Conducting interviews: how do you get the best results?
13.03.2025
Irene M. Wrabel
Content/consulting
Do you like reading interviews? You’re in good company. Interviews come over as authentic, lively and credible. And the better the questions, the more interesting the answers. You can conduct an interview online or in person. How do you get the best results in each case?
Interviews are a popular format in many settings, including custom media and financial publishing. A well-conducted interview brings readers closer to the interviewee and gives interesting insights into their knowledge and experience. The information comes over more credibly and the audience gets to know the person better than they would through a second-hand report. To make sure that your interview succeeds as a piece of communication, you should be aware of certain rules. Poor preparation and loveless presentation are real killers when it comes to interviews.
Preparation
Every interview has a specific goal that has to be defined in advance. Is it to provide an expert opinion on specific subjects? Is the aim to present the person being interviewed? Or are you trying to create a portrait of the company? Once you’ve clarified these formal points, you can start preparing. To make sure you address the right topics, you need certain background knowledge. Find out something about the person you’ll be talking to. What are their position and background in relation to the interview? What topics will they be able to provide information about? Research whether they’ve already given interviews and if so, in what context. This will help you with the next step.
Detailed questions or outline of topics?
Clarify in advance whether your interviewee needs only a rough outline of the topic or requires detailed questions to prepare for the interview. Think about what the core messages of the interview should be. Are you addressing a broad group of people or a specialist audience? You can formulate the questions accordingly. Put them in a suitable order so that you can organise the interview. Start with more general questions to sketch out the context and then work your way to the actual topics. You should finish with some sort of conclusion or look into the future. The better you manage to do this, the easier it will be to write the text.
The art of conducting an interview
Your interviewee and the day of the conversation is approaching. Now, you can concentrate on how you’re going to conduct the interview. Approach the conversation as impartially as possible. Maintain eye contact and pay attention to the other person’s reactions. This requires empathy. Don’t become impatient if they don’t always get straight to the point. Sometimes you’ll learn more than you’d hoped for. But also follow up if you have the feeling that they haven’t yet answered your questions sufficiently. Some people don’t feel very comfortable in conversational situations of this sort. Loosen up the atmosphere and tell them a little about yourself to create a basis of trust. It’s a great start if both people in the conversation feel they’re able to communicate on equal terms. It can also happen that the interviewee gives you background information that they don’t want to be mentioned. Make sure you respect their wishes.
How technology helps
If you’re conducting the interview in person, make sure you create a calm, relaxed atmosphere where you can both focus on the conversation. Make a recording. These days, any smartphone can do this with the appropriate app. If you have to write everything down, you’ll lose eye contact and often the thread of the conversation as well. Before you start recording, let the interviewee know that you’re doing so. You should delete the recordings after transcribing them. If your conversation is taking place online, there are a few more things to consider. Firstly, you need to check in advance whether the technology is working. Make sure you have a good connection with adequate reception. Your background should look as calm and professional as possible. Position yourself so that you’re looking as straight ahead as possible and raise your laptop slightly if necessary. If possible, use a headset to keep out extraneous noise. And here too, make it clear after welcoming the interviewee that you’re recording the conversation.
Timing is decisive
Whether the interview’s in person or online, manage your time well, as you only have a limited window. Give yourself a few minutes to say hello and, if necessary, warm up the atmosphere by introducing yourself and having the interviewee introduce themselves. Then start with the questions. You should have these printed out in front of you as a guide. During the conversation, tick off what’s been discussed and write down short key points. This will help you keep track. When all your questions have been answered, move on to the conclusion. Ask if the interviewee would like to add anything else. Then stop the recording. Make sure that you also save it.
On the home straight: the final text
You’ve done the groundwork. Now, it’s time for the creative part: writing the text. There are a wealth of transcription tools available for transcribing your recording. These are constantly being developed and are getting better and better at doing their job. There are now even functioning solutions for transcribing conversations in dialect. However, the transcribed text is merely the basis for writing your copy. In the first review, delete redundancies and unnecessary information and make an initial rough outline. Then you can build up the text step by step based on your questions. Stick to the facts, but create a linguistically error-free text. Use the register of the interviewee’s language as a guide. An academic will express themselves differently from an apprentice. When the text is finished, send it to the interviewee for approval. Ask for feedback and set a firm deadline. You then create the final version on the basis of this input.
The interview format can be used widely in corporate communications. Whether it’s published on a website or blog or used as part of a company portrait, customer magazine or report, it’s an effective building block in the creation of a professional corporate image. We can help you convey your messages and capabilities in the form of an exciting interview that your target audience will enjoy reading.
We’ll be glad to support you with an audience analysis. With our expertise in content strategy, communications planning and content creation, developing websites and online magazines, design and publishing, we can help you strengthen your brand and position yourself as the employer of choice.
More information
Othmar Krienbühl
Partner
T +41 44 268 12 62
M +41 79 430 11 91
othmar.krienbuehl@linkgroup.ch
Christian Schwander
Partner
T +41 44 268 12 05
M +41 79 420 19 53
christian.schwander@linkgroup.ch
