The Aspects of Interview and InterrogationThe Aspects of Interview and InterrogationThe Aspects of Interview and InterrogationThere are many aspects that make up a successful interview or interrogation. An investigator does not become a skilled interviewer or interrogator over night. Training and experience are vital to becoming skilled at interviewing and interrogation. Experience is the best teacher, conducting interviews and interrogations is the only way to become more skilled. In this paper I will explain all the aspects that make up a successful interview. I will also explain the difference between an interview and an interrogation.
The goal of almost any interview is to collect testimonial evidence. Successful interviews just don’t happen. There are many aspects and steps that lead the way to a successful interview. Planning before conducting an interview is the first step, but before planning all interviewers must understand the basic needs of all interviewees. All humans share the same needs. An investigator must understand these basic human needs if they wish to become a successful interviewer. The basic human needs that all humans share are, control, belonging, and intimacy. Control is considered the need for security; everyone wants to be able to control their environment and what is happening around them. Belonging is the need for social recognition and approval. Intimacy is the need for love and affection, everyone wants to be loved or feel important to other people. These human needs must be incorporated in every interview and interrogation. Incorporating these needs is an important first step or first aspect to be considered by an investigator. Building up these human needs builds up the self-image and esteem on the interviewee. It is essential to build and maintain self worth of the interviewee, no one likes to feel humiliated or excluded. If these needs are understood and met the chances of having a successful interview are much greater. Having a positive attitude about everything you do is important. The same thing can be said for interviewing. Having a positive attitude going into an interview will have a positive effect on the outcome of the interview. A positive attitude is reflected to the interviewee and makes them more comfortable. No one wants to talk to someone who is negative. A positive attitude can impact the interview more that any other factor. Understanding human needs and the importance of having a positive attitude are important things to have in mind before interviewing someone, the next thing to consider is where the interview should take place.
In order to get the most out of an interview it must take place in a proper environment. The best environment for and interview is a location where there are no distractions for the interviewee, sometimes this is not possible however. It is always best the interviewee is not distracted so that they thought process is not disrupted. The worst thing that can happen during an interview is when it is interrupted when vital information in being gained or even worse a confession. That’s why it is important to conduct in interview in a proper environment such as a small room with no windows, clocks, TV’s, radios, ect. Privacy is the most important element when choosing a place to conduct an interview. Private environments like this enable the interviewer to get the most clear and precise information without distractions and interruptions. Sometimes however due to circumstances it is not possible to perform an interview in a perfect distraction free environment, it is then up the investigator to decide if they should conduct the interview at a different time and location. Personal space is also a factor that should be considered while interviewing. Most people feel most comfortable talking to someone at a distance of a foot and a half to four feet. Trying to communicate with someone beyond this personal space boundary could negatively affect the communication in the interview. The personal space boundary is different for everyone especially for people of different cultures and societies. Recognizing this boundary and it’s affect on communication will help any investigator become a better interviewer.
After thinking and understanding the needs and the feelings of the interviewee the next step is to decide how you want to interview the interviewee. Having a game plan going into an interview will greatly affect the success of the interview. The first thing an investigator should do when planning a interview is review the facts of the incident. This will tell the investigator who is evolved and will also serve as a basis for the interview plan. Getting a background check on an interviewee will also help with the plan. Once information is obtained on the interview subject an investigator could now choose an interview method such as the Reid technique. Methods such as the Reid technique are
can be used to recruit the subject to your organization.
The Reid process is in fact very simple. You don’t need to apply the ‘correct’ Reid strategy, as most interviewees will just be too stubborn after many years in the job as they are too lazy. This can be an advantage you will gain as you focus most of your attention on the interviewee
This is very simple, so let it be obvious, though, that this approach can be very difficult. If they feel they are being overlooked, then they want to get out and make up for lost time if they are not given a chance. This means the interview process can be very difficult.
- the interviewer will be asked questions that have information that the other person would like to know.
Before explaining, it is important to realize that your interviewer is not a complete stranger. He has some background that he has seen before and that might improve his chances to be a successful interviewer. It is important to consider just how well you have met the interview objectives.
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You will hear of a few questions that the interviewee asked and then he will add to that information. The interviewer will be asked lots of questions, and the interviewer will be given a variety of questions which are not the same as the one before, e.g., “Am I a good candidate (as you describe to me).”
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It may seem like you are doing a lot of talking, but if you actually talk to the interviewer, they will tell you what kind of person you are, whether they are a good candidate, someone with good morals, and, most importantly, someone who will really be honest with you.
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In general, the interview will be really simple. The interviewees have some very basic interview information so that you can go back and see your own experiences. Some of them may also like to know about interviews that you took from other companies. Some people will like to see the real details from many different people. Some others will like to see their experiences. “I thought your father was a journalist. Can I talk to you?”
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