Great listening skills are just one spoke in an interviewer’s wheel. Listening is integral to the whole process, but follow up is essential to proceed to the truth. Here are some of the most important follow up techniques to add to your toolbox: Show Encouragement! When your
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To be an effective interviewer, you must be a good listener! Witnesses, job applicants, coworkers, family members and friends know when you are not listening / paying full attention to them. This can cause a negative emotion, and it has a definite impact on how someone answers
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Whether taking a statement under oath, conducting a non-accusatory interview, a job related screening or engaging in a business related or casual conversation, recognize that a significant percentage of those being questioned will intentionally edit, exaggerate, minimize and / or misrepresent something. One of the best ways
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In a previous RNI Newsletter topic relating to nonverbal behaviors, I referenced psychologist Paul Ekman who has spent his career examining the relationship between facial expressions and deceptive remarks. As a student of the art of interviewing, you should be aware of his key findings: Facial expressions
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Good interviewers certainly must ask the right questions, but they also must think about the answers in terms of what is said, what is not said and what they observe. If you follow this approach, you will have a much better chance in detecting deceptive responses and
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Learning to distinguish between natural and unnatural nonverbal behaviors is a critical skill-set for effective interviewing. Over 140 years ago, Charles Darwin postulated that mammals reliably show emotion in their faces, and over 50 years ago psychologist Paul Ekman, confirmed Darwin’s theory with his studies relating to
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As someone who conducts interviews for a living, you are a student of human behavior, and you know that interviewing is an art not a science. Since each interviewing event is unique, how do you know when to change your own approach in an effort to dig
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Whether conducting pre-employment screening, a claims investigation, a deposition or another formal inquiry to validate information, the first contact sets the tone of the relationship. Therefore, every effort should be made to ensure that it is positive. At the same time, understand and appreciate that you will
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The ultimate goal of any interview is to gather information and determine its validity. In that regard, did that candidate for a job, that witness under oath, that claimant or that suspect / person interest provide truthful responses to your questions? The following ethical techniques should help
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If you are a student of the art who continually wants to improve your ability to conduct increasingly effective interviews, I recommend that you experiment with different techniques whenever possible. Add those that work to your tool box. Find ones that work best with your personality style,
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