If the questions have been prepared and distributed beforehand, is the interviewer’s role nothing more than that of a note-taker? The answer, very definitely, is “no.” By asking for elaboration and examples and by identifying areas for further questioning, the interviewer contributes a great deal to the flow of the session and the quality of the feedback. Following are some tips we have found to be especially effective:

Conduct the Interview in a Private Setting. Never conduct a face-to-face interview in a common or open area in the workplace. Such a venue makes interviewees reluctant to give honest answers for fear that others will overhear their comments, and the feedback recipient will learn through the grapevine who said what. Conducting the interview in a private, reasonably soundproof room makes people feel more at ease. It also reduces possible distractions, such as a ringing telephone, that could interrupt the discussion.

Be Informative. Although an advance letter may have described the process, be prepared to explain the specific steps you are taking, how the feedback giver will contribute, and what the feedback recipient hopes to learn.

Ensure Confidentiality. Perhaps the single thing most likely to contribute to a successful interview is assuring raters of the absolute confidentiality of their responses. As noted earlier, the interviewer should be very specific and concrete about the steps that are taken to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. Stress that the feedback will be presented to the recipient without any indication of who said what and that the recipient will be actively discouraged from speculating about the source of various comments.

Understand the Relationship to the Recipient. All comments must be understood within the context of the history of the relationship between the interviewee and the feedback recipient. This includes both formal and informal roles, shared experiences, and the highs and lows of the relationship over time.

Be Flexible. A good interviewer is prepared with a set of questions but uses them as a springboard for a conversation, not a grilling. The semi-structured interview format enables the interviewer to move smoothly from one topic to another, explore and clarify unanticipated responses, and move with the feedback giver’s agenda, as well as his or her own. Simply reading a set of questions to the interviewee goes no further toward gaining an in-depth perspective on the manager’s behavior than would a generic survey.

Be Responsive. While listening to detailed descriptions of a person’s behavior can be demanding due to the large amount of information to be absorbed, it is important to use verbal and non-verbal prompts and other effective listening techniques to keep the conversation flowing. If an interviewer is trying to write down every word or is sitting in front of a laptop computer typing frantically, interviewees may think he or she is not actually listening to what they are saying. The interviewer must therefore be a good note-taker.

If the interviewee is willing, the interviewer might want to bring a colleague to take notes—this will enable the interviewer to concentrate completely on listening and probing for more detail and to respond to and draw out more about the themes and issues that emerge. (This option works best when external resources are being used.) Another option is to ask permission to audiotape the session so that the interviewer can focus completely on the discussion at hand. To set the interviewee at ease, you should explain exactly what will happen to the tape after the session. We frequently offer to provide the interviewee with the tape after it has been transcribed.

Test Previous Opinions. The interviewer can use the interview as an opportunity to test whether comments made in previous interviews or the messages culled from a questionnaire are general opinions or the perspective of a single individual. This must be done cautiously and skillfully so as not to lead the respondent or reveal the source of the comments. Feedback givers are often curious to know whether the interviewer has heard this kind of comment before and will look for confirmation.

Go for Specifics. Probing questions should be used to get the details behind an interviewee’s initial comments. If, for example, an interviewee says that relations with the recipient are smooth most of the time, the interviewer should ask when relations are smooth and also when friction arises. The interviewer should also ask questions that will help clarify why these individuals get along in some situations but not in others, as well as how the interviewee defines friction.