Effective Interviewing: A Handbook of Skills and Techniques

Interviews are now so widespread that it is difficult to think of a single profession where they are not used. As such, the ability to conduct interviews effectively is considered essential in any professional's repertoire of skills. By taking a comprehensive look at the entire range of interview situations, Robert Edenborough reveals how the process of interviewing has developed. He then goes on to give practical advice on its use in various contexts, such as recruitment, selection, performance management, counselling and conducting surveys. Updated to take account of the latest developments, this new edition of "Effective Interviewing" provides detailed coverage of the methods and techniques currently in practice and speculates on the future of interviewing. Drawing on his extensive experience, the author presents the reader with valuable understanding and advice, such as how to: select the best interviewing methods; develop and apply appropriate techniques for a particular use; link interviewing with other professional methods such as psychometrics, questionnaire surveys or assessment centres; appreciate the effectiveness and application of interviewing skills and techniques. For employers, personnel and human resource professionals, and anyone whose job involves interviewing, "Effective Interviewing" should provide a helpful view of interviewing practices and phenomena.

Table of Contents:
About the author List of figures Preface Preface to the second edition Acknowledgements 1. The Place of interviews The interviewing scene Plan of the book Definitions and origins Interviewing processes Conscious versus unconscious Other exchanges Summary 2. 'Conventional' selection interviewing Interviewing is popular How to do conventional interviewing Intention and practice Interviewing horror stories Summary 3. Structured interviewing in selection Scope of structured interviews Deriving interview models Criterion, competency-based and critical incident interviews Structured psychometric interviews (SPI) Summary 4. The extended interview Degrees of structure The board or panel interview Assessment centres Feedback and follow-up interviewing Work sampling interviews and auditions Conclusion Summary 5. The use of interviews in managing and enhancing performance Introduction Appraisals Performance improvement and disciplinary interviews Staff development Summary 6. Interviews in counselling and guidance Introduction Redundancy counselling Vocational guidance Other crisis counselling Marriage guidance and bereavement Summary 7. Shifting the focus Introduction Job evaluation interviewing Selection design again The interviewee as expert Gathering evidence in legal proceedings Survey interviewing Survey interview methods Survey applications Summary 8. A variety of interview applications Introduction Journalistic interviews The 'post-event' interview Examinations and interviews Interviews in the helping professions Psychological and other social science interviews Management reviews Summary 9. The future of interviews Interview research Changing patterns of employment Changing practices Surfing the communication waves Appendix I: Sample SPI report Appendix II: Some UK counselling organisations References Index

About the Author :
Dr Robert Edenborough is a director in KPMG's People Services Division with responsibility for Management, Review and Assessment. He works with both the private equity sector and senior civil servants. He was formerly head of the consulting practice ASE, a leading test publisher and provider of HR business solutions and has considerable experience of designing and applying interviews in organizations as diverse as the Ministry of Defence, the NHS and a range of financial institutions.

Review :
""Gives all interviewers and interviewees a much wider and deeper understanding of the process."" -- Financial Training Review