Dr. Shirley J. Caruso, Ed.D.
According to Rossett (1999), interviews are the most common way of gathering performance analysis data. Conducting one-on-one interviews with employees, managers, and executives allows them an opportunity to share ideas, clarify misconceptions, and express their opinions, perspectives, and points of view (Gilley, Eggland, & Gilley, 1989).
During a one-on-one interview, the interviewer asks questions of the interviewee in an attempt to seek opinions. The one-on-one interview seeks to unveil data that is not observable, such as expertise or feelings.
What types of questions are asked?
Rossett (1999), categorizes interview questions into six kinds:
- Hypothetical
- Ideal Position
- Devil’s Advocate
- Flawed Position
- Interpretive
- Straw
Hypothetical questions encourage the interviewee to think about how the problem or situation might be handled. These sentences begin with words like how might, suppose, and what if
Ideal position questions urge the interviewee to imagine masterful performance for example. If you were witnessing masterful performance, what would it look like?
Devil’s Advocate questions encourage the interviewee to take an opposing position. If the interviewee has expressed favoritism toward training as a solution to the problem, for example, ask the interviewee to describe performance if training were not an option.
Flawed Position questions encourage the interviewee to speculate on the opposite. If you are discussing masterful performance, for example, ask the interviewee to describe the opposite (poor performance).
Interpretive questions tie together responses to previous questions and encourage reaction from the interviewee. Ask the interviewee to suggest probable causes for the performance problem.
Straw questions encourage responses from the interviewee.
If the performance problem relates to letter composition, for example, you may ask the interviewee to look at a sample letter and tell you what is liked or disliked about its composition.
Advantages and Disadvantages of One-On-One Interviews
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| More than just information is revealed. An opportunity is provided to observe body language, gestures, and nonverbal behaviors that may be more telling than spoken ideas and opinions. A feel for the culture of the organization is obtained. | Unpredictable, the information gathered or outcomes of the meeting cannot be controlled. |
| Flexible but should be created around a structured framework to maintain continuity from one individual to the next. | Can be viewed by the interviewee as an opportunity to vent frustration or anger. Interviewers should remain neutral, expressing no opinions one way or another. |
| Build relationships with members of the organization. | Interviewing techniques are difficult to master. HRD (human resource development) professionals must develop the skills necessary to discuss difficult issues openly and honestly while maintaining focus. |
References
Gilley, J., Eggland, S., and Gilley, A. M. (1989). Principles of Human Resource Development. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Rossett, A. (1999). First Things Fast: A Handbook for Performance Analysis. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
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Communication is the key to any successful relationship. Often times, managers avoid interviews because they are frightened about what may transpire or be brought up at the meeting. However, interviews provide valuable information and necessary feedback. Conducting interviews provides the trainer first hand knowledge of the performance problem and also allows opportunity for the learner to express their viewpoint and ideas.
I can agree with the advantages….if you are eloquent and think on your feet fast
Although one on one interviews can be awkward and make people nervous, I think they are useful to break the ice. I think that the Interpretive question type can help allow the interviewee to be more articulate with their thought processes. Some questions, such as closed questions, may not encourage creative thought or expansion of beliefs and ideas. Or the closed question may lead the interviewee to believe his or her answers may not be interesting to the interviewer or relevant to the overall interview process.
I think learning how to interview well is such an important aspect of life. One-on-one interviews can really give someone a great idea of who you are and what you stand for. Therefore, having good people and interviewing skills is always something I am wanting to learn more about.
I think One-on-One interviews are more productive.It provides a quick assessment
of a person’s character. I feel confortabe with One-on-One interviews because I can
evaluate the body language of my interviewer and detemine what could be the possible outcome.
I think that one-on-one interviews can be successful. However, it depends on the individual. It is important to stay calm and not stress during the interview. I agee with the advantages listed in the article. I also think it is very important to have good interviewing skills and being yourself helps as well.
One-on-one interviews are a good way to get to know the prospective employee. It can be casual or formal. This is a great opportunity to see the things that aren’t on their resume, like demeanor, personality, and characteristics.
I enjoyed reading the article. I feel that one-on-one interviews are a way to promote your achievements, and sell yourself. It is also an opportunity for both parties to get a feel of the other party’s personality, which I feel is a critical component. I do feel there are skills to be learned by the interviewee and the interviewer that can make the interviewing experience more successful.
One-on-one interviewing is a great way to assess a candidate’s ability to think on the spot and articulate an opinion. It is also a great opportunity for an individual to highlight strengths and accomplishements.
Although one-on-one interviewing is more relaxing than a panel interview, it can serve as a disadvantage. Interviewers don’t always have the same interests in a candidate. One interviewer might perceive a candidate to be weak, while another might think the individual is a perfect fit for the organization.
One on one Interviews are a great way to get insight to a persons background education and workplace behavior. I enjoyed reading this article because it explained the different types of questions asked.
If given the opportunity, I think that one-on-one interviews are extremely helpful. Not only do you get to communicate everything you want in the way you wanted but also to build a relationship. Personalities are complex and people tend to switch roles in their lives. If you interview somebody there is a great opportunity to bring out specifics of the character that may affect their work directly and are not necessarily taken into consideration under the description of their duties, such as; learning style, preferences, etc.
This aids as a good reference tool, a good discussion point was to ask the interviewee re: “Flawed Position Questions”. I feel this topic could provide some clarity and insight regarding the interviewees’ work ethic and what they believe is tolerable or not.