Interview Process?

NedRN · Oct 17, 2020

Traditionally the NM or surrogate does interview you. Typically such interviews may confirm you have a needed skill, but more often are just a sales pitch. On paper, you already look good enough to hire and the interview is just a formality.

Every once in a while, a hospital takes the process very seriously. Twice in my career I was interviewed by a committee - both times at large teaching hospitals. And sometimes a random manager will ask traditional HR type questions, but it is rare in my experience. Mostly they are encouraging you to commit.

You may not know what is important to you right now, but you will learn soon enough and query the manager during the interview. Some travelers are hugely interested in not being floated, some want or do not want stacked shifts, and others don't want to step outside their comfort zone will ask about patient mix (or conversely want a challenge).

In these days of vendor managers taking over for hospital HR departments, some also take over the interview process sadly - eliminating any direct contact with the unit you will be working for. These interviews are much more highly structured with common question about how you deal with a stressful situation. Sometimes they are even written or recorded without a live person on the other side.

Such interview delegation to VMs are more common for high needs hospitals who always have a lot of travelers. Thus, any one traveler is of relative less importance to hospitals and managers. They are just filtering out the chaff.