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Description

Active Listening in HR Interviews: Welcoming, Reframing and Holding Professional Distance

Two days to listen genuinely to an employee without being drawn in or promising what cannot be delivered

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

An employee walks into the HR office to talk about a conflict with their line manager. The conversation slides towards quick advice or towards a commitment that cannot be honoured. Conversely a posture that is too distant leaves the employee feeling unheard and the situation resurfaces later in a more serious form.

These 14 hours focus on conducting listening interviews within the HR function. Participants practise receiving difficult disclosures reframing questioning without interrogating and distinguishing what belongs to listening from what belongs to action. The programme also addresses appropriate professional distance and what the practitioner does with what has been shared in confidence.

Learning objectives

  • Create the practical and relational conditions for a listening interview
  • Reframe both content and feelings without interpreting what the employee says
  • Ask open questions that help clarify a situation
  • Distinguish empathy from sympathy and maintain professional distance
  • Close an interview by clearly stating the possible next steps
  • Refer the employee to another contact when the situation exceeds the role

What makes this programme different

Interviews replayed with pauses at the moments where the practitioner takes back control
Work on the phrases that cut people off without the speaker noticing
A structured reflection on what may be passed on and what must remain confidential

Programme

1Setting the listening framework

Conditions welcome and stating the role

  • Choice of location timing and the duration announced
  • Stating one's role and its limits from the outset
  • Clarifying what will remain confidential
  • Welcoming silence and handling the first few minutes

2Listening and reframing

Attention reframing and questioning

  • Identifying what is said and what is avoided
  • Reframing the content then the feelings expressed
  • Open clarifying questions and questions to avoid
  • Note-taking that does not compromise the quality of listening

3Holding professional distance

Empathy emotions and involvement

  • Difference between empathy sympathy and identification
  • Responding to tears anger or withdrawal into silence
  • Managing one's own reactions during the interview
  • Identifying situations to refer to another professional

4Closing and following up

Feedback records and next steps

  • Stating possible next steps without over-promising
  • What is put in writing and what is not
  • Passing on information without betraying a confidence
  • Reporting back to the employee on what has been undertaken

Who is it for

Human resources professionals HR assistants internal focal points and anyone who receives employees as part of their role.

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge required

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.