Can You Survive the 7 Interviewees of the Apocalypse?

Reading the room and pivoting to save your conversations

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Twenty minutes into the interview, I realise I'm getting nothing.

🤖 The CMO across from me has perfected the art of talking without saying anything. Every answer sounds like it was written by a custom GPT trained exclusively on corporate press releases. I've tried every technique in my toolkit: open-ended questions, specific examples, even strategic silence.

Nothing. Just more polished, empty words.

I glance at my notes. Forty minutes left. That's when I decide to try something different.

🤔 "You know what," I say, as I stop taking notes. "I feel like we're both working really hard here. What would make this conversation actually useful for you?"

They pause, tilt their head slightly.

"Honestly? I've done six of these interviews this month. Everyone asks the same questions and I give the same answers. It's exhausting."

"What would you rather talk about?"

And just like that, the interview transforms.

The Reality Check

We all have a vision of the perfect interview:

• You build rapport effortlessly

• Your participant opens up with rich, quotable insights

• The conversation flows so naturally you forget you're even running a research project

Then reality hits. Sometimes, despite your best preparation and intentions, interviews go sideways. Your participant may arrives defensive, distracted or wrapped in so much corporate armour you can't find the human underneath. The chemistry just isn't there.

And that's okay. Because the toolkit of a skilled interviewer includes ways to identify conversations that aren’t running smoothly as well as approaches to recover.

Meet the 7 Interviewees Of The Apocalypse

After running hundreds of interviews, I have come across lots of different types of participants. As you’d expect, there will be a lot of diversity in the mix. But there are a few ‘types’ that are particularly complex to deal with.

Here are some pointers to help you identify behaviours and interactions that can potentially disrupt your flow and research objectives. Do keep in mind that these are just the top personalities I’ve come across personally - I’m sure there’s plenty more!

A quick note: We have all been one of these people at some point (I have definitely been The Flood when talking about things I was passionate about). These aren't character flaws, of course. They are just patterns that emerge when people might feel uncomfortable. Recognising them helps us create better conversations for everyone involved and is not at all intended to discriminate or criticise others!

The Corporate Spokesperson

You know this one. Every answer sounds like it's been approved by legal and polished by PR.

What they sound like: "Our organisation remains committed to leveraging synergies across our value chain to deliver exceptional stakeholder outcomes..."

What's really happening: They're terrified of saying something that could be traced back to them. Often, they've been burned before or explicitly told to "stay on message."

Your pivot: Acknowledge the elephant in the room. "I appreciate the official perspective, that's helpful context. I'm also curious about the day-to-day realities. Off the record, what's it actually like trying to implement these changes?"

The Hostile Witness

They didn't want to be here. Maybe their boss made them. Maybe they think research is pointless. Either way, they're making it your problem.

What they sound like: Short, clipped answers. "Yes." "No." "I suppose." Heavy sighs. Checking their phone.

What's really happening: They see this interview as an interruption, not an opportunity. They're protecting their time by giving you nothing.

Your pivot: Call it out gently. "I get the sense this might not be the best time, or maybe the topic isn't hitting the mark. Would you prefer to reschedule, or is there something else about [topic] you'd rather discuss?"

The Peacock

They're here to impress you with their brilliance. Every question becomes a launching pad for a TED talk about their achievements.

What they sound like: "That's an excellent question, and it reminds me of when I revolutionised our entire approach to..."

What's really happening: They need to be seen as the expert. This often masks insecurity or a fear that their actual daily work isn't impressive enough.

Your pivot: Feed their need for recognition while steering toward specifics. "That transformation sounds incredible and a whole lot of work. Walk me through a typical Tuesday. How do you personally navigate the challenges that must come up on a daily basis?"

The Overthinker

Every question sends them into an analytical spiral. They second-guess themselves, backtrack and apologise constantly.

What they sound like: "Well, I think... actually, no, that's not quite right. Let me start over. Sorry, I'm not explaining this well..."

What's really happening: They're so worried about giving you the "right" answer that they can't give you any answer.

Your pivot: Reduce the pressure. "There's no right or wrong here. I'm just curious about your experience. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about [topic]?"

The Ghost

They're physically present but mentally elsewhere. Their answers are vague, distracted. You can practically see them thinking about their next meeting.

What they sound like: "Um, yeah, I guess that's... what was the question again?"

What's really happening: Your interview is competing with a crisis, a deadline or simply a bad day.

Your pivot: Offer an out. "You seem like you've got a lot on your plate right now. Would you prefer to do this another time when things are less hectic?"

The Overprepared Scholar

They have studied your briefing materials like it's their doctoral thesis. Every answer addresses your pre-sent questions in order, complete with prepared statistics and footnoted sources.

What they sound like: "As you mentioned in question 3b of your briefing document, regarding our Q3 metrics, I've prepared a set of seven key points that I’d like to share..."

What's really happening: They're treating this like an exam they need to ace. Often, this is your fault for sending overly specific questions that turned a conversation into a test.

Your pivot: Acknowledge their preparation, then go off-script. "I really appreciate how thoroughly you've prepared. Since you've covered those points so well, I'm curious about something that wasn't in my questions. What surprised you most about [topic] that the data doesn't capture?"

The Flood

They answer every question with a 15-minute monologue that touches on everything except what you actually asked. You can't get a word in edgewise.

What they sound like: "Oh, that reminds me of when we first started this initiative back in 2019. No wait, it was 2018 because that was the year of the merger… Anyway, we had this consultant who..."

What's really happening: They might be passionate about the topic, nervous, naturally verbose or trying to be helpful by sharing everything they know - or a mix of these!

Your pivot: Use gentle interruption techniques. "That context is really helpful. Can I zoom in on one specific part? When you mentioned [specific detail], what did that look like day-to-day?" or "I'm taking lots of notes here, let me make sure I understand the key point about [topic]."

When Patterns Collide

Real interviews are messier than any typology suggests. Often, you're not dealing with one archetype but a combination that shifts throughout the conversation.

Let’s explore what this might look like.

The Peacock-Flood combo is particularly challenging. They monopolise time with impressive-sounding stories that never quite answer your questions. You get their entire career history when you asked about last quarter's challenges.

Your approach: Create boundaries within their narrative. "That acquisition story is fascinating. In the 30 seconds before that deal closed, what was your biggest worry?" The time constraint forces focus while letting them maintain their expert status that they can’t let go of.

Here’s another one. The Hostile-Overthinker might create a maze of resistance for you to deal with. They resent being there AND second-guess every response. "Why do you need to know that? Well, I suppose... actually, I don't think I should... look, I don't see how this is relevant." They're simultaneously defensive and analytical.

Your approach: Address both the emotion and the analysis. "I can see you're thinking carefully about what's useful to share. How about I explain why this specific topic matters to the research, and you can decide what feels relevant?" Give them control while providing context.

But the worst scenario? A panel interview where you're facing multiple challenging types simultaneously. The Peacock dominates while the Overthinker never gets a word in and the Corporate Spokesperson keeps steering back to talking points.

Your approach: Direct traffic explicitly, for example using a round robin strategy. "That's helpful context from [Peacock]. I'd love to hear [Overthinker's] perspective on that same challenge." Use names, make eye contact, and create space for different voices. Sometimes you need to interrupt the Peacock: "I want to make sure we hear from everyone. [Ghost], what's your take?"

The Mirror Effect

Before we close, here's an uncomfortable truth. Sometimes we create the very patterns we're trying to avoid: that defensive participant might be responding to something you're putting out there!

When you show up overly formal, you get Corporate Spokesperson. When you show up rushed and impatient, you get the Ghost. When you show up trying too hard to impress, you get the Peacock. When you show up with rigid questions, you get the Overprepared Scholar.

Your energy sets the context for the conversation. If you're stressed about getting specific data points, they'll feel like they're being tested. If you're genuinely curious about their experience, they'll share it.

So, during your interviews, you really need to be alert. Here are a few things you should watch out for that might indicate you need to take action:

🙅🏽‍♂️ Body language shifts:

• Crossing arms when they were open before

• Leaning back when they were leaning in

• Sudden stillness in someone who was animated

📢 Verbal patterns:

• Answers getting progressively shorter

• Increased use of jargon or corporate speak

• Long pauses before seemingly simple questions

🥱 Energy changes:

• The room feels heavier

• You find yourself working harder for less

• The conversation feels like pushing a boulder uphill

Tackling Your Next Difficult Interview

In the end, not every interview can be saved. Sometimes the best thing you can do is end it gracefully.

If you've tried 2-3 resets and nothing's working, consider: "I want to be respectful of your time, and I'm not sure I'm asking the right questions in relation to your expertise. Should we wrap up here, or is there something specific you'd like to share about [topic]?"

This does three things:

1. It acknowledges the reality without blame

2. It gives them an honourable exit

3. It leaves the door open for insights, or in the case you might have misread where they’re coming from

The difference between good and great interviewers is resilience: every difficult interview will teach you something. Next time you feel you’re in trouble, remember that a participant’s resistance is often about their context, rather than your skills, and that defensive behaviours tell you what the participant is protecting. Most importantly, keep in mind that recovery is almost always possible: until the meeting ends, you can turn things around

The next time an opening falls flat or you face a wall of corporate speak, resist the urge to push harder. Instead, pause. Read the room and pivot.

Because here's the thing… Participants won’t remember the interviewer who executed flawlessly, but the one who noticed when things weren't working and cared enough to try something different!

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I'm Andrea, a management consultant with over a decade of experience across industry and academia. I work with commercial, non-profit, academic and government organisations worldwide, helping them capture meaningful insights through mixed methods research.

I write about practical frameworks to help you discover what others miss. My main goal is to translate complex concepts into techniques that readers can use immediately.