Interviews as an Elicitation Technique

Interviews as an Elicitation Technique: A Comprehensive Guide

Overview

Interviews are one of the most fundamental and widely-used elicitation techniques in business analysis and requirements gathering. They involve direct, one-on-one or small group conversations between a business analyst and stakeholders to understand their needs, expectations, and constraints.

Why Interviews Are Important

Direct Communication: Interviews provide face-to-face interaction that allows analysts to ask follow-up questions, clarify ambiguities, and explore topics in depth.

Rich Information Gathering: You can capture not just what stakeholders say, but also their tone, body language, and emotional responses, which provide context for requirements.

Relationship Building: Interviews help establish trust and rapport with stakeholders, which is crucial for ongoing collaboration and buy-in.

Flexible Exploration: Unlike structured documents, interviews allow you to explore topics dynamically, discovering unexpected needs or constraints.

Stakeholder Engagement: Interviews demonstrate that you value stakeholder input, increasing their commitment to the project.

Early Problem Identification: Direct conversation can reveal conflicts, concerns, and hidden requirements early in the project lifecycle.

What Are Interviews?

An interview is a structured or semi-structured conversation between a business analyst and one or more stakeholders designed to elicit information about business needs, processes, problems, and desired solutions. Interviews can range from casual conversations to formal, planned sessions with predetermined questions.

Key Characteristics:
• Typically one-on-one or small group format
• Can be planned or exploratory
• Range from highly structured to open-ended
• Conducted at various project stages
• Can be in-person, virtual, or phone-based

How Interviews Work

Step 1: Preparation
Before conducting an interview, you should:
• Identify the right stakeholders to interview
• Research their background and role
• Prepare a list of key questions or topics
• Schedule the interview at a convenient time
• Arrange a suitable, quiet location
• Determine whether you need a co-analyst to take notes

Step 2: Opening
Start the interview by:
• Introducing yourself and explaining the purpose
• Explaining how the information will be used
• Setting expectations about duration and confidentiality
• Establishing a comfortable, non-threatening atmosphere
• Asking permission to take notes or record (if appropriate)

Step 3: Question Progression
Conduct the interview using a logical flow:
• Start with open-ended, general questions to build rapport
• Move to more specific, detailed questions
• Use probing questions to dig deeper into responses
• Allow pauses for reflection and additional input
• Avoid leading questions that bias responses
• Stay flexible and follow interesting tangents that reveal new information

Step 4: Clarification and Validation
During the interview:
• Paraphrase responses to confirm understanding
• Ask for examples or specific scenarios
• Explore contradictions or unclear statements
• Take notes on key points and direct quotes

Step 5: Closing
End the interview by:
• Summarizing key points discussed
• Asking if there's anything else the stakeholder wants to add
• Explaining next steps and follow-up process
• Thanking them for their time and input
• Providing contact information for future questions

Step 6: Documentation
After the interview:
• Review and organize your notes while memory is fresh
• Identify key requirements and themes
• Note any questions that arose
• Prepare a summary to share with the stakeholder for validation
• Consolidate findings with other interview data

Advantages of Interviews

• High-quality information: Direct dialogue often uncovers nuanced requirements
• Immediate feedback: You can ask clarifying questions in real-time
• Flexibility: Easy to adapt questions based on responses
• Rapport building: Face-to-face interaction builds relationships and trust
• Non-verbal cues: You can observe and interpret body language and tone
• Stakeholder buy-in: Involvement increases stakeholder commitment to solutions
• Comprehensive understanding: Can explore context, history, and future vision

Disadvantages of Interviews

• Time-consuming: One-on-one interviews require significant time investment
• Subjective interpretation: Analyst bias can influence how questions are asked and answered interpreted
• Inconsistent coverage: Different stakeholders may be asked different questions
• Lack of comparability: Hard to compare responses when interviews aren't standardized
• Cost: Can be expensive for geographically dispersed teams
• Scheduling challenges: Difficult to coordinate busy stakeholder schedules
• Documentation burden: Requires careful note-taking or recording and transcription
• Potential bias: Stakeholders may provide answers they think you want to hear rather than truthful responses

Types of Interviews

Structured Interviews: Use a predetermined set of standardized questions in a fixed order. Best for consistency and comparing responses across multiple stakeholders.

Semi-Structured Interviews: Use a guide of key topics and questions, but allow flexibility to explore areas in more depth based on responses. This is the most common approach in business analysis.

Unstructured Interviews: Begin with a general topic but allow the conversation to flow naturally. Best for exploratory phases and discovering unexpected information.

One-on-One Interviews: Conducted with a single stakeholder, allowing for personal, detailed discussion.

Group Interviews: Conducted with multiple stakeholders, useful for exploring group perspectives and conflicts, though individual participation may be uneven.

Interview Techniques and Best Practices

Asking Effective Questions:
• Open-ended questions: "What are the main challenges you face in this process?"
• Closed questions: "Do you currently use system X?" (use sparingly)
• Probing questions: "Can you give me an example of that?"
• Follow-up questions: "Why do you think that happens?"
• Avoid leading questions: Don't suggest answers (e.g., "You probably find system X difficult, don't you?")

Active Listening:
• Focus fully on the stakeholder
• Minimize distractions
• Show verbal and non-verbal acknowledgment
• Avoid interrupting
• Take notes without losing eye contact
• Summarize and paraphrase to confirm understanding

Managing the Interview:
• Keep to the agreed time limit
• Gently redirect off-topic conversations
• Balance talking and listening (you should listen 70-80% of the time)
• Create psychological safety so stakeholders feel comfortable sharing
• Remain neutral and non-judgmental
• Respect confidentiality and organizational sensitivities

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Interviews as an Elicitation Technique

Tip 1: Know the Definition
Be prepared to define interviews clearly: "Interviews are a one-on-one or small group elicitation technique involving direct conversation between a business analyst and stakeholders to gather information about business needs, processes, and requirements."

Tip 2: Emphasize the Preparation Phase
When discussing interviews, always mention that proper preparation is critical. Examiners often test whether you understand that successful interviews require:
• Identifying the right stakeholders
• Researching their background
• Preparing questions in advance
• Choosing an appropriate setting
Mention these elements to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge.

Tip 3: Distinguish Between Question Types
Exam questions often ask about the types of questions used in interviews. Be clear about:
• Open-ended questions: Encourage detailed responses; best for exploration
• Closed questions: Require yes/no answers; used for confirmation
• Probing questions: Dig deeper into responses
Practice distinguishing between these and providing examples.

Tip 4: Compare With Other Techniques
Exams frequently ask you to compare interviews with other elicitation techniques. Be ready to explain how interviews differ from:
• Surveys: Interviews are flexible and interactive; surveys are structured and scalable
• Focus Groups: Interviews are one-on-one; focus groups involve multiple people
• Workshops: Interviews are individual; workshops bring teams together
• Observation: Interviews ask what people do; observation watches what they actually do
Know the advantages of interviews compared to each.

Tip 5: Address Bias and Subjectivity
Exam questions sometimes test whether you understand the limitations of interviews. When discussing disadvantages, mention:
• Interviewer bias (how personal beliefs affect questioning)
• Interviewee bias (social desirability, telling you what they think you want to hear)
• How to mitigate these (triangulation with other techniques, standardized questions)
This demonstrates critical thinking and maturity in your approach.

Tip 6: Include Documentation and Follow-up
Many candidates forget to mention what happens after the interview. Comprehensive answers should include:
• Importance of notes and documentation
• Validating findings with stakeholders
• How interview data is consolidated with other sources
• Using interviews to inform requirements documents

Tip 7: Provide Practical Examples
Whenever possible, support your answers with concrete examples. For instance:
"In an interview about a new billing system, an open-ended question like 'What are your main frustrations with the current process?' might reveal that users spend 3 hours daily on manual reconciliation, information that wouldn't appear on a survey."
Examples demonstrate applied knowledge, not just theoretical understanding.

Tip 8: Discuss Context and Timing
Show that you understand when interviews are most appropriate:
• Early in projects: To understand the problem and business context
• With key stakeholders: To understand unique perspectives
• To validate findings: From other elicitation techniques
• In complex situations: Where nuance and exploration are needed
Examiners want to see that you choose techniques strategically, not just apply them randomly.

Tip 9: Mention Diverse Stakeholder Needs
Strong answers recognize that different stakeholders need different interview approaches:
• Interviews with executives should be more strategic and concise
• Interviews with end-users can be more detailed and process-focused
• Interviews with technical staff require deeper technical discussion
This shows understanding of real-world complexity.

Tip 10: Be Specific About Advantages
Rather than saying "interviews are good because you get information," be specific:
• "Interviews allow you to observe non-verbal cues that indicate emotional responses to proposed changes"
• "Interviews let you ask follow-up questions in real-time, clarifying ambiguities immediately rather than waiting for written responses"
• "Interviews build stakeholder relationships, which increases buy-in for the final solution"
Specific, detailed answers score higher than generic ones.

Tip 11: Address Logistics and Constraints
Real-world business analysis involves constraints. Show awareness of:
• Time required for multiple interviews
• Cost implications for distributed teams
• Scheduling challenges with busy stakeholders
• How to adapt interviews for remote/virtual environments
This demonstrates practical, experienced thinking.

Tip 12: Connect to Requirements Quality
The best exam answers connect elicitation techniques to the final outcome. Explain how interviews contribute to:
• Completeness: Exploring context and related needs
• Accuracy: Clarifying understanding in real-time
• Stakeholder alignment: Ensuring different perspectives are understood
• Traceability: Being able to link requirements back to stakeholder conversations
This shows you understand the "why" behind elicitation techniques.

Sample Exam Questions and Approaches

Question 1: "Describe the interview elicitation technique and explain why it is widely used in requirements gathering."

Approach: Define what interviews are, list 3-4 key advantages (direct communication, flexibility, relationship building, immediate clarification), and provide a brief example of when interviews would be particularly valuable.

Question 2: "Compare interviews with surveys as elicitation techniques. What are the advantages of each?"

Approach: Create a simple comparison table in your mind:
• Interviews: Flexible, interactive, in-depth, time-consuming, small sample
• Surveys: Standardized, scalable, quick analysis, low depth, large sample
Explain when you'd use each based on project characteristics.

Question 3: "What steps would you take to prepare for an interview with a key business stakeholder?"

Approach: Walk through the preparation process: identify stakeholder, research their role and background, prepare questions, schedule appropriately, arrange location, determine note-taking approach. Show that you're methodical and professional.

Question 4: "Describe three types of questions you might ask during an interview and provide examples of each."

Approach:
• Open-ended: "How would you describe your current process for...?"
• Closed: "Do you currently use automated tools?"
• Probing: "Can you walk me through a specific example of when that happened?"
Explain why each type is important.

Question 5: "What are the main limitations of interviews as an elicitation technique, and how would you mitigate them?"

Approach: Mention limitations (time-consuming, bias, inconsistent coverage) but show how to address them:
• Use triangulation with other techniques
• Standardize questions for consistency
• Be aware of interviewer bias and strive for neutrality
• Document findings immediately while fresh
• Validate with stakeholders afterward
Strong answers address both the problem and the solution.

Key Takeaways

• Interviews are one of the most valuable and flexible elicitation techniques
• Proper preparation, skilled questioning, and active listening are essential
• They work best when combined with other elicitation techniques
• Understanding both advantages and limitations demonstrates mature analysis thinking
• Different interview styles (structured, semi-structured, unstructured) serve different purposes
• Documentation and validation are as important as the interview itself
• Strong exam answers are specific, practical, and show real-world awareness
• Context matters—the best choice of elicitation technique depends on project characteristics and stakeholder needs