(no subject)

[vicarz]

I just interviewed someone as part of an inquiry I'm conducting. Her parting comments:
"That was much easier than I expected. You...you have an easy way about you. You made it really easy to talk about everything. In fact I think I winded up saying more than I intended to." Thank you ma'am, that's my job.

It's funny but I do. I know some interviewing techniques, but most of what I "do" is not something I think about. People want to talk, and given a forum (like LJ!) they just spout anything. If you don't threaten, don't judge, listen, comment and nod so they know you are understanding, and only follow with how/what/when questions they tend to run on themselves. It takes very little steering in most cases - in my line of work the area they want to talk about is usually the focus of my investigation.

who was he? next, how did you feel at the time? next, how did you feel afterward? were you pleased, frightened, ecstatic, disgusted? what did he say, what words did you speak, that's what i want to know, now, tell me, now, now, all of it, now, tell me, yes!

Comments

[seth6666.livejournal.com]

one of the best things i learned in law school was that people HATE silence. if you jsut sit there and let an uncomfortable silence go on and on, the interviewee will eventually start talking about SOMETHING... *laugh*

-S

[anarcha.livejournal.com]

Absolutely -- I use this trick fairly often.

(of course, what happens part of the time is that the junior associate who is with me to take notes then starts talking, resulting in a gentle post-interview clarification of just what a junior associate's role is).

[mreraser.livejournal.com]

"It's funny but I do. I know some interviewing techniques, but most of what I "do" is not something I think about. People want to talk, and given a forum (like LJ!) they just spout anything. If you don't threaten, don't judge, listen, comment and nod so they know you are understanding, and only follow with how/what/when questions they tend to run on themselves. It takes very little steering in most cases - in my line of work the area they want to talk about is usually the focus of my investigation."


I agree, if you can make them feel relaxed they'll tell you anything, it's a great natural skill, I used it alot when hiring people at Circuit City and Best Buy, now I use it when talking to people in day to day routines.

[greekphilosophy.livejournal.com]

But judgment is so much fun...

[sunnyfunny.livejournal.com]

get down make love, get down make love, getdownmakelove!

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Why did I know I could count on you!?

Cuz I'm there for ya baybee!

[sunnyfunny.livejournal.com]

I don't care what you say about NIN, that song is dead sexy. Everytime I hear that song, I want to drop everything and fuck.

[violet-heather.livejournal.com]

Hello, psych major :)
It is so easy isn't it? Amazing, especially in a non-professional atmosphere, what people will spill to you given the right ever so slight bit of direction....

[cweaselle.livejournal.com]

Maybe that's why you talk about yourself so much everywhere else. ;p

[http://users.livejournal.com/_blackjack_/]

Ve haf vays off meking you tok....