Interview questions and atmosphere are the driving factors of getting the information you are looking for, but interviews are only successful when you are actively listening to your interviewee. Even if you have a recording device, listening includes not only hearing and processing the words coming from the interviewee, but also other factors:
- What isn't said: consider what is inferred or knowingly left out of responses
- Body language: watch for points emphasized with hand movements, or how the interviewee sits.
- Voice inflection: note voice changes such as what words are emphasized, or when the interviewee lowers his or her voice
- Word choice: determine whether the responses seem rehearsed or forced, or does the interviewee rely on jargon and complex concepts
- Organization of the response: recognize when the interviewee seems to be circling a topic, or if responses seem out of order and unorganized