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As a sometime employer, I've found a very useful question (which interviewees
can also use) that I bring in after about a third of the time I've allocated:
"Let me ask you a question that may seem a little odd, but I've found it very
helpful. How do you think this interview is going?"
I have seen applicants visibly relax when they heard it, because it meant the
role-playing was over; they could talk more openly and frankly. It also means
I can now raise my worries without signalling *This Interview is Now Over.*
The applicant can then address those worries, and talk about his or her own
worries, in a constructive manner.
Usually people say they think the interview's going well (well, I *am* a good
interviewer :-) ), but the atmosphere of the interview changes very much for
the better.
