New media and literacy FF

Types of Interview Questions: Using Questions Effectively

Open-ended questions:

Such questions can relax interviewees because they are non-threatening. Open-ended questions also reveal what the interviewee thinks is important. You can get some depth on the subject matter/opinions. Sometimes this can be time-consuming (waste of time) and can make interviewee nervous.

Example: “Tell me about your project…” “What is the purpose of this venture?”

Hypothetical Open Questions:

Gives interviewer an idea of how the interviewee would react in a situation.

Example: “Suppose there’s a taxi strike in the city, what would you do?”

Direct Questions – Yes or No:

This type questions will save time, and control responses. However, these give very limited answers.

Examples: “Is the accusation against you accurate?” “How many employees will you hire?”

Closed Questions – Multiple Choices:

This gives the interviewer maximum control. Answers are easy to interpret. However, these type questions allow for no details or feelings.

Example: “Do you plan to hire Smith, Jones or Davis as your assistant?”

Loaded Questions:

There are oftentimes no correct answers to loaded questions. They are designed for an emotional response.

Examples: “Have you stopped taking drugs yet?” or “Are you still difficult to get along with?”

Leading Questions:

These questions can be used to determine how far the respondent is willing to agree with the interviewer.

Example: “You do value good service, don’t you?” “The people in this city are looking for more recreation. What do you have in mind?”

Probes- To get respondent to add more information

Inquiring to get the respondent to add more information.

Examples: “Tell me more.” “Really?” “What happened next?”