Session No 2

Title of the session:

Interviews, Stages of an interview, Practices

Workshop aim and objectives:

The aim of the workshop is to explore the nature and features of interviews.
The objectives of the workshop are to enable participants to:

To state what distinguishes an interview from other forms of communication

To list the main stages of an interview
To identify the main skills involved in interviewing
To interview colleagues using three main interviewing skills.

Total Time:

2 hour 30 minutes

Session

Method

Time

Slide Reference

What is or is not an
interview?

Lecture

10 minutes

S-11

Stages of an Interview
Case-Study 1
Agendas
Rapport, Body
languages, boundaries
and Contracting
Case- Study 2-agenda
Refreshment break
Case study revisited
interviewing skills
Active listening
Interviewing practice
Summary
Conclusion

Lecture
Group based Exercise

5 minutes
20 minutes

S-4
S-5

Lecture

20 minutes

S-6

Group based exercise

Refreshment break
Group discussion

10 Minutes
15 minutes
10 minutes

S-7
Refreshment break
S-9

Role Play
Role Practice

20 minutes
15 minutes
10 minutes
5 minutes

S-10

CHECKLIST OF RESOURCES REQUIRED

PowerPoint slides 1 to 10.

Flip chart and marker pens or whiteboard.

Screen.

LCD projector.

Laptop

Question Cards

Slide 2 & 3
Customize this visual to show your name and the date of the workshop.
Welcome the learners, introduce self, and outline the title and format of the session. Read out fire
evacuation procedures and tell participants about location of toilets etc.
Resources: Fire evacuation procedures.

Slide-4
Read out aim and objectives and ask if there are any questions. Remind the participants that this
is an introductory session. They will not be expert practitioners, but should understand the basics
and have some practice.

Slide-5
Ask participants to interview each other briefly, finding out: name, role, experience of
interviewing and one extra piece of information. They have two minutes (i.e. a minute each) to
interview each other and a few seconds each to introduce the other person. Take feedback with
each interviewer introducing the interviewee.
Ask group to list skills they had used in the interviewing process. List these skills on a flip chart
or whiteboard headed Interviewing skills.
Point out that in even such a short period of time, when focused, they found out quite a lot of
information.
Resources: Flip chart or whiteboard headed Interviewing skills.

Slide-6
ICE BREAKER QUESTION: Question Mixer
Objective:
To get to know others in the group.

Materials Required:

Question cards (enough for each participant)

Possible Questions:

If you could describe yourself as a flavor of ice cream, what would you be and why?

If you could be a building in the State of Illinois, what building would you be and why?

If you could travel anyplace in the world, where would you go and why?

If you could be a professional sports star, what sport would you play?

If you could give your parents one gift, what gift would you give them?

If you could go on a date with anyone, who would you go out with?

If you were dying and had one last meal, what would you eat?

Who makes the best French fries?

Who is your favorite President and why?

Are you a morning person or a night person? What time did you wake up this morning?

What is your favorite book and why?

What is your favorite restaurant and why?

If you had to work at Disney World, what job would you have?

If you could be anyone in the world for one day, who would you be?

If you died tomorrow, what would you like people to remember about you?

What is your favorite flavor jellybean? Do you just eat them or do you separate by flavor
first?

If you could have a super power, what power would you have and why?

If you could travel to any era of history, where would you go and why?

Procedure:
Stand the group in two lines facing each other, about arms length apart. Everyone
should be across from a partner. When the facilitator says go the partners should take
turns asking each other the question on their cards. Both partners should answer both
questions. When the facilitator says switch the partners should switch cards. The line
on the right should rotate over one person with the person on the end rotating to the left
line to face their new partner. The person on the opposite end of the left line should join
the right line. When the facilitator says go the partners should ask each other their new
questions. Continue playing until your time limit for play is up, or everyone has talked
with everyone else in the group.

Slide-7

Wacky Interview Questions 1

Objectives

To experience unusual interview questions and to discuss whether they have value in a job
interview situation

Resources Needed

PowerPoint Slide: Wacky Interview Slide

1. Show PowerPoint Slide and explain that these are four questions that have allegedly been used in
real job interviews.

2. Arrange participants into four teams.

3. Allocate each team one of the four questions and tell them to spend 5-10 minutes in their team
discussing possible answers to the question.

4. At the end of this time ask a representative for each team to give their answer to their allocated
question.

5. If you are using this activity as part of an interview skills course you could lead a discussion
about the merits of these questions in a job interview situation. These two questions can help to
get the discussion started?

a. How would you feel if you were asked one of these questions in real interview?

b. Do you think there is a place for questions like these in job interviews?

Slide-8
Before showing the visual:
Ask participants what types of personal information they were willing to share. Talk about why
people talk about the weather, surroundings etc. when they first meet. Ask the group what needs to
happen for them to share more personal information. Normally groups come up with: trust; respect
for person; reliability; keep confidence; longer time; give and take; share information; same values;
same type of person; empathy.
Show the slide and talk through the definition of trust and the characteristics. When we trust others it
is a risk we cannot fully be certain what they will do with the information. This makes us
vulnerable could be exposed, embarrassed etc and note that we base our belief of trustworthiness
on our perceptions can be wrong! Relate this to working with learners. How do they form trust with
staff? Where can it go wrong?

Definition: A willingness to ascribe good intentions to and have confidence in the words and
actions of other people.
Cook & Wall (1980)
Characteristics:

Uncertainty a leap of faith

Risk vulnerability, it may go wrong
Perception based on our perception of trustworthiness

Slide-10
GROUND RULES FOR TRAINING:
1. Punctuality: Arrive on time to each workshop session. Arriving late is a sign of disrespect to
the trainer and to your fellow participants.
2. No Disturbances: Cell phones should be turned off at the beginning of the workshop and
should remain off until the end except during breaks. Avoid side conversations if you are
unclear about the topic being discussed or the instructions, please ask the facilitator to clarify.
3. Respect Others: Respect each other, yourselves, and the trainer. Do not speak when someone
else is speaking. Listen actively. The trainer will be facilitating the discussions with your
assistance.
4. Participation: You are your own best resource. Much of the content of the training will be
coming from you. Each one of you brings a wealth of experience to the program. The workshop
can only be successful if it is a two-way process and if everyone participates fully. Give
everyone a chance to contribute and encourage others to do so.
5. Agree to Disagree: During this workshop everyone must feel free to express opinions and
concerns. Please see frank discussions about politics as healthy exchanges rather than personal
attacks.