Idle chatter occasionally is effective in relaxing the interviewee and creating a good atmosphere,

If the applicant seems particularly nervous, an open-ended question may allow her time to relax

Before each interview the interviewer should review the information at hand concerning the applicant. The interviewer should read any application forms, resumes, and letters of recommendation to determine what information about the applicant she or he possesses and what additional data is needed. By so doing the interviewer will be better able to tailor the questions to the applicant and to avoid asking questions wnich solicit information already in hand.

Beginning: The applicant should be greeted warmly by name, and the interviewer should introduce himself so that the applicant knows what form of address she should use. When beginning the interview, the interviewer may engage the respondent in friendly conversation to "break the ice" or he may begin immediately to question her. Although idle chatter occasionally is effective in relaxing the interviewee and creating a good atmosphere, it often backfires. Tension and suspense may grow, valuable time may be wasted, and the interviewee may become suspicious of the interviewer's motives for engaging in small talk. Thus it generally is advisable to begin immediately with questioning. If the applicant seems particularly nervous, an open-ended question may allow her time to relax. If nervousness is not apparent, direct, restricted questions may be appropriate.

Questioning: The nature and use of question types has been detailed above, but further cautions are needed concerning the interviewer's behaviours. The fundamental principle underlying these 'action is this: the interviewee is trying to please the interviewer and will say and what she thinks the interviewer likes. This principle becomes crucial when we consider the interviewer's responses to the interviewee's answers. If he responds favourably to some behaviour, that behaviour probably will increase; if he responds negatively, the behaviour will disappear. As interviewers we must be aware of our own behaviours because of their potency in the interview situation; we should use those behaviours to encourage desired responses but not to condition the applicant's verbal behaviours.