volume_mute

Effective Interviewer Characteristics

publish date: 2026/06/06 20:00:13.094424 UTC

volume_mute

Which two characteristics make a requirements interviewer most effective?

They insist on meeting minimum interview length targets regardless of content

They interview only senior managers, avoiding end-users

They are open-minded, avoid pre-conceived ideas, and are willing to change their mind when stakeholders raise surprising requirements

They prompt interviewees using a springboard question, a requirements proposal, or a prototype to get discussions going

They always use only closed questions with a fixed questionnaire

Correct Answer

(1) They are open-minded, avoid pre-conceived ideas, and are willing to change their mind when stakeholders raise surprising requirements

(2) They prompt interviewees using a springboard question, a requirements proposal, or a prototype to get discussions going

Explanation

Effective interviewers: (1) Are open-minded — avoiding pre-conceived ideas and willing to listen to surprising requirements; (2) Are good at prompting — using a springboard question, requirements proposal, or prototype to start discussions. Simply asking 'tell me what you want' rarely results in useful information.

Reference

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 9th edition

Quizzes you can take where this question appears

Requirements Elicitation and Analysis