Unique Individuals, Standardized Approach

On the other hand, as an interviewer, you do not want to be mechanistic or ingenuine in your approach to clients. A strictly standardized approach probably comes across to clients as ingenuine or distant. Similarly, it’s important to respond not only to each client’s unique individual characteristics, but also to typical differences found in social or cultural groups. For example, the same introductory approach would usually not be equally effective with male adolescents and female senior citizens. Individuals in these two groups usually have signi?cantly different styles of relating to others. To assume you can treat them identically during the introduction phase of an interview is a mistake. Keep in mind that the introductory phase is crucial to establishing rapport with clients.

Excessive standardization may adversely affect rapport. When dealing with different individuals in the introductory phase of an interview, you should follow two general guidelines:

• Go with the base rates.

• Choose the least offensive alternative.

Some beginning interviewers are put off by the fact that standardization and routine are part of the interviewing process. After all, we’re dealing with unique individuals, and shouldn’t we give each one a unique and human response? Our answer to that question is no and yes. No, it is not necessary to give each client a unique or different response just for the sake of avoiding ritual or consistency.

And yes, we should give each client a human response.

For example, we usually begin ?rst sessions with a description of the limits of con?dentiality and a discussion of how an initial interview is sometimes uncomfortable because it involves two strangers getting to know each other. Although this is part of a standardized introduction, we sincerely mean what we’re saying every time; we genuinely want each client to understand the concept of con?dentiality and its limits. Simply because we say virtually the same statement to hundreds of clients does not mean we’re operating on auto pilot.