Professional Interviewing Techniques: How to Ask Better Questions

A good interview is about more than asking questions. It depends on how well the interviewer prepares, listens to the answers and responds to what the interviewee says. A well-timed question can uncover new information, reveal a different perspective and turn a straightforward exchange into an engaging conversation.

Interviewing skills are particularly important in television, radio, journalism and corporate communications, where time is often limited, and every question needs to serve a purpose. Whether you are a journalist, presenter or corporate interviewer, effective preparation provides structure while leaving room for unexpected insights. For professionals interested in television presenting, these skills are also essential for communicating clearly and keeping audiences engaged.

In this guide, we explore how to prepare for a professional interview, research your subject, ask better questions, listen actively and respond confidently to challenging or unexpected answers.

Professional Interview Preparation: Key Steps

Preparation is the foundation of an effective interview. Researching the subject, understanding the audience and identifying the purpose of the conversation can help the interviewer ask relevant questions and guide the discussion confidently.

However, preparation should not make an interview feel scripted. The aim is to develop a clear direction while remaining flexible enough to explore interesting answers.

Research the Interviewee and the Subject

Before the interview, learn as much as you reasonably can about the person you will be speaking to and the subject you intend to discuss.

Useful areas to research include:

• The interviewee’s current role and professional specialism.
• Previous employment, achievements and relevant experience.
• The organisation they represent and its work, sector and projects.
• Recent developments affecting the subject or industry.
• Relevant current events and background information.
• Changes within the organisation or sector that may influence the conversation.
• The interviewee’s previous public statements, interviews or published work, where relevant.

Research should help you move beyond questions that could easily be answered through a quick online search. Instead, focus on questions that explore the person’s experience, knowledge, reasoning or perspective.

For example, rather than asking an executive what their company does, you might ask how a recent industry change has affected its priorities or what lessons the organisation has learned.

Good research gives you the background needed to ask more informed questions and recognise when an answer deserves further exploration.

Define the Purpose of the Interview

Every interview should have a clear objective. Before preparing your questions, ask yourself: What should the audience learn from this conversation?

Depending on the format, the purpose may be to:

• Inform the audience about a subject.
• Explore an important issue.
• Investigate a claim, decision or event.
• Explain a specialist topic.
• Share an individual’s professional or personal experience.
• Discuss a product, service or organisation.
• Encourage an engaging conversation about a relevant subject.

A clear objective helps you decide which questions are essential and which can be removed. It also provides a useful reference point if the conversation begins to drift away from the main topic.

Prepare Questions but Remain Flexible

Preparing questions in advance helps an interviewer organise the conversation logically. You might begin with introductory questions, move into more detailed issues and finish by exploring future developments or key lessons.

However, a prepared question list should act as a guide rather than a rigid script.

An interviewee may reveal something unexpected that deserves further discussion. Moving immediately to the next prepared question can mean missing an opportunity to uncover valuable information.

The best interviewers know when to follow their plan and when to explore an interesting response. Preparation gives the conversation direction, while flexibility makes it feel natural.

Understand Your Audience

The questions you ask should reflect the audience’s interests, knowledge and expectations.

A specialist interview for an industry publication may require more technical detail than a television interview intended for a general audience. In either case, the interviewer should make the discussion accessible without losing important information.

Consider what the audience already knows, which concepts may need explaining and what practical information they are likely to find useful.

When an interviewee uses technical terminology, ask them to explain it in straightforward language. This helps the audience follow the discussion and understand why the subject matters.

What Makes a Good Interview Question?

A good interview question does more than prompt a response. It encourages the interviewee to explain their thinking, share relevant experiences, clarify an issue or introduce a perspective the audience may not have considered.

Effective questions are clear, relevant and appropriate to the purpose of the interview. They also give the interviewer opportunities to develop the conversation naturally.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions encourage detailed answers rather than a simple yes or no. They are useful when you want to explore experiences, opinions, decisions or explanations.

For example, instead of asking:

“Was it a difficult project?”

You could ask:

“What were the biggest challenges you encountered during the project?”

Other useful open-ended question starters include:

• Why did you choose this approach?
• How did you address the challenge?
• What did you learn from the experience?
• What do you think needs to change?
• How has your experience influenced your decisions?
• What would you do differently next time?

These questions encourage the interviewee to provide context and explain their perspective.

Open-ended questions are particularly useful for exploratory interviews, although they should be balanced with more direct questions when the situation calls for a specific answer.

Know When to Use Closed Questions

Closed questions usually invite a short, specific answer. They can be useful when establishing facts, confirming details or clarifying information.

For example:

“When did the project begin?”

A direct question is often the most efficient way to obtain a precise fact. However, relying too heavily on closed questions can limit the depth of a conversation.

A useful approach is to combine direct questions with open-ended follow-ups. You might establish when an event occurred and then ask the interviewee to explain its significance.

Keep Questions Clear and Focused

Questions should be easy to understand and address one main point at a time.

A question that combines several topics can confuse the interviewee and produce an unfocused answer. For example, asking about an organisation’s history, current performance, plans, and industry challenges in one sentence makes it difficult to know which part deserves the most attention.

Instead, divide the subject into separate questions and arrange them in a logical order.

Clear questions are especially important in television and radio interviews, where audiences need to follow the conversation as it unfolds.

Ask Questions That Add Value

Before asking a question, consider whether the answer will contribute something useful to the discussion.

A worthwhile question may reveal:

• Personal or professional experience.
• Specialist knowledge.
• A reasoned opinion.
• A lesson learned.
• A practical solution.
• A different perspective.
• Important context about an issue.

The aim is not to ask as many questions as possible. It is to create a conversation that gives the audience meaningful information and a better understanding of the subject.

Avoid Leading or Biased Questions

Leading questions contain an assumption or suggest the answer the interviewer expects. They can influence the response and make the conversation appear unfair.

For example, instead of asking:

“Why was that decision such a major mistake?”

A more balanced question might be:

“What were the advantages and disadvantages of that decision?”

Neutral wording allows the interviewee to explain their position without accepting an assumption built into the question.

This does not mean difficult questions should be avoided. Journalists and professional interviewers may need to challenge statements, examine decisions or investigate sensitive issues. The important distinction is between asking a challenging question based on evidence and framing a question in a way that prejudges the answer.

How to Conduct a Professional Interview

Once preparation is complete, the interviewer must put their research and communication skills into practice. A successful interview requires confidence, active listening and the ability to guide a conversation without controlling every response.

Create a Comfortable and Professional Setting

The way an interview begins can influence its tone.

Where appropriate, explain the expected duration, the subject of the conversation and how the interview will be conducted. A friendly, professional introduction can help establish rapport and make the interviewee more comfortable.

This is particularly useful when someone has limited interview experience or is discussing an unfamiliar or sensitive subject.

Creating a comfortable setting does not mean avoiding difficult questions. It means establishing clear expectations so that the conversation can proceed professionally.

Begin with Straightforward Questions

Start with a few introductory questions that establish the interviewee’s connection to the subject.

Depending on the context, you might ask:

• Could you briefly explain your role?
• What brought you to this subject?
• How does your work relate to the issue we are discussing?
• What should the audience understand before we explore the details?

Once the context is clear, you can move towards more specific or challenging questions.

The interviewee’s early answers may also reveal useful themes or suggest a more productive direction for the remainder of the conversation.

Listen Actively Rather Than Waiting to Speak

Active listening is one of the most important professional interviewing skills. An interviewer who concentrates only on their next question may miss details that could lead to a more revealing discussion.

Pay attention to:

• The words and expressions the interviewee uses.
• Changes in tone or emphasis.
• Information that has not been fully explained.
• Unexpected details or new developments.
• Statements that need clarification.
• Examples that could help the audience understand the issue.

Allow the interviewee to finish speaking before responding, and do not feel obliged to fill every pause immediately.

A short silence can give someone time to think and may encourage a more considered answer. The interviewer should use pauses thoughtfully rather than interrupting simply to keep the conversation moving.

Guide the Conversation Without Dominating It

An interviewer needs to maintain the direction of the discussion while allowing the interviewee enough space to explain their ideas.

If the answer moves away from the subject, acknowledge the point and guide the conversation back to the main question.

For example:

“That’s an interesting point. Returning to the issue we were discussing, how do you think it will affect the organisation?”

This approach recognises the interviewee’s contribution while keeping the conversation relevant.

Time management is particularly important in television and radio, where interviews may have a fixed duration. Identify the essential questions in advance so that the most important topics are covered before the interview ends.

Handle Difficult or Unexpected Responses

Interviews do not always follow the expected course. An interviewee may offer an unexpected opinion, introduce an unfamiliar issue, make a statement that requires clarification or give an answer that appears inconsistent with available information.

The interviewer should remain calm, listen carefully and decide how best to respond.

Useful follow-up questions include:

• Could you explain what you mean by that?
• What led you to that conclusion?
• Could you give an example to help us understand?
• How does that compare with the information we have discussed?
• Is there another perspective we should consider?

If an answer contains a factual claim that needs checking, the interviewer should seek clarification and verify the information where appropriate rather than accepting it automatically.

A professional approach allows the interviewer to probe firmly without becoming unnecessarily confrontational.

End with a Memorable Question

A strong closing question allows the interviewee to leave the audience with a useful final thought.

Depending on the subject, you might ask:

• What is the most important lesson you have learned?
• What would you like the public to understand about this issue?
• What do you think is likely to happen next?
• What advice would you give someone facing a similar challenge?
• What is the one thing you would like the audience to remember?

Choose a question that suits the purpose of the interview rather than using a closing question simply out of habit.

Once the interview is complete, thank the interviewee and close the conversation professionally.

How to Interview an Expert

Interviewing an expert requires the same core skills as any other interview, but it also involves making specialist knowledge understandable and relevant to the audience.

The interviewer does not need to know more than the expert about every aspect of the subject. However, sufficient preparation is essential to ask informed questions and recognise when an answer needs further explanation.

Research Beyond the Basics

Begin by understanding the expert’s area of specialism, relevant experience and the main issues associated with the subject.

Identify unfamiliar terminology and review the background information needed to follow the conversation. This preparation can help you distinguish between an expert’s general knowledge and insights drawn from direct professional experience.

It also helps you identify which questions are likely to provide the most useful information for your audience.

Translate Specialist Knowledge into Accessible Language

Experts may naturally use technical terms or assume that the audience already understands the subject.

The interviewer can bridge this gap by asking questions that encourage clear explanations.

For example:

“What does that mean for the average person?”

Or:

“How would you explain this to someone encountering the subject for the first time?”

These questions help translate specialist knowledge into practical information without dismissing the complexity of the subject.

Ask for Examples and Evidence

Examples can make complicated ideas easier to understand. When an expert makes a broad statement, ask them to illustrate it with relevant evidence or a real-world example.

You might ask:

• Could you give us an example of how this works in practice?
• What evidence supports that conclusion?
• Have you seen this approach used successfully?
• What would this look like in a real situation?

Examples help audiences connect explanations with practical circumstances. Where a claim is important or contested, the interviewer should also consider what evidence is available to support it.

Challenge Assumptions Professionally

An expert’s knowledge should be respected, but their statements should not automatically go unexamined.

If an answer raises questions, ask the interviewee to explain their reasoning, consider an alternative view or respond to a reasonable objection.

For example:

“What would you say to people who disagree with that approach?”

Or:

“Is there another perspective we should consider?”

The purpose is not to create conflict. It is to help the audience understand the subject more fully by examining the reasoning, evidence and different interpretations involved.

Balance the Expert’s Knowledge with the Audience’s Needs

The interviewer acts as a bridge between specialist knowledge and public understanding.

An interview should not simply provide a platform for technical explanations or promotional messaging. It should help the audience understand what the information means, why it matters and how it relates to the subject being discussed.

Keeping the audience’s needs in mind helps make expert interviews informative, accessible and engaging.

Common Interviewing Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced interviewers can develop habits that reduce the quality of a conversation. Recognising these mistakes can help you improve your interviewing technique.

Asking Overly Long Questions

Long questions can confuse the interviewee and make it difficult for the audience to follow. Keep each question focused on one main point.

Asking Several Questions at Once

When a question contains multiple parts, the interviewee may answer only one or provide a general response that leaves important points unexplored. Separate complex questions into a logical sequence.

Failing to Research the Interviewee

Insufficient preparation can lead to basic questions that add little value. Research the interviewee’s background and the subject before deciding which issues deserve attention.

Interrupting Unnecessarily

Interrupting can prevent the interviewee from completing an important point. Listen carefully and allow them to finish unless there is a clear editorial or time-management reason to intervene.

Treating the Question List as a Script

Prepared questions are useful prompts, but they should not prevent you from responding to interesting answers. Use the list as a guide and adapt it as the conversation develops.

Using Unnecessary Jargon

Technical language can make an interview difficult to follow. Use terminology appropriate to the audience and ask for explanations when specialist terms need clarification.

Avoiding Follow-Up Questions

Moving on too quickly can leave important statements unexplored. If an answer raises a useful question, ask for clarification, an example or further explanation.

Rushing When You Need Time to Think

An unexpected answer may require a moment of reflection. A brief pause can help you formulate a clearer and more relevant follow-up question.

Avoiding these mistakes will not make every interview perfect, but it can help create a more focused, thoughtful and informative conversation.

Better Questions Lead to Better Interviews

Professional interviewing combines preparation, research, clear questions, active listening and the ability to respond to what the interviewee says.

A well-researched question provides a strong starting point, but the quality of the interview often depends on what happens next. Listening carefully, recognising useful details and asking relevant follow-up questions can turn a routine exchange into a conversation that reveals new information and perspectives.

These skills can be developed through practice. Each interview provides an opportunity to improve your preparation, adapt to different personalities and recognise which answers deserve further exploration.

For Juliette Foster, whose professional background includes broadcasting, journalism and presenting, these communication principles are central to creating clear, engaging conversations. Her experience in live broadcasting also highlights the importance of preparation, active listening and responding confidently when an interview takes an unexpected turn.

To learn more about how her journalism and broadcasting experience informs her work, read about Juliette Foster.