Planning an Exit From the Interview
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Just as an opening sets the tone for a sitting, a planned closing brings it to a considered end rather than an abrupt stop the moment the last prepared question has been asked and answered without any further thought. Many interviewers give real thought to the opening yet leave the closing entirely to chance.
A good exit typically includes a clear signal that the interview is concluding, a final open invitation for the subject to add anything they wish, and a brief, genuine word of thanks that acknowledges the time and candour the subject has offered. A brief, unhurried close leaves a far better final impression than a sudden stop.
Rushing the exit, packing up equipment the moment the last answer lands, can undo some of the trust built over the preceding conversation, leaving a subject with the impression that their value ended precisely when the recording stopped. A considered close tends to leave a subject feeling their time was valued throughout, not only while the recording ran.