Page 214 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

Planning Tough Interviews 215

THE EMPATHETIC BANK INSPECTOR

An experienced interviewer was mentoring a such a good employee. Was it because you
team of bank inspectors. One inspector (who simply wanted money or was there some
ironically became a very senior manager) other reason?’ The suspect thought for
could nor bring himself to turn at the pivotal a few moments and then in a quiet and
point into a nurturing parent. ‘I don’t like emotional voice said: ‘I took the money
people who defraud my bank’, he said, ‘and because my wife was ill and she needed
there is no way I can say all that crap, that I an operation, urgently.’ The inspector’s
understand them or empathize with them’. face became a mask of hate and he said:
‘Bollocks, what was wrong with the National
His supervisor pointed out that the Health Service? It’s good enough for my
empathic turn to nurturing parent had family and me. It should be good enough
worked successfully for the department for you.’ Unsurprisingly, all signs of empathy
and that he should try it. His next interview disappeared and it took another four hours
was conducted brilliantly and the suspect to bring the suspect back to the point where
brought quickly to the pivotal point. ‘Why he admitted the deep truth.
did all this start, Bill, you have always been

The decision on the approach you use is yours, but it is critical that you select tools and
techniques appropriate to the situation concerned and with which you feel comfortable.

ACTIVE LISTENING, OBSERVING AND VISUALIZATION

However, there is one critical point and that is to become an active listener and a conscious
observer of human behaviour. Most people hear but don’t listen, or see but don’t observe, and
thus miss important clues to innocence and deception.

Before every interview or meeting, make sure all of your senses are turned on and listen
carefully to every word the subject says, how he says it and consciously monitor his body
movements. Try to visualize what he is saying and picture if it makes sense and if you have any
doubts press for more and more detail. Tune to the emotions involved and question whether
they are genuine or false. Think how you would feel in his position and assess whether his
reactions are consistent with his story. Remain consciously alert to the things the subject does
not say that an innocent person would.

You can learn a lot by listening and looking

TAKING A DEEP INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT

You always should try to remain emotionally detached and avoid being judgemental. Even in
really tough interviews your job is to find the truth, within the law, while showing respect for
the suspect’s rights. If you take a genuine conscious interest in him (however bad his behav-
iour) and try to put yourself in his position, you will find interviews much easier and more
effective. You will also get more easily to the truth.

Take a deep, genuine interest in the subject