Redirecting

Definition

Redirecting is a technique used during interviews to guide the conversation back on track when it strays from the main topic or when the interviewee begins to provide irrelevant information. This method helps maintain focus and ensures that essential questions are addressed while allowing for deeper exploration of significant points. It serves as a crucial tool for interviewers to keep the dialogue productive and relevant to the intended narrative.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Redirecting can involve simple phrases or questions that gently steer the conversation back to key points without making the interviewee feel dismissed.
2. Effective redirecting not only keeps the conversation focused but also helps build rapport by showing interest in the interviewee's perspective.
3. Interviewers should practice redirecting techniques to ensure they remain in control of the interview flow while being sensitive to the responses provided.
4. This technique can be especially useful in situations where interviewees become emotional or distracted, helping to bring clarity to their statements.
5. Redirecting can enhance the quality of information gathered by prompting interviewees to think critically about their responses and providing opportunities for deeper insights.

Review Questions

• How does redirecting contribute to maintaining the focus and relevance of an interview?
  • Redirecting plays a vital role in keeping an interview focused by guiding the conversation back to essential topics. When an interview strays, redirecting allows the interviewer to ask targeted questions or provide gentle prompts that encourage the interviewee to return to relevant points. This not only helps in gathering necessary information but also demonstrates to the interviewee that their contributions are valued while ensuring that the main narrative is not lost.
• Evaluate the impact of redirecting on an interviewer's ability to gather comprehensive information from an interviewee.
  • Redirecting significantly enhances an interviewer’s ability to gather comprehensive information by ensuring that discussions remain relevant and focused. By skillfully guiding conversations, interviewers can prevent tangents that might obscure vital insights. This approach fosters a more structured dialogue, enabling the interviewer to extract detailed responses on critical subjects while minimizing time spent on less pertinent topics.
• Synthesize your understanding of redirecting with other interviewing techniques to propose a strategy for improving overall interview effectiveness.
  • To improve overall interview effectiveness, a strategy could incorporate redirecting alongside active listening and follow-up questions. By actively listening, an interviewer can identify when a conversation drifts off-topic and apply redirecting techniques at opportune moments. Follow-up questions can then delve deeper into redirected topics, enhancing clarity and depth in responses. This combined approach not only maintains focus but also encourages richer dialogue, ultimately leading to more insightful interviews.

Related terms

Follow-up Questions: Questions posed after an initial response to encourage further elaboration or clarification on a topic.

Active Listening: The practice of fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the interviewee says.

Nonverbal Cues: Body language signals, such as facial expressions and gestures, that can indicate an interviewee's comfort level or engagement.