An interview is essentially a conversation. Below are tools for ensuring the likeliest possibility that you will fully and clearly understand what the candidate is saying during that conversation. You may have seen these probing tools before.

Clarifying

Clarifying consists of asking questions when you are not sure you completely understand the candidate’s idea. When clarifying, you are trying to build both a picture of what his idea is and why it is important to him. To clarify, ask who, what, when, where, how, or why. You may also simply say “Tell me more about…”

Confirming

Confirming is how you enhance understanding step during the interview. Once you believe you know both the “what” and the “why” of the candidate’s idea, check your understanding by repeating the idea back in your own words.

For example, if a candidate says to you, “I think when faced with that type of performance problem, we should have a team-building session. There are probably a lot of interpersonal issues that are unresolved on the team and it’s hurting performance.” You might confirm by saying, “So you’re saying that we can resolve some team issues by setting aside some time to work on them.” The “what” is having a team-building session. The “why” is to work out some team issues.

It is important to note that confirming does not imply agreement or disagreement with the idea. It is simply checking understanding. When confirming, keep in mind these three tips:

It is essential that you put the idea in your own words. Repeating a statement back exactly as said is referred to as “parroting” and people may think you are mocking them.
Be brief. A confirming statement is not a deep analysis and should be no longer than the original statement.
Don’t judge. Whatever initial reaction you have to the idea, don’t let your emotions flavor your confirming statement. Your task is only to understand. You can respond to the idea after you confirm understanding.

There are a number of critical times to clarify and confirm. These include times when:

Your initial reaction is to reject, ignore, or disagree with the candidate’s idea. It is embarrassing to disagree with someone only to find out later that you did not really understand her idea.
You must make a decision. Confirm the facts before you make a decision and you will not have to change it later.