple factors before meeting with the interviewee, including their background in order to determine whether the interviewer has the skills, abilities or advice necessary to actually help out the person seeking assistance (Stewart & Cash, 2000).

Counseling interviews can take multiple approaches including a direct or non-direct approach (Stewart & Cash, 2000). In a directed interview the counselor takes responsibility for directing the interview and eliciting the information they need from the interviewee. This is the most common form of interviewing usually used in other settings including information gathering interviews. While the structure or format of the interview may vary, most counseling interviews follow a distinct pattern. This pattern includes (1) establishing rapport with the interviewee to establish trust and comfort, (2) assessment of the problem the interviewee is facing, (3) in depth questioning of the interviewee so the counseling interviewer can determine the clients needs and (4) a decision making segment where the interviewee and interviewer work together to decide on an appropriate course of action to generate a solution to the problem at hand.

A counseling interview requires a climate conducive to trust, understanding, honesty and openness of communication. In this type of setting more than any other it is important the interviewer establish a solid rapport with the interviewee to help produce a productive and calm environment.

Other types of interviews include job interviews, information gathering interviews and persuasive interviews. A persuasive interview is a directed interview where the primary purpose of the interviewer is to persuade the interviewee to side with them. This form of interview also requires the interviewer establish rapport, but rapport is not as vital to the outcome as it may be to a counseling interview. Nonetheless, the better able the interviewer is able to establish rapport the more likely he or she is to sway the interviewee to their side of an issue.

In a job interview a directed approach is often taken though at times some organizations may prefer using a less directed approach. A less directed approach enables the candidate or interviewee to reveal more about themselves during an interview. A job interview is often structured and based on a series of rigid questions meant to elicit information regarding a candidates suitability for a particularly job function. While open ended questions are helpful in exploring a candidates expertise, more directed and close ended questions might also provide the interviewer more factual data from which to make a judgment on the candidates potential value to the organization.

A fact gathering or information gathering interview tends to be very directed with the intent of colleting information. Here rapport is not nearly as important as open communication and clearly written and well communicated lines of questioning. In this case the most important component of the interview is the interviewers ability to elicit factual and concrete evidence from the person being interviewed.

Process and Scope of Interview

Describe an interview that you conducted (Counseling or supervisor). What was the purpose of the interview?

In a recent interview a client came to me with an emotional problem, hence the interview was a counseling interview. In this case the person wanted advice about how to proceed in their relationship. The interviewee was looking for direction although it became clear once the interview started that she had already made up her mind about the course of action she planned to take, and needed affirmation from the interviewer that her decision was grounded and well thought out.

The interviewee, a woman, had been dating a person for roughly three years. While the woman reported she was very much in love with her boyfriend, she also reported he had a history of alcohol and drug abuse that she feared was affecting their ability to remain intimate. The purpose of the interview was to gain information about this client's situation and determine the best course of action (i.e. whether she should stay with her boyfriend or break up with him).

How was the person interviewed dressed? What did body language indicate?

The client was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. Her hair had been done hurriedly and she looked a little out of breath. The interviewee suggested that she was tense and nervous from her body language. During the course of the interview the woman fidgeted incessantly. She was constantly wringing her hands and playing with the rings on her fingers. Multiple times during the interview her eyes darted about nervously. While initially the woman sat with her arms crossed (suggesting she was closed off) as the interview proceeded the woman gradually opened up and took on a more relaxed posture.

Initially the client would not maintain eye contact, which suggested that she was nervous or embarrassed about her situation. Eventually however as the interview progressed the woman gradually maintained more eye contact. Occasionally she would wipe a tear from her eyes suggesting how upset she felt. Her shoulders remained slumped over and her posture not erect during the interview, suggesting the woman felt discouraged or defeated.

The setting (who sat where).

During the interview I sat in a chair facing the client, who was sitting on a couch parallel to me. The interview occurred in a well it but not overly bright room with soft colors and soothing background music. This while not distracting did provide a calm and welcoming environment for the interviewee.

This situation was informal and allowed the interviewee to appear on the same level as me. This facilitated better rapport between the two of us and helped the interviewee realize that I was not there to judge or condemn her but rather support her as a colleague, friend or associate rather than someone who was there to judge her.

The type of contact between you and interviewee. How did you greet person? Was eye contact? Who spoke first?

During the interview we first met and shook hands, and the client initiated contact by introducing herself, suggesting she was eager for advice and information regarding her situation. After the initial introduction I invited the interviewee to select a seat where she felt most comfortable. I sat parallel to her but without barriers (like a desk or some other object) between us to help facilitate open communication. At this point the woman looked at me as if inquiring what steps were appropriate to take next. At this point and from here forward I engaged in a more directed interview, directly soliciting information from the client regarding her particular situation and the circumstances that brought her to the interview session.

After the preliminary introduction I asked the woman to tell me something about herself and her reason for visiting. This open ended question allowed the U.S. To initiate a rapport building conversation without initiating an overly aggressive or threatening environment.

While I maintained eye contact throughout the interview the woman did not initially maintain eye contact until later in the interview after significant rapport and comfort had been established. During the first part of the interview the woman answered most questions while peering down at the floor or while playing with the rings of her finger. Once more assured of herself however the woman began looking up more and maintaining an equal level of contact upon questioning. Despite this there were still numerous instances throughout the interview where the woman would again look down and appear distraught, usually when discussing her relationship or her feelings about her current situation.

At any time in the interview when the woman was asked what course of action she felt best she would again look down and fidget, suggesting that while she had formed an opinion about the best course of action she was not firm in her conviction or assured that she was taking the best course of action. This attitude however and the posture surrounding it changed during the course of the interview, as the interviewee could see that I readily supported her decisions and affirmed she had a good reason for seeking advice on this issue.

Summarize interview, what happened, what was concluded?

The interview started with the woman telling me a little bit about herself, her background, her job and her familial support structure. The woman had just started taking classes at the community college, and had been dating her high school sweet heart for three years. The two… READ MORE

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