INTERVIEWS
There are some advantages to distance interviews
Many organisations utilise telephone interviews to address their investigative caseload. While many of you may suddenly be forced to address an integrity issue from afar, don’t focus on the obvious, “but I can’t see them”.
Below is a list of many advantages to a telephone interview:
• Adherence to guidelines provided by the WHO and government officials prioritising the staff’s wellbeing above all
else;
• Non-verbal behaviours by the interviewer are not seen by the subject;
• Interviewer’s physical appearance is not a factor;
• Interviewer can easily refer to an outline of questions or a strategic plan of the conversation;
• Interviewer has access to verify pieces of evidence, review the case file or pull up additional details without the
subject being aware;
• Note-taking by the interviewer is not seen by the subject;
• Allows for flexibility in selecting the best interviewer for the case, regardless of their location;
• Significant savings of time and travel costs that are usually incurred for an in-person interview;
• The timing of an interview for a “live” case provides for increased credibility of the investigation;
• Supervisors, witnesses or additional interviewers can listen into the conversation for training purposes without
impacting the physical nature of the room setup;
• The ability for the subject to hang up the phone at any time minimises the risk of any perception of custody, when the
room is set up properly;
• The ability to put the subject at ease as it’s, ‘just a phone call’ and can be perceived as a much more informal way to
address integrity issues.
by Christopher Norris, CFI
Wicklander-Zulawski Europe
