Conducting the Interview Correctly - Assignment Example

An Interview Guide An Interview Guide Part Interview purpose An interview plan for gathering in-depth information to aid in the diagnosis and treatment plan for Susan White, who has severe headaches and sleep problems. The information to be collected will help find a solution for Susan’s predicament. Susan’s personal information Susan White is a lady aged twenty one and not married. She works with one of the branches of Unilever Limited Company as a sales and marketing manager. White is a friendly beautiful woman with chocolate complexion. Topics to cover during the interview 1. Apart from headaches and sleep problems, are there other signs and symptoms that Susan could be experiencing? Does she have depression, concentration and eating problems, a feeling of overwhelmed and dizziness, a sense of isolation and loneliness, and irritability problem? 2. Personal health and safety. Could it be symptoms related to health problems or life insecurity? 3. The nature of the family relationship and issues. How does Susan get along with members of the family? 4. The financial stability. Are there financial difficulties? 5. Workplace condition and environment. 6. Work relationship. How are the work relationships with others managers, employees and customers? 7. The nature of the job, its security, control and responsibilities. 8. The availability of effective communication means and job resources at work. Interview structure The main purpose of conducting this interview is to collect in-depth information about the plight of Susan White and help find a solution for her diagnosis. Therefore, it is an informal and informational interview that seeks only to gather the information. In this view, the structure of the interview should comprise of three parts. That is the beginning, the body and a strong ending. The beginning is mainly composed of small talk that establishes rapport, sets the tone, and provides a personal link between the interviewer and interviewee. These two individuals should be just themselves. They should not force anything. The middle or the body is comprised of the exchange of one-on-one information. All concerns about family and work relationships, financial issues, work conditions and environment, personal health and safety, and nature of the job should be addressed here to make a clear conclusion. A strong finish or ending serves to affirm the interviewer an in-depth understanding of what is ailing the interviewee, its source, and how to manage the issue at hand. With this information, the interviewer can be in a position to identify and provide a solution to the interviewee. Closed and open end questions Apart from headaches and sleep problems, are there other signs and symptoms you are experiencing? If yes what are their nature? How often are the headaches occurring?  How long do they last?  How do they feel?  Has any treatment helped? Is there any pattern to the headaches? What is the nature of sleep problems? Do you have an inborn disease or one that you have suffered from for long? Is there a family problem that you could be experiencing? How do you get along with other managers, customers and employees at work? What is the nature of your job control and responsibilities How do you take work conditions, policies and ethics? Is there much pressure at the work? What is the nature of communication at the work? What kinds of people do you find it difficult to work with? What are some of things that find difficult to do? Hypothetical techniques for the interview According to the symptoms of headaches and sleep problems, Susan could be suffering from chronic stress. The symptoms could be; as a result, of work pressure or chaotic work relationship with other managers, employees and customers. Susan could be having a serious personal or family problems that make her think so much without getting a solution. There is a possibility that Susan could be ailing from sleep disorders such as insomnia and migraine that cause her headaches. Susan could be taking excess substance abuse such as alcohol, khat and cocaine that interferes with sleep pattern and causes sleep disorders together with headaches. Opening techniques for an interview First and foremost, take the first few minutes to establish the rapport of the interview to the interviewee. The establishment of the rapport enhances the outcome of the interview. Secondly, orient the interviewee by explaining the nature, purpose and the length of the interview. This gives an interviewee a sense of belonging. Also, clarify the procedure to follow and what is expected from the interviewee. Lastly, summarize the reason for the interview (Kadushin. (2012). Questions not to ask in an interview The obvious and unhelpful questions should be avoided. These can be questions seeking to find information about the interviewee on the following; The date of birth Sex, religion, race and color Disabilities Marital status Nationality Number of family members Hobbies and interests Part II. Effects of beliefs on an interview People come from different backgrounds with different cultural beliefs. Some of these beliefs appear to discriminate other people on the basis of gender, sex orientation, religion, race and ethnicity. These discriminative beliefs can negatively affect an interview. There are people who believe that atheists, lesbians or homosexuals are not the right persons to interview. Others believe that women or young people of tender age cannot give the right information if interviewed. In addition, stereotypes and hallo effects of people towards others can influence the perception of an individual over the interviewee. Therefore, these beliefs can lead to avoidance of a potential interviewee. It can also interfere with the outcome of the interview (Craig. 2007). Steps to limit the impact of beliefs on interview First, expose the belief and stop completely identifying with it. Take the time to call the belief in you out, write it down, and expose it to the public. Secondly, identify the feeling tied to this belief into the emotional reaction and give it space by publicly exposing it. Thirdly, try to exude compassion, love and kindness by relating them to emotion. These will be healing and restorative acts in transforming your behaviors. It is advisable to imagine a person who symbolizes kindness and compassion, and allow such feeling flow through you. Fourthly, try to be flexible and question any conclusion you have in mind about what you consider to be possible or true. Fifthly, suspend any judgment and take reasonable actions to test conclusions you make. Lastly, rewrite and tell the story about the change (Lederman. 2012). Conclusion Adopting these steps can greatly help get rid of limiting beliefs and perceptions that can interfere with interview process. It is imperative to note that cultural beliefs do not only affect the interview process, but also the entire process of gathering and analyzing information. Therefore, beliefs can lead to poor solutions if not discarded earlier enough. References Kadushin, G. (2012). A Social Work Interview: A Guide to Human Service Professionals. New York: Columbia University Press. 135. Craig, R. L. (2007). Systemic discrimination in employment and the promotion of ethnic equality. Leiden: Martinis Nijhoff. 74. Lederman, M. T., & Amazon.com (Firm). (2012). Heroes get hired: How to use military experience to master the interview. Place of publication unknown: NBC Publishing. Read More