ABSTRACT
An interview is a conversation; usually it is between two people though in certain situations several people may be involved as in a panel interview when, sometimes for political reasons, sometimes because the interview has to take account of various specialist facets of a job, a number of different people are invited to take part. Because an objective of appraisal is the improvement of work performance, the appraiser will direct the interview towards interacting areas which are relevant to his goal. Very often the interview is carried out across a desk laden with notes. All the evidence suggests that the desk interposed between interviewer and interviewee acts as a barrier and inhibits conversation. At the end of the interview it is essential to introduce an action planning phase. Too many interviews end up with a few exhortations and a sense of relief on the part of both interviewer and interviewee, and little more than that.
