Ask interviewer what their hospital has to offer??

[stumillardkm]

I have applied to 3 hospitals in the area and I'm hoping to hear back from them for interviews.

I understand a common question from THEM to ask the 'interviewee' is "Tell us what you have to offer our hospital." - or something along those lines - basically, tell the hospital why you should be hired. And they also may ask why I want to work at their particular hospital...

Well, I'm wondering if I can ask the same thing of them, and not seem rude or tacky??

Like if I asked "I'm interested in working here at your hospital, but I am also considering Hospital B (and state the other hospital's name). What do you have to offer that would make me want to work here?" - or maybe something less rude - but along the same lines..??

Any opinions on this???

Thank you! :)

[llg, PhD, RN]

Your basic reasoning is good on this issue. It's perfectly OK to ask them about what makes their hospital a good employer -- but you do have to be a little careful about how you ask. If your question sounds too challenging or too self-centered, it makes you less desirable as a potential employee.

Avoid starting by saying that you are also consdering Hospital B (which can sound like a threat, "If you don't beat Hospital B's offer, I am walking out of here.") Instead, ask a more polite question ... something like... "What are you most proud of about your hospital?" "What makes this hospital a great employer?" etc. Give the recruiter (or manager) a chance to brag about the things they are proud of. People will probably not be turned off by a question like that. If they can't think of anything to say, that's a problem.

As they discuss all the stuff they are proud of, you can ask follow-up questions to get more information. Listen to what they say. Ask for a few more details about things that interest you. Ask about specific aspects about the job that interest you -- such as patient ratios, orientation, on-going education, scheduling, etc. ... but ask in a pleasant way and maintain a pleasant demeanor throughout the conversation. Keep smiling and nodding and indicating positive feelings even if you don't like everything you hear. Don't appear judgmental or negative.

That way, you get the information you seek while maintaining an appearance of being interested in the job. You appear interested in the job and pleasant to work with.

Good luck.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Hospital Soup has some great Questions to ask the Employer

1. What unique challenges has this unit faced over the last year? (i.e. successes, failures, etc.)
   
2. What sets this organization apart from it's competitors?
   
3. How long is the orientation phase and what can I expect?
   
4. Will I work with one preceptor throughout or will I have several different preceptors?
   
5. How does the administration view nursing in terms of importance to the hospital?
   
6. How much independence do nurses have in being creative problem-solvers?

I've found that interviewee's who've taken the time to read what's on hospitals/facility website, come asking questions about organization over and above standard benefit orientation questions, show they really care about working environment and are type of people I want to hire!

[stumillardkm]

llg - Thank you for the advice - I definitely see your point and I'm happy to get some feedback - YOu understood what I was trying to get at and now I have a much more polite way of asking the same question. he, he.