What Makes A Great Interview?

Here at Transcription City we are interview transcription specialists. We listen to thousands of interviews each year and as a result have learned a thing or two when it comes to what makes a great interview. For this reason, we thought we’d share some of our hints and tips on things you can do (and things you can avoid) to ensure that your interviews are insightful, productive and provide you with the information you need.
Be precise and concise!
It’s important to remember that a formal interview is not the same as a bit of chitchat with your friends. The chances are that you and your interviewee are busy people and while it is important to make your interviewee feel at home, it is equally as important to keep your interviews professional and concise if you are to get the information you need, especially if you are under pressure of time.
We recommend that you plan ahead by factoring in the time you have, the questions you want to ask and the information that need to obtain from your interviewee.
One at a time!
Over speaking and interjection can be unavoidable if you’re having a heated discussion. Having said that, you should try your best to keep this to a minimum, as most of what is being said is drowned out by the other speaker and it also tends to send people off on a tangent, which can lead to waffle!
Quiet please!
Background noise should be thought of as your nemesis when conducting an interview! It can be extremely distracting for both you and your interviewee, it adds time to your interview, it tends to make it hard to concentrate and it also makes it hard to transcribe! Find a quiet room, away from distractions to set up your interview. Restaurants, bars and cinemas are not good places to conduct interviews – I wish I was joking!
Don’t rush!
Our last tip for a great interview is to let your interviewee speak! It sounds obvious, but often an interviewer will feel the need to fill every second with speech. Letting your interviewee have time to think about their answers without putting words into their mouths is a skill and you will find that you get more authentic and honest answers if you let your interviewee have time to think!
So there you have it, our guide to what makes a good interview. If you would like more tips on setting up and conducting interviews or would like to obtain a quote for our interview transcription services, why not get in touch? We’re always happy to help.