12 Interview Best Practices

PDF version available here: Interview Best Practices.

Interview Checklist

❏ Introduce yourself, explain why you chose your interviewee (a little flattery always helps break the ice), and your overall goal in interviewing

❏ Provide an estimate of interview duration and ask if there is a hard cut off time

❏ Explain who will have access to the information obtained in the interview.

❏ Review and provide consent form for signature

❏ Ask if it’s ok to record the interview

❏ Let your interviewee know they can break or stop at any time, and there are no wrong answers.

❏ Ask how they feel about everything and if there are any questions before beginning

Interview Best Practices/ Helpful Hints

➢ Ask for show and tell or bring photographs/objects that can aid the conversation

➢ Come prepared with questions, but listen to your interviewee – engage their responses, and try to make the discussion conversational whenever possible

➢ Take Notes!

➢ If a response is abrupt or unclear, inquire: “Can you tell me more about that?”

➢ Show interest

➢ Gain context with questions like: ‘How typical do you think that was?