Interview tips for healthcare staff

The time is here! Your recruitment consultant has contacted you with your dream vacancy, you have submitted your CV and secured an interview! What happens next? Interviews are the hardest part of the job application process and being prepared makes the world of difference to your confidence and the interview as a whole. You could really do with some tips on how to impress the hiring manager and secure the job you’ve always wanted. That’s where we come in.

Do your research:

Clue yourself up on the specific hospital or practice you will be working at, as well as the department, its processes, and the team. Making connections between the job description and your research can be incredibly beneficial in understanding what sort of questions the interviewer may ask, as well as improving your overall understanding of the requirements of the role. If the information is available, familiarise yourself with who will be interviewing you, this can help you build a better rapport during the process.

First impressions count:

Making a good impression through your appearance is important, so make sure you look smart. If you are unsure of the dress code, you can always ask beforehand.  Another great tip for first impressions in healthcare interviews is to be friendly and approachable, it is sometimes easy to forget to relax and be yourself in high-pressure situations where your brain is occupied with other things, however, particularly in patient-facing roles, the service user is calmed and reassured by a friendly face, make sure to show them this skill when in your interview. Don’t forget to address everyone in the room and regularly make eye contact, this will help show both your enthusiasm and dedication to the role.

Listen:

Listening and engaging with the hiring manager is a crucial interview tip. Sometimes, when we have prepared what we want to say in an interview, we are too distracted by trying to remember and articulate our skills that we don’t always listen fully. You may miss a major opportunity to spark a conversation about something you are passionate about or to show off your research on the role and its team. Communication among healthcare staff is vital in ensuring both a safe and rewarding relationship with patients and colleagues, make sure to highlight this skill in the interview stage. Matching the interviewer’s style and pace will also help to guarantee a smoother chat and a better outcome, if the interview is very rigid, make sure to answer articulately and in detail. if the style is chattier and more relaxed, mimic this to ensure a great quality of conversation and highlight your passion for the role.

Prepare some mock questions:

Feeling confident in what the team may ask you can ensure you appear calm and collected in the crucial interview stage. Why not prepare a short list of questions you have been asked before for similar roles, or utilise your recruitment consultant or agency for examples of interview questions? Preparing answers to these questions will not only improve the quality and detail of the answer when it gets down to the real thing, but this vital preparation stage also helps to build a better understanding of the role.

Ask questions

Make sure to prepare some questions about the role that you can ask at the end of the interview. Asking questions helps to show the hiring manager you are interested and dedicated. Some examples of questions you might want to ask are:

• What does my day to day look like here?
• Is there an opportunity for progression into a higher band level?
• What are the staffing levels like?
• What is the shift structure?

Remember, your experienced consultants will be with you every step of the way during your recruitment process and can help with any queries you have concerning your interview. We also pride ourselves on providing detailed feedback to you if the interview does not go the way you wanted, so you can build upon these skills throughout the job application process.

And that’s it! Follow these tips and you should feel much more confident about your upcoming interview. Good luck! We know you will smash it.

If you are looking for an AHP role and want a supportive agency to help with your job search, get in touch with us via email at [email protected].