Interview

Updated 22 Jul 2026

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def
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  a systematic communication process in which an interviewer gathers information from an interviewee through structured or semi-structured questions
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  in IT and business contexts, used to elicit business expectations, functional needs, and non-functional requirements of a system (Wiegers & Beatty, 2013)
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role in IT
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  requirement gathering — collecting needs from stakeholders before building a system or application
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  user research — identifying user needs and experiences with IT products
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  bug or incident investigation — gathering information from users or technical teams to analyze system errors
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  IT project evaluation — measuring the success of system implementations based on user or client feedback
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  recruitment — assessing candidates through technical and psychological interviews
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types (by structure)
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  structured interview
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    interviewer uses a predetermined list of questions
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    suitable for interviewing many stakeholders consistently
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    e.g., a business analyst asking each department manager the same set of workflow questions
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  semi-structured interview
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    interviewer has a question list but can explore further based on responses
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    flexible; suitable for uncovering requirements that are not initially clear
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    e.g., a developer asking a user about desired additional features, then following up on specific answers
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  unstructured interview
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    conversation is free-form with no fixed question list
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    suitable for exploratory interviews where stakeholders have no clear picture of their needs yet
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    e.g., a UX researcher speaking freely with users to understand their broader problems
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effective techniques
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  preparation
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    research the interviewee's background and role
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    determine clear interview objectives
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    prepare questions appropriate to the interviewee type — see Interviewee Types
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    prepare supporting materials and recording tools
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  effective questioning techniques
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    open questions — "What are your thoughts on this feature?" — encourages elaboration
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    closed questions — "Do you use this feature often?" — for specific confirmations
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    follow-up questions — "Could you explain more about why that feature feels uncomfortable?" — for deeper exploration
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  building a comfortable atmosphere
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    use language the stakeholder understands
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    practice active listening
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    manage time effectively to cover all objectives
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  documenting results
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    use a Minutes of Meeting (MoM) template
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    record the interview if the interviewee permits
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    compile a summary of findings
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    confirm key answers with the interviewee to ensure correct understanding
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common challenges and strategies
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  stakeholder cannot clearly explain their needs — use open questions and prototypes to help them think
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  stakeholders have conflicting needs — prioritize based on business importance and feasibility
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  limited interview time — prepare the most critical questions first
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  uncooperative stakeholder — explain the benefit of the interview to them and the organization
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related

Linked references 5

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