Key Concepts: Chapter 1

An introduction to interviewing

Comprehension of the following key concepts is important to your progress toward content mastery. The definitions provided here, along with additional examples, can be found in the text, Interviewing Principles and Practices, by Stewart and Cash. Consider these terms and how their definitions match your current conceptions of these ideas.

Interview:

an interactional communication process between two parties, at least one of whom has a predetermined and serious purpose, and usually involves the asking and answering of questions.

Interactional:

indicates an exchangeing of roles, responsibilities, feelings, beliefs, motives, and information.

Process:

denotes a dynamicm, ever-changing interaction, with many variables operating with and upon one another and a degree of system or structure.

Two parties:

suggests that an interview may involve two or more people but never more than two parties. Once the interaction involves more than two parties a small group interaction is occurring.

Predetermined and serious purpose:

This phrase means that at least one of the parties comes to an interview with a goal and plans to focus on specific subject matter. This purpose helps to distinguish the interview from a social conversation.

Asking and answering of questions:

All interviews involve the asking and answering of questions although interviews vary in the amount of question asking verses answering done by one or both parties.

Information giving:

includes the giving of data, direction, instruction, orientation, or clarification.

Information gathering:

includes interviews to obtain facts, opinions, data, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, reactions, and feedback.

Selection:

includes interviews where the interviewer intends to screen, select and place job applicants, employees and members of organizations while the purpose of the interviewee is to screen and/or select positions or memberships.

Performance appraisel:

This interview seeks to understand current job performance and improve future performance through feedback, clarification and dialog. Problems in performance are often addressed through this interview by both the interviewee and the interviewer.

Persuasion:

Includes interviews in which the primary function is to change the interviewee's ways of thinking feeling or acting. Persuasive interviews might be used to recruit, urge action, or even to alter or reinforce beliefs and attitudes.

Materials are borrowed from Interviewing Principles and Practices, by Stewart and Cash.

Developed by David Bodary, Comments and Suggestions
Last modified: December 26, 2000