Interview advice is a dime a dozen; everybody has an opinion on conducting them. In our roles as healthcare management job recruiters and educators, we receive lots of interview feedback based on a candidate’s performance, some of which we would like to share with you, further below.

But first, in the latest installment of our High-Reliability Podcast, we delve into the current healthcare management job market and thoughts on seeking a new role. In the podcast we discuss the interview process, and the many gotcha’s that can occur. We mentioned three during our discussion:

  • Informality
  • Arrogance versus confidence
  • Use of “I”

The full podcast can be found here,

https://gosselin-associates.com/

but there were many other interview insights we did not get to due to time constraints. In this article, we list additional insights.

The Do’s and the Dont’s of the Interview

Do Answer questions fully.  True story from feedback we received from a candidate interview, this is the brief Q&A:

Interviewer: How can you help our department?                                                     

Candidate: I’ll give you whatever you need.

That answer did not go over well, you can’t be all things to everybody. Answering a question fully means being quantifiable and specific. Whatever you need is never a good answer, which leads to….

Do Know when to stop talking. Experienced interviewers use silence as a weapon, answer the question fully and stop. Be comfortable with silence.

Do Maintain eye contact. If this is difficult for you, practice it in your daily life. The people you interact with don’t have to know that you are practicing eye contact, it does make a difference in interpersonal discussions.  

Do Come prepared to speak to 2 or 3 quantifiable professional accomplishments unique to you. Know what you will say before you interview and prepare to work them in naturally, not forced. Practice aloud at home, there’s a difference between knowing them and speaking them.  

Do Be Prepared to speak to a personal weakness. We all have them. Know one, and be prepared to speak to how you work to counter it.

Do Research the organization. In the age of the Internet, not knowing something about the place you are interviewing is inexcusable. Go to the news section of their web site and review articles or, if you live close to the hospital, visit it in advance and observe. Speak to the facility observations you make during the interview.

Do Ditch the phone.  Answering it, looking at it during an interview, has cost candidates a job. Turn it off. Put it away. Forget about it.

If your interviewer tells you their hospital is busy and you will be challenged working there, Don’t tell them you think otherwise. Imagine how that sounds to the interviewer, that you know their hospital better than they do?

Don’t forget to send a handwritten, personal note to the team that interviews you. It’s a great touch that will help you stand out from your competitors.

G/MA Nuggets 

1) We want to hear your opinion and your thoughts, take our anonymous 

Healthcare FM survey

All results will be shared.

2) Visit our new Career Hub. The site is free; there is also a 2-year membership level with multiple benefits.

Career Hub!

3) We are in the podcasting business, check them out here. If you have a podcast idea, let us know.

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