Interview Process & Etiquette

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I am currently interviewing for new nurse grad positions in the ICU. I am finding that no interview is the same and was looking for advice on some things.

When is it appropriate to ask for base pay/shift differentials? I find that this has been widely different between interviews. Some with the HR nurse recruiter telling me, some with the nurse manager, and some neither and I'm not sure when its appropriate to ask these questions along with scheduling/on-call questions.

How soon is appropriate to reach out and ask the position contact when I should hear something or how it went. I am finding that it is taking MONTHS to hear back about interviews in my area. I went to an interview this week re: a position I applied to two+ months ago when I was newly graduated/licensed and I'm getting frustrated that this process takes so long.

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I usually ask at the end of the interview when I will hear a decision.

I typically don't ask about pay or benefits during an interview (although this information is usually posted with the position). I typically ask for that information after they give an offer and then I can consider the offer and negotiate.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care-Family Medicine.

Don't ask about pay at the interview. With all of my managers that has been a big negative. If/when they decide to offer you a position the HR person or manager who contacts you will offer the pay/differentials and that is when you can try to negotiate a bit. Have an idea going in if the pay range you expect so when they do call you are not caught off guard.

At the end of the interview we typically tell the candidate that we will be making our decision within the next couple of weeks and should hear something by X day. If we want to hire the person we contact HR the next day to start their process but it can sometimes take them a couple of days to reach out. If they don't offer up this info at the end of the interview just ask when you may hear something from them when they ask if you have any more questions for them.

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Specializes in PICU.

Some new grad RN positions are non-negotiable rates. Many have a standard rate that all new grads start at regardless of any other non-nursing experience. All new grads have no experience in nursing therefore it would be difficult to negotiate citing experience.

I think you could ask HR about the new grad rate. as well as differentials.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Pay questions should be directed to HR. The hiring manager may not even know. In many hospitals, the rates are standard for new grads and differentials are also standard as well.

When I was a new grad, HR shared with me the starting salary for new grads when I interviewed. For all positions since, I've been asked what my expected salary is by HR during the initial phone interview and told around what the expected salary would be. (For example for my current job, they asked my salary requirement, I told them I was currently making $91K and wanted to make at least that and they told me the salary would be "around there." It ended up being $95K when they made the offer.) The official salary has never been officially shared until an offer was made.

Scheduling/on-call questions should be directed to the hiring manager because each manager may run their department differently and HR may have no idea. Every job I've held other than my new grad job has been M-F set schedule but when I interviewed for my new grad job, the nurse manager told me in the interview that the schedule would be day/night rotation with every 3 week weekend requirement.

2 months is not a horribly long time to be searching for a new grad position, especially if you didn't start applying until after you were licensed. In my area of the country, new grad jobs are usually offered before one graduates for the July and September start dates so if one waits until after graduating/passing NCLEX to apply, there are no new grad positions open until the November or March start dates. And this time of the year is slow for hiring d/t the holidays.

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Thank you guys so much, this has all been really helpful. Would you guys recommend me reaching out to the nursing manager re: when I should hear back or the HR person? I have tried both in the past, and was wondering which would be more appropriate. I feel that the nursing manager is more personal, but maybe that shouldn't be the routine, I'm really unsure. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

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Specializes in Pedi.
Thank you guys so much, this has all been really helpful. Would you guys recommend me reaching out to the nursing manager re: when I should hear back or the HR person? I have tried both in the past, and was wondering which would be more appropriate. I feel that the nursing manager is more personal, but maybe that shouldn't be the routine, I'm really unsure. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Did you send a thank you email after your interview?

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Heythatsmybike, I recently got a job offer for a county clinic, im a new nurse but have about five years of community health experience. The position is in Portland, but have been applying to multiple positions in Hospitals. Not necessarily the ICU but Med Surg, orthopedics etc. In the first post on this thread you mentioned that it took months for applications to get back to you. Maybe its because you applied in December? An off season? I was just wondering about your experience in applying did most require one year of nursing experience or to join the Residency program?

I am hesitant to accept the clinic position because I feel like Ill loose the hospital skills and possibly the opportunity of ever qualifying for a future hospital position.

Any feedback you have would be appreciated! Thanks!

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