6 Question Types

Close Ended: very short answers; yes/no

Open Ended: lets the interviewer decide what information they will give you; not limited to yes/no; good for people who are not used to interviewing

Typically, open ended questions carry us through the interview… but close ended questions are necessary as well

Hypothetical Question: set up a situation that doesn’t exist, and ask the interviewee how they would respond

We want to limit the use of hypothetical questions because we want to focus on what has actually happened

Hypothetical questions are often used in presidential campaigns- we need to know what the candidates are thinking. We also use them a lot in sports… how will the coach respond to the team if… blah, blah, blah

Agree/Disagree Question: favorite technique of Opera… asking a person if they agree or disagree with what someone is saying about them or something else…

Probing Question: followup to something that has already been said

Always be on your game and ready for any questions that will arise at the spur of the moment… many times, probing questions are unplanned

Personal Question: touches on personal life, often brings up bad memories

Many times, we do not want to share these details with people…

Build a trust relationship with the person you are interviewing before you start asking personal questions…

Be caring and loving with everyone you interview, and the way you handle personal questions are imperative… make sure you ask them toward the middle or end of the interview