Page 67 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Advanced Communication Skills

Notes resolve problems, and disciplinary interviews may not result in changed behaviours. Hence,
business people no longer believe that anyone who can carry on a conversation can conduct an
effective interview.
Although one usually associates the interview with such functions as selection, counselling, and
appraisal, the range of the interview process extends much further. No matter how well-educated
a new jobholder is, that person does not possess all the information necessary to succeed at the
jobs. Success will be strongly influenced by the jobholder’s ability to elicit accurate and thorough
information from co-workers. Being able to recognize and ask the right questions is all important.
In fact, interview is not only common in business but it is also used in several walks of life.
Doctors have been criticized for years on the basis of their inability in interviewing skills. They
are often accused of dominating conversations with patients and of overusing medical
terminology and thereby confusing patients.
In today’s fast changing business environment, one must have interviewing skills in order to
contribute to the changing needs from its executives in the form of selecting people, collecting
opinions of the customers and several other purposes. The importance of these skills also extends
to all other occupational and social arenas. The desired information motivates the interviewee
to co-operate. Because the interview has a predetermined purpose, it is more formal than a
conversation. Interviews are clearly structured. They comprise of an opening, a body and a
closing, and the participants have specific roles. In contrast, many conversations appear formless.
Conversations may involve an exchange of information, but the exchange is a universal and
essential characteristic of an interview.

3.2 Purposes of Holding Interviews

Interviews are held for various purposes. The following are the main purposes of interviews:
1. Selection: Interview helps to select a right person for a right job. Through an interview,
the potentialities of interested recruits are assessed.

2. Promotion: For assuming capabilities and competencies required for higher positions,
interview is the most potent tool.
3. Performance appraisal: Through interviews, performance is appraised. Feedback regarding
performance may be communicated through interviews.
4. Exit opinions: When a person leaves, the exit opinions are invited through exit interviews
to determine a person’s reasons for leaving the organization. This helps the organization
to build a better work climate.
5. Counselling: Interviews help individuals to develop themselves through counseling. For
counselling, useful information is extracted and requisite feedback data is also transmitted
back.

Besides, there can be other purposes also like:
1. Admission interview of a candidate for admission to a course in higher education/
professional training.

2. Interrogation of a person by the police about some happening.
3. An interview given by a celebrity in a question-answer session to a selected audience.

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