Shattered Glass

Have you ever gotten stumped when interviewing someone? Here are some tips and techniques inspired by the movie “Shattered Glass”.

1. Be sure to research your topic, industry, company. It is imperative to have an understanding of what you may be asking the interviewee. Being unprepared is unprofessional and doesn’t set a good tone to the interview. Again, doing research shows ambition and that you are engaged in this interview! Glass did not actually attend the convention. In addition the restaurant where they supposedly ate wasn’t even open in the afternoon. His story didn’t make sense, they were plot holes all over it. He couldn’t keep his story straight.
2. Look for the little things, such as tension in the neck, sweaty palms, and fidgeting. 
3. Reassuring and calming down the interviewee allows for a smooth and comfortable interview. Coming into the interview very open minded and inviting allows for a fun interview that people would want to listen to! Looking into Stephen Glass’ character, he shows from early on in the movie that he was a bit crazy. His mannerisms and habits showed so much about his personality, his ability to lie to his boss throughout the movie showed he had no remorse.  

3. Customize your questions for each person you are interviewing. If you are interviewing a niche group of people it makes the interview more meaningful and interesting. Tailor your questions to keep the interviewee engaged and wanting to be involved in the interview. Charles Lane questioned Glass about his sources for the story he did on a teenage hacker. He asked specific questions that he knew would get the truth out of Glass.  
4. Record everything! Such as the small little things people do, certain mannerisms and habits. These show the real personalities of people and you get a true sense of that person. It creates an environment of feeling like you are having a conversation with one of your friends. Recording everything you see and hear allows you to get quotes made by that person. If you can’t understand what they are saying on film you could decipher it by using audio.  
5.  Where did you get your information from? Fact checking is essential to creating a reputation and interview people can rely on! Using credible resources to base your questions on for the interviewee not only customizes questions but shows you have done your research. It all ties in together to create a harmonious interview. In the movie,his writing was pure evidence that his stories were fabricated. As soon as the truth started to unravel, his editor Micheal Kelly fact checked his work. Low and behold, Glass fabricated 27 out of 41 articles he wrote for The New Republic.   

The movie “Shattered Glass” is a great example to be inspired by its interviewing techniques. Using these steps, you will be able to impress your interviewee and create an environment that will invite more people to express interest in whatever you may be promoting!