Effective Interviewing and Information-Gathering Techniques

This book is an invaluable, instructional field manual for any professional who needs to obtain and interpret information gathered directly by and from people, without recourse to a technological intermediary, such as online search. In the role of interviewer, interrogator, or evaluator, there are many opportunities to get it wrong. Good information can go bad . . . bad information can go good, but for the wrong reasons. Either way, without an understanding of process and context, free standing information runs the risk of sending one in the wrong direction. Effective Interviewing and Information Gathering Techniques offers the reader a practical introduction to all aspects of obtaining and evaluating information. It serves as a tool-kit that helps build the skills necessary for conducting good interviews and extracting information that is critical for the enterprise in which the interviewer is engaged.

As readers progress throughout the book they will acquire an understanding of research-based behavioral techniques that bolster the success rate of interviews. In addition, the legal factors one needs to be aware of prior to conducting an interview for hiring purposes are spelled out. Readers will learn how to design the interview protocol and navigate the murky waters of the give-and-take involved in gaining access to and interpreting the information found during an interview. Finally, readers will acquire the skills necessary to help them evaluate interview information so that decisions made are evidence-based.