Page 244 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

Conducting Tough Interviews 245

FORMALITIES

You must get into an adult-to-adult or critical parent role as quickly as you can and take com-
mand. You must be totally committed in everything you say, how you say it and in your body
language.

If you are not already known to the suspect, you should either introduce yourself and any
colleague, or be introduced by a very senior manager who will emphasize the importance of
the interview.

Example : ‘Bill, this is Mr Jones, who is an HR adviser. We have asked him to investigate x and
he has my full authority. He has worked on hundreds of cases around the world and has (list
any impressive accomplishments). I am sure you will cooperate with him.’ The manager
should then leave the room.

You should always offer to shake hands and in the unlikely event that the offer is refused,
look the suspect firmly in the eyes and say something along the lines of: ‘That tells me all I need
to know’. Then continue, without pausing, to the opening. If he accepts the offer, make sure
your handshake is not like a wet kipper: you must appear positive and committed.

USING NAMES

If you do not already know the suspect, the safe course is to address him as ‘Mister’ followed
by his surname. However, with senior people, and to establish an equal adult-to-adult trans-
actional role, you should use his first name. If you want to unbalance a pompous suspect you
might call him by his first name but refer to his and your colleagues – many of whom will be
junior to him – as ‘Mister’.

Example : ‘Bill, this is Mr Jones [the most junior member of HR]. I have spoken to Mr Smith
[Bill’s junior] and he will handle your calls for the next few hours, so would you please turn off
your mobile telephone.’

You can further unbalance an overly important suspect if you start off calling him by his
first name and later in the interview, when he is being deceptive, revert to ‘Mister Smith’ or
start addressing him as ‘Mister’ and at the pivotal point use his first name. Small changes in
the way you address the suspect will help you change roles from adult to critical parent and
from critical to nurturing parent.

AVOIDING PADDING

The natural instinct of most interviewers is to prevaricate (in much the same way that suspects
do in bringing themselves to address critical issues), ask irrelevant questions with which they
feel comfortable or talk about the weather, a current event or even golf. This is always counter-
productive, because it gives the suspect time to settle down.

Avoid any social chit-chat and only ask questions on how a process operates or what work
the suspect does, if: