What occurs during the Engagement stage of the interview process?

During the Engagement stage of the interview process, building rapport with the participant is crucial. This phase establishes a trusting relationship between the interviewer and the interviewee, creating a comfortable environment that encourages open communication. The rapport built in this stage is important for ensuring that the participant feels safe and willing to share sensitive information. Engaging effectively helps to reduce anxiety and promotes a more productive dialogue, essential for gathering accurate and thorough information during subsequent phases of the interview.

In this context, the other options focus on different aspects of the interview process that occur at various stages. Collecting data from existing records is typically part of the preparation or assessment phase, analyzing interview conclusions happens later during the evaluation and analysis phase, and documenting observations is a task usually performed after the interview has taken place. Hence, building rapport is a foundational element specifically associated with the Engagement stage.