What were your job interview red flags?

[Destiny12]

Hello all,

can you share your interview experiences? What were some of the red flags that made you rethink a position? What were the determining factors that made you decide to take the job? Also have you ever been at a cross road where you couldn't decide wheather to take the job. Also do you always follow your gut?.

[delilas]

Once, I was being interviewed for a position that wasn't vacant yet; I was told not to call the facility because the person who answered the phone was likely to be the person they were firing. I didn't understand the "covert" feeling to the interviews (interviewing at a restaurant down the street) and not being able to call.

For OB specifically, I looked up hospitals unfortunately after I applied and found out a little too late about a couple with a history of bad nursing care. I know that nearly every place will have some bad reviews, but I want a place I can see myself in for a longer amount of time - and if its a place that appears to give consistently poor care, I don't want to even go through the hassle.

[core0]

Office manager was the physician's wife. Nuf said.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I had an interview for a very competitive position at a prestigious teaching facility. The entire interview felt like an SNL skit.

The manager zoned off more than once during our time together. She asked about my experiences in clinicals versus the floor, and I explained that I felt like I hadn't used many skills in clinical. Then I told her about the skills I became quickly adept at on the floor and somehow she got the impression I didn't know how to catheterize someone at all...

NM: You've never cath'd anyone?

Me: I didn't have the opportunity to do that in clinical, but working on the surgical floor, I became very skilled at it.

NM: I can't believe you haven't catheterized anyone.

Me: But I have, I'm actually good at it.

NM: You've been a nurse HOW LONG and you haven't put in a Foley?

Me:

I'm not kidding, that was our exchange.

Then, some random person walked in and they started having a conversation, interrupting me without excusing themselves or anything. And I guess that meant the interview was over.

I asked the manager to please show me to the elevator because the hallways were confusing. She did that, and while we were waiting for the elevator, she asked if my mom was proud of me. Huh? I wanted to say, "well, I was raised by wolves, so my mom doesn't really understand human words..."

Then, after we got off the elevator (right in front of the main door that directly led to the parking garage), she stood there for a minute. I thanked her. Then she asked me, "hmm, why haven't you tried to get a job in New Jersey? New Jersey is next to Delaware!" (I live in Delaware). I said, "well, yes, and so is Maryland" (we were in Maryland). She said, "it is? But it's so much farther away than New Jersey. You're right next to New Jersey when you're in Delaware, aren't you?"

At that moment, I realized I wasn't even in the running for this job. That was okay, because I had decided earlier that I wasn't going to take it anyway.

So, I thanked her and attempted to leave, making haste for the main door that led directly to the garage. She tried to get me to go to the other side of the hospital to leave the building. I assured her that I would be fine, as I was about three minutes from my car at that point. She shook her head and watched me ever so closely as I booked it to the parking garage.

Then, when I got in my car, I looked in my mirror and I had, I'm not kidding, chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast on my nose.

I don't know if I answered your question, but I'm pretty sure that experience was one big ol' "red flag!"

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I was asked 2 illegal questions during the phone screen. I had no other prospects, so I took the job anyway. I didn't expect much in the way of professionalism, and I was right.

[smartnurse1982]

I was caught unprepared when we were moving from interview stage to completing hiring paperwork and I asked about pay only to find out that they were offering me several, yes, I said several, dollars an hour less than I had been making. I accepted the job anyway, wondering to myself how long it would take me to find something more respectable.

A few months back an interviewer from Psa healthcare company asked if I worked for another agency,and I said Maxim. She stated that they wanted the nurses to work less then 60 hours a week and they don't like nurses working for the competiion. I wonder what business of theirs if I work full time with another company? I didn't get the job.

In pdn,I rarely had interviews. When I look professional to fill out applications I'm looked at as some sort of oddity.

[Crash_Cart]

Red Flag:

When they "appear" very impressed with your background and credentials, but they leave everything "up in the air" and don't give you anything definitive in terms of any direction of decision...

Vague answers like, "We will need to make a decision and call you." (sure they will) or "Your application will be forwarded to the next phase or another party for approval" etc..

Write them off and move on...

[caliotter3]

A few months back an interviewer from Psa healthcare company asked if I worked for another agency,and I said Maxim. She stated that they wanted the nurses to work less then 60 hours a week and they don't like nurses working for the competiion. I wonder what business of theirs if I work full time with another company? I didn't get the job.

In pdn,I rarely had interviews. When I look professional to fill out applications I'm looked at as some sort of oddity.

PSA competing with Maxim. Now there's a joke if there ever was one. Competing for?

[flashpoint]

Office manager was the physician's wife. Nuf said.

LOL...That explains A LOT!

The scariest interview I ever went through consisted of one question..."When can you start?" I took the job because I needed it, but left after less than a year.

[TDCHIM]

My biggest red flag happened not in health care, but in journalism. Still it's funny enough that I thought I'd share:

"Well, we'll start you at $7.50 an hour, but after a year you'll have a chance to make $8 an hour."

I actually took the job, because I needed one. The pay was low, but not much lower than what other nearby papers of similar size offered. So the next time you're tempted to grouch about your local paper, stop and think about what the poor schmucks working there are making after having gone to college for four years.

[wynnie78]

I always ask what the CNA turnover rate is. If it is up over 80% you can probably assume that people don't stay there long for one reason or another. You can usualy see a manager start to fidget in their seat if you ask that question and the number is high.

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

During an interview I had as a teenager the person interviewing me didn't look at me.

Lately, I've filled out two applications on-line and it required a "survey" at the end where they asked, What is your ethnic background? Are you over 40? Under 40? Yep no kidding. You could of course refuse to answer. Then there were 40 more questions. The application was not submitted until you answered all the "survey" questions in which they said there really wasn't a right or wrong answer.

Yeah right.

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

Well, the interview for my last job should have given me pause. I was interviewing for a school nurse position with the principal and the consulting nurse who would be my backup. I could tell the nurse was thrilled with me, but the principal sat there with her chin on her chest, arms crossed and ankles crossed. I should have known right then...Of course, the principal knew nothing about what a school nurse does--believe me, it's a whole lot more than ice packs and lice. So we had some differences of opinion about how the clinic was going to be run. I stayed 2 years, just about 1-1/2 years too long. I couldn't get away from there fast enough.