Improving Your Interviewing Skills
Dean Benard
Benard + Associates, Waterloo

In this session, an experienced investigator will share inside tips on effective interviewing — including video clips of the right and wrong way to do it.

• The four elements of every interview
• Planning the interview
  - in what order should you interview subjects?
  - knowing and understanding the goals of the interview
  - designing appropriate questions to suit your needs
  - considerations such as location, using the telephone and audio or video taping
• Are witnesses entitled to have someone else present during interviews?
  - union representatives in an employment context
  - counsel
  - dealing with the witness’s support person: lawyer, union rep etc.
• What interview subjects have in common
  - how having insight into interviewees generally can help you
• Communication styles
  - the “self factor”
  - non-verbal communication
  - helpful communication techniques
• Interviewing techniques
  - establishing rapport with subjects and minimizing teir anxiety
  - gaining the subject’s cooperation
  - using effective communication skills in the interview
  - appropriate ways to assist a subject with recall
  - avoiding over-reliance on a script
  - helpful dos and don’ts
• Techniques for note taking
  - when should you take handwritten notes, use audio tape or use videotape?
  - use of teams
  - transcribing notes
• Proper techniques for taking witness statements
• Interviewing the more challenging subject
  - alleged victims
  - the overzealous interviewee
  - the reluctant/uncooperative interviewee