Creating More Conscientious Interviewers
 
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Evaluation of On-the-Job Behavior Change Results
of Interviewing With Style by Tim Gard
Presented May 20, 1999

Income Maintenance workers who attended the ‘Interviewing with Style’ training were asked to use a Training Impact Evaluation for the course.  To enable data gathering for this Evaluation form, workers were given the assignment of applying any techniques presented in the course in three separate interviews. 

The goal of this evaluation is to assess how likely it is that the Interviewing with Style training results in behavior change. 

On the whole, worker responses indicate that the training had a very positive impact --some behaviors were changed, new behaviors were learned and applied.  The Council Bluffs Region is fortunate to have many years of experience represented in its IM staff.  Some of these experienced workers state in the evaluations that they already knew the techniques presented in the course or noted on the form that applying the technique was not a change in their behavior.  For others, the techniques were very new and comments on the forms were enthusiastic. Because anecdotal evidence helps make reports more real, some of these comments are reproduced at the end of this report.

Learned behaviors most often tried and reported were

¨      Greeting the client with a handshake and introduction—workers observed that greeting the client and engaging in some small talk helped put the client at ease and helped establish rapport.

¨      the power of silence—some workers reported realizing that they had previously been “filling in the blanks” themselves.  This technique helps clients realize the worker is going to wait for an answer that they are responsible for.

¨      open ended questions—this technique was reported as leading to more accurate information

¨      Explaining what is needed and why—workers noted positive differences in client cooperation and in interview progress when the reasons for the interview and its questions, and how these related to client eligibility were explained first.

¨      gaining understanding of the client’s intentions, beliefs, motivations—workers wrote that this helped them understand the client’s responses and actions, and better work with the client

¨      having eye contact, showing an interest—workers reported that the client was more willing and the interviews went better when these were used

¨      investigative techniques –when appropriate, these techniques were found to work, improving accuracy of information (though not always client satisfaction) and

¨      closing techniques—various ways to cue the client that the interview is ending were tried and valued

45 workers returned Evaluation forms for three interviews, 4 workers returned forms for only two interviews and 5 workers returned forms for only one interview.

This means that results were reported for 148 interviews.  There were multiple response areas on the form and workers often listed more than one response for an item on the form.

The Training Impact Evaluation form lists these under ‘Topic Trained’ down the left hand column:  Contact and control (instant rapport, getting to yes, power of silence); Framework (boundaries, frame of reference, truth and consequences); Environment (credibility); Understanding of client (intentions, beliefs, motivation); Detective work (questions, investigation); Counseling, coach; and Closing the Interview.  The other columns are ‘How used in Interview?’; ‘Change from previous interview behavior?’; and ‘Impact:  positive or negative?’ 

The form turns out to have been too complex for use ‘on the job’, well after the training session.  Workers did very well at reporting techniques applied, fairly well at naming the techniques but not as well at reporting those techniques consistently in the seven categories.  If workers have learned and applied interviewing techniques presented in a short training session, whether or not the techniques are understood or reported in a certain category is not important to evaluating results.  The responses then, are reported and subtitled here by technique applied but the report does not divide techniques by the seven categories.

Number with this response

Subtitle/

How used in interview

Was this a change for worker?

Was the impact positive or negative?

 

Introduce self, offer  handshake

 

 

16

Offer handshake, introduce self, make small talk on way to office, etc

Yes

Positive

4

Offer handshake, introduce self, make small talk on way to office, etc

No

Positive

 

Explain what’s needed and why

 

 

25

Explained what and why

Yes

Positive

4

Explained what and why

No or blank

Negative / NA/blank

11

Explained what and why

No

Positive

5

Explained what and why

Blank

Positive

1

Discussed needs

Unknown

Positive

 

Gain an  understanding of client

 

 

6

Gain understanding of client intentions, beliefs, motivation

No

Blank or NA

1

Gain understanding of client intentions, beliefs, motivations

Yes

Negative

44

Gain understanding of client

Intentions, beliefs, motivations

Yes

Positive

7

Gain understanding of client intentions, beliefs, motivations

No

Positive

9

Gain understanding of client intentions beliefs, motivations

Blank

Blank

3

Gain understanding of client intentions beliefs, motivations

No

Negative

1

Gave referral info pertinent to client situation

Blank

Blank

3

Gave referral info pertinent to client situation

Yes

Positive

2

Gain understanding of client intentions beliefs, motivations

Blank

Positive

 

Starting w easy or yes answer questions

 

 

5

“Columbo”-start with easy questions

Yes

Positive

1

Start with the yes answer questions

Yes

Positive

1

Start with the yes answer questions

Blank

Positive

 

Eye contact

 

 

24

Eye contact, show interest in client and what they say

Yes

Positive

1

Eye contact, show interest in client and what they say

Yes

Blank

5

Eye contact, show interest in client and what they say

No

Positive

2

Eye contact, show interest in client and what they say

No

Blank

 

Speech (of worker)

4

Slow and or soft speech, calm tone, smile as appropriate

Yes

Positive

1

Slowed when going over what is for worker repetitious information, checked for client understanding

Yes

Positive

1

Slow and or soft speech, calm tone, smile as appropriate

No

Positive

 

Listening

 

 

1

Mental movie of client situation

Yes

Positive

1

Repeated what client said

Blank

Blank

2

Leaning forward to listen

Yes

Positive

1

Asked question and then sat quietly to let client answer

Yes

Positive

6

Listening intently, not finishing sentences or filling in the blanks for the client

Yes

Positive

 

‘Instant rapport’

 

 

5

‘Instant rapport’

Yes

Positive

5

‘Instant rapport’

No

Positive

1

‘Instant rapport’

No

Negative

 

Power of silence

 

 

11

Power of silence

Yes

Positive

4

Power of silence

No

Positive

 

‘Getting to yes’

 

 

1

‘Getting to yes’

Yes

Positive

1

‘Getting to yes’

No

Positive

 

Focus

3

Letting client ramble, repeating what is said, confronting discrepancies

Yes

Positive

1

Asked Has anything changed since this application was filled out?

Positive

1

Focus on the business at hand

No

Positive

 

Establish control

 

 

6

Established control with boundaries

Yes

Positive

1

Established control with boundaries

Yes

Negative, couldn’t

2

Didn’t get off the subject

Unknown

Positive

1

More control

Unknown

Positive

3

Pacing, leading

Yes

Positive

2

Established control with boundaries

No

Positive

 

Open ended questions

 

 

19

Open ended questions

Yes

Positive

2

Open ended questions

Yes

Blank

1

Open ended questions

Yes

Negative

 

Investigative

 

 

3

Cover, move on, go back and review what was covered earlier

Yes

Positive

1

Tried to make the story complete w more questions

Yes

Negative-

Couldn’t

2

Tried to make the story complete w more questions

Yes

Both positive and negative

4

Tactfully asked in various ways til got answer

Yes

Positive

3

Asked what has happened since last we visited

Yes

Positive

5

Continued to ask  for answers to unanswered questions

Yes

Positive

2

Continued to ask  for answers to unanswered questions

No

Positive

1

Continued to ask  for answers to unanswered questions

Blank

Blank

12

More direct in my questions

Yes

Positive

1

Asked what changes do you foresee?

Yes

Positive

1

Asked follow-up question to see if another change had happened

Yes

Positive

1