Interviewing:Purpose,Strengths, weaknesses, and limitations

Interviewing

8.1 Purpose

During the problem definition, feasibility study, and analysis stages, interviewing is one of the analyst’s most important sources of information about the present system and the user’s requirements. The purpose of this brief introduction is to provide some suggestions for planning and conducting an interview.

8.2 Strengths, weaknesses, and limitations

Written documentation often provides a one-dimensional view of the problem. Interviews, in contrast, give the analyst the opportunity to sit down face to face with the affected people, investigate their opinions, feelings, and goals (as well as the facts), observe nonverbal behavior, and probe for additional feedback. An interview can serve as an effective entry point to the problem definition and analysis stages, identifying relevant personnel and specific topics that must be investigated in more depth. Interviews are excellent tools for achieving user involvement in the system development process and for verifying information collected using other tools.

Interviewing is time consuming and costly. Its effectiveness is a function of the interviewer’s skill. Not all subjects are comfortable being interviewed, and many people react negatively or defensively to an interviewer’s questions. Interviewing is not particularly effective for uncovering technical or operational details.

8.3 Inputs and related ideas

Interviews can be used in virtually any stage of the system development life cycle. Interviewing is often one of the first tasks performed during the information gathering and problem definition stage. Interviews are often performed as part of conducting a survey (Chapter 17).

8.4 Concepts

During the problem definition, feasibility study, and analysis stages, interviewing is one of the analyst’s most important sources of information about the present system and the user’s requirements. The purpose of this brief introduction is to provide some suggestions for planning and conducting an interview.

8.4.1 Preparing for the interview

People resent interviewers who waste their time, so do your homework. Good interviewers do not just “wing it.” Effective interviewing requires careful preparation.

Study the user’s environment. Identify the people responsible for the problem area. Study the organization chart and learn what those people do. Familiarize yourself with the available reports, documents, and procedures, note unanswered questions, missing pieces, and ambiguities, and develop a specific set of objectives for the interview. Unless you know what you want to learn (more accurately, unless you know what you do not know), you cannot ask intelligent questions.

Given a set of objectives, the next step is to select the person (or the group) to be interviewed. The organization chart is a good starting point. Interview the responsible manager first, get an overview of the problem, request the names of the people who know the details, and request permission to interview them. Failing to obtain appropriate authorizations for an interview is usually a mistake.

8.4.2 Scheduling the interview

Interviews should be scheduled; do not simply drop in unannounced and expect cooperation. Remember that you are the one who needs information and that you are asking another person to give up his or her time to help you achieve your goals, so you must be willing to meet at the subject’s convenience. Also, limit the length of the interview to no more than an hour; half an hour is better.

Before you meet the subject, prepare a list of questions you hope to answer. The purpose of the list is to help you remember your objectives and to help you prevent the interviewee from dragging the interview off topic. Interviewees will talk about the details of their jobs, and it is easy to become distracted.

8.4.3 The Interview Itself

A well-conducted interview has four parts: an opening, a body, a closing, and follow-up.

8.4.3.1 The opening

Be on time. If you know you are going to be late, call and give the subject the option to reschedule.

The point of the opening is to establish rapport and to encourage the subject to respond freely. Identify yourself, the topic to be discussed, the purpose of the interview, and how long you expect the interview to last. Tell the subject why he or she was selected for the interview. Where appropriate, identify the manager or managers who authorized the interview.

In an attempt to establish a relaxed atmosphere, many good interviewers begin with a period of small talk. While this technique can be effective, it can also backfire. Avoid wasting the subject’s time. When in doubt, get to the point.

8.4.3.2 The body

You are conducting the interview, so you are responsible for getting things going. Have your first question prepared. Many interviewers like to start with an open-ended question, such as:

When I read the documentation for this system, I had some trouble with (mention the part or section). Can you explain it to me?

Consider asking the subject how his or her job relates to the project. Another good opener is to ask the subject to walk you through some process or to explain how he or she uses the data in a report.

Listen to the answer. A good technique is to say something like, “Let me see if I understand what you’re saying,” and then offer a brief summary. If you are wrong, the subject will probably tell you. If you can paraphrase correctly, you establish that communication is taking place.

Check your list of questions occasionally. As the subject responds to an open-ended question, he or she will answer some of them before they are asked. Unanswered questions tell you what to ask next. Use follow-up questions, such as, “Why?” or “Can you give me an example?” to probe for additional details. Listen for the answers to questions you did not include on your list, too.

One advantage of starting with an open-ended question is that (almost by definition) the subject knows more about the topic than you do. Consequently, your prepared questions might focus on the wrong issues or force the subject to cover key points in the wrong order. If you can get the subject to tell you what you should know, you can learn a great deal very quickly. ‘

Not all interviewers are comfortable with open-ended questions, however, and the interviewee might be nervous or even hostile. In such cases, it might be better to start with closed-ended questions that can be answered with a few words. (A forced-choice survey is an extreme example.) The answers to those questions, in turn, might suggest more open follow-up questions.

Generally, skilled interviewers start with open-ended questions for their initial interviews, particularly with higher-level managers. As they learn more about the system and begin to hone in on specific issues, the questions become more closed and specific. Beginners, on the other hand, should consider preparing (perhaps with the help of an experienced interviewer) a list of closed questions, and let the responses suggest follow-up questions.

During the interview, be careful not to concentrate so intently on your next question that you miss the answer to the current one. (This is a common beginner’s mistake.) Your list of prepared questions should be used as a guide or as a memory jog, not as a script.

Listen to the answers. Delete questions that seem unimportant. Skip questions you know your subject cannot or will not answer. Bypass questions that have already been answered. Avoid needlessly complex or multi-part questions; ask one clear question at a time. Be flexible. Try to stick to the subject, and do not allow the interviewee to drag the interview off topic, but do allow a certain amount of spontaneity. You might learn something.

Avoid technical jargon; take the time to learn the subject’s application-specific language. An interview is not a trial. Ask probing questions, but do not conduct a cross-examination. Finally, avoid attacking the subject’s credibility or implying that you know more about the topic than the interviewee. (If the assumption is true, why conduct the interview?) You will sit through an occasional useless interview. An early closing might be in order, but always act professionally in spite of your disappointment.

Unless you have an incredible memory, take notes. One suggestion is to leave space for notes on your list of questions or your interview outline. Do not take dictation, however. When you try to write down every word, you miss the speaker’s meaning, and you cannot ask probing follow-up questions if your attention is focused on a piece of paper. Be honest with yourself. If you feel compelled to take dictation, request permission to tape the interview or bring a secretary with you.

8.4.3.3 The closing

Pay attention to the time. If the interview runs longer than expected, ask permission to continue and offer to reschedule a follow-up interview.

When you have the information you need, ask if there is anything you missed. (At this point, let the subject take the lead.) When the interview ends, thank the subject for cooperating and offer to make your written summary available for review. If you anticipate a follow-up or subsequent interview, say so.

Some interviewers like to “wind down” with a brief period of casual conversation. If you feel comfortable with this approach, use it. Do not force it, though. Remember: avoid wasting the subject’s time.

8.4.4 Follow-up

As soon as possible after the interview, transcribe your notes. Ideally, they should identify key points; use your memory to fill in the details. (Don’t wait too long, you might forget something important.) If you recorded the interview, listen to the tape and compile a set of selective notes. If appropriate, prepare a transcript.

Type the summary. Identify the person, the date, the place, and the primary topic. Offer to share your summary with the subject; it is good public relations and it provides an excellent opportunity for correcting misunderstandings and errors. Also, the subject might add something you forgot.

One or more follow-up interviews might be necessary. Consider using e-mail or the telephone to ask a question or two. If you need more than five minutes, schedule an appointment.

8.5 Key terms

Interview —

A face-to-face meeting between two (or more) people in which one person obtains information from another by asking questions.

8.6 Software

Not applicable.

8.7 References

1.  Barone, J. T. and Switzer, J. Y., Interviewing Art and Skill, Allyn & Bacon, Needham Heights, MA, 1995.

2.  Brady, J. J., The Craft of Interviewing, Random House, New York, 1977.

3.  Hickman, L., Case Method: Business Interviewing, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1995.

4.  Stewart, C. J. and Cash, W. B., Interviewing Principles and Practices, 7^th ed., McGraw-Hill (Brown & Benchmark), New York, 1993.