This week’s International Association of Interviewers interview and interrogation training tip provided by Wicklander-Zulawski, has Wayne Hoover, CFI discussing leaving subjects alone in the interview room.
There are many interviewers that prefer to leave their subjects alone in the interview room prior to you walking into the room so they can think about what they’ve done, they can contemplate the consequences, or wonder who the interviewer is speaking with and what decisions are being made outside of the room.
Like anything, this might be a successful tactic in certain scenarios, however it’s not something that we typically recommend. Remember how mad you were the last time you made a doctor’s appointment and were left in an exam room and were waiting 15 minutes after that appointment time you originally scheduled? We don’t want to make our subjects angry or upset before we even start the interview.
Any time that the subject is left alone they have an opportunity to plan for the conversation when you return; or potentially create a false alibi, hide evidence that might be on their person, or strengthen the resolve to deny their actions.
It’s usually a much better choice to call your subject into the room when you are ready to start the interview, and remain with the subject until the interview is completed.
Every loss prevention investigator should continuously strive to enhance their investigative interviewing skills as part of an ongoing commitment to best-in-class interviewing performance. This includes holding ourselves to an elite standard of interview and interrogation training that is ethical, moral and legal while demanding excellence in the pursuit of the truth. The International Association of Interviewers (IAI) and Wicklander-Zulawski (WZ) provide interview and interrogation training programs and additional guidance to investigators when dealing with dishonest employees, employee theft, sexual harassment, policy violations, building rapport, pre-employment interviewing, lying, denials and obtaining a statement.
By focusing on the latest information and research from experts in the field as well as academia, legal and psychological resources, these video tips provide interview and interrogation training techniques that can enhance the skill sets of professionals with backgrounds in Law Enforcement, Loss Prevention, Security, Asset Protection, Human Resources, Auditors or anyone looking to obtain the truth.
To learn more about interview and interrogation training and how you can further develop your professional skill sets, please visit www.w-z.com or www.certifiedinterviewer.com for additional information.
