It is known that interviewing is used for many purposes: in order to begin psychotherapy with a new client, determine current psychological state or mental status of the client, and others. However, conducting an interview is not an easy task. It is necessary to know the appropriate techniques and have the appropriate skills to conduct an interview in a proper way. These techniques and skills include “effective listening skills, communication, observation of behavior, and, of course, asking the right questions” (Plante, 2010, p. 174). Â In this assignment, I will be interviewing my twin brother, LaMar, who has some problems at work with his fellow Sheriff’s Deputy. Sheriff’s Deputy is not willing to be a team player.
Conducting the interview and utilizing the questions
The following questions will be used in the interview: 5 open questions (1-5) and 5 closed ended questions (6-10):
- What are your job responsibilities?
- What are the requirements of the deputy in question?
- How long have you been employed at the Sheriff’s department?
- What is causing you to feel this way about this deputy?
- When did this negative behavior start?
- Is anyone else being affected by the deputy’s behavior?
- Who is in the position of authority to address this issue?
- Is this something that annoys you but it can be looked over?
- Can you be assigned a different assignment/shift?
- Is there anything else that you think I should know?
Interview transcript
Interviewer: Student’s name
Interviewee: LaMar Hail
Interview Setting: Interview was conducted in the office at 2:30 PM on Friday afternoon.
(Start of the interview with the client)
Interviewer: What are your job responsibilities?
Interviewee: My job responsibilities includes transporting inmates to and from court, transporting detainees to other detention facilities, maintaining order in the courtroom, and providing an environment free of any weapons.
Interviewer: What are the requirements of the deputy in question?
Interviewee: Deputy Kraft has the same job responsibilities and has been employed the same length of time, but he failed to learn all the aspects of his job. The only position deputy Kraft is familiar with is how to handle front door security.
Interviewer: How long have you been employed at the Sheriff’s department?
Interviewee: I have been employed as a Stephenson County Sheriff’s Deputy for 5 years, and before becoming a deputy I worked as a Correctional Officer for the Stephenson County Sheriff’s department for 9 years.
Interviewer: What is causing you to feel this way about this deputy?
Interviewee: I have offered to train Deputy Kraft in the transportation of prisoners, courtroom security, Jail procedures, and how to fill out the proper paper work. However, Deputy Kraft refuses to try and learn the other aspects of his job.
Interviewer: When did this negative behavior start?
Interviewee: This negative behavior started when Deputy Kraft began to use his cell phone at work. These distractions started with in the last two months with the cellular phone, which has caused me to be feed up. The other complaint is that Deputy Kraft refused to shorten his break to the 50 minutes allowed instead of the hour that he takes.
Interviewer: Is anyone else being affected by the deputy’s behavior?
Interviewee: It affects another deputy that is on their rotation. The other deputy has also mentioned the issues concerning the cellular and breaks. Â Deputy Kraft told that he was only worried about himself and his duties.
Interviewer: Who is in the position of authority to address this issue?
Interviewee: The supervisor is.
Interviewer: Is this something that annoys you but it can be looked over?
Interviewee: This issue is an officer safety issue and it needs to be addressed.
Interviewer: Can you be assigned a different assignment/shift?
Interviewee: Yes, I can be assigned a different shift. The supervisor is retiring in four months and he suggested that I should test for his position.
Interviewer:Â Is there anything else that you think I should know?
Interviewee: Discipline plays a significant role in our profession, as well as teamwork. I am sure that Deputy Kraft’s behavior is inappropriate for his position.