Using Empathy Interviews and Qualitative Evidence to Improve Human Resource Development Practice and Theory

Scholars have long advocated the use of evidence, particularly quantitative evidence, to guide program improvement efforts in the field of human resource development. Yet, there is also widespread recognition that quantitative data has limitations and that new sources of information are useful. The purpose of this article is to consider the use of qualitative evidence to support program improvement efforts within the field of human resource development (HRD). Specifically, the article describes how HRD professionals might design and conduct empathy interviews, a technique widely used in improvement research, to produce a compelling theory of practice that can be used to support program improvement activities. Empathy interviews are thus positioned as a valuable but under-utilized form of qualitative data in the field. As such, the article describes a design process that considers how to select a perspective, structure the conversation, and analyze data. The completion of this process has implications for the development of HRD theory because it shifts the focus from a program-to user-centered understanding of practice.