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Interviews look
and sound simple enough, but every interview is a deceptively
complex interpersonal communication process. If you are to
experience success in interviews as an interviewer or interviewee,
you must understand and appreciate the whole
process. During an interview, communication levels between two parties differ in degree of self-disclosure, risk encountered, perceived meanings, and amount and type on content exchanged. |
Levels of Interactions
Level 1 Interactions are relatively safe, nonthreatening interchanges about such topics as hometowns, professions, sporting events, college courses, and families. They generate answers that are safe, socially acceptable, comfortable, and ambiguous. When we respond with phrases such as "Pretty good," "Not bad, and "Can't complain", they are indicative of Level 1 interactions that do not reveal judgements, attitudes, or feelings.
Each level is a metaphorical
door, with the door being slightly open in Level 1 interactions.
General ideas, surface feelings, and basic information pass
through, but either party may close the door quickly and safely if
necessary.
Level 1 communication interchanges are most frequent in interviews. Level 1 interactions dominate interactions when there is little relational history, trust has yet to be established, and the role relationship is between a superior and a subordinate. This interview segment illustrates Level 1 interactions.
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Interviewer:
How are things at
the office? Interviewee: They're good. Interviewer: Are you still working on the strategic plan? Interviewee: Yes, we are. Notice how both parties play it safe during the interchanges. The topics are not threatening, and neither party reveals feelings or attitudes. |
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Level 2
Interactions deal with personal, controversial, or
threatening topics and probe into beliefs, attitudes, values and
positions. Responses tend to be half-safe, half-revealing as
parties seek to cooperate without revealing too much.
The metaphorical door is half open (the optimist's view) or half
closed (the pessimist's view) as more specific and revealing ideas,
feelings, and information pass through.
Level 2 interactions are less frequent than Level 1, a
closer relationship between parties is necessary to move
from the superficial to the more revealing exchanges. Though
willing to take more risk, parties retain the opportunity to close
the door quickly. This interview segment illustrated Level 2
interactions.
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Interviewer:
What are your
responses to the strategic plan? Interviewee: It is okay I guess, but I wonder if it will ever be implemented. Interviewer: I can understand that. What would you like to see implemented? Interviewee: I hope that some of the new staff allocation will go to understaffed areas. The interviewee, though cautious, is more specific and revealing. |
Level 3
Interactions deal with intimate and controversial
areas of inquiry. Respondents fully disclose their feelings,
beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions. Little is withheld, and
sometimes questioners get more than they bargained for.
The metaphorical door is wide open.The risk is great to
both parties, but so are the benefits. Level 3
interactions are infrequent in interviews and may be unattainable
during first contacts.
The relationship between parties must be due to perceived
similarities, desire to be included and involved, feelings of
warmth or friendship, sharing of control, and a high level of
trust. This interview segment illustrates Level 3
interactions.
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Interviewer:
I understand
you've voiced some concerns about the strategic plan. Interviewee: Yes, I have. It seems to me that it is unrealistic in its present form. Interviewer: Why is that? Interviewee: Well, for one thing, it assumes a 5 percent increase in sales, and another, virtually no change in costs. Gasoline alone has gone up 13 percent, and sales are sluggish and are likely to remain so for at least another two years. Available data are being ignored to develop a pie-in-the-sky plan that is too good to be true. Let's get real. |
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Relationships, perceptions, responses, and the situation make communication levels unpredictable and difficult to change. It is essential in most interviews, however, to get beyond Level 1 to Level 2 or Level 3 to obtain information, detect feelings, attain self-disclosure, discover insights, and achieve necessary commitments.
Interviews deal with our behaviour, our performance, our reputation, our decisions, our weaknesses, our feelings, our money and our future.
Image
Credits:Timsnell,
Uvuphotos,
Brenda
Anderson, Trishikh
