What were your job interview red flags?

Nurses Job Hunt

Published

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?.

Specializes in Case Mgmt, Home Health, Geriatrics.

Oh gosh, where do I start? Well, I've been asked:

When I plan to start having children and if so, how will I juggle work and children? (People tend to think I am much younger than what I look, its a blessing and a curse..lol)

How many children I plan on having?

What does my husband do for a living?

Am I driving to work or commuting by train?

What does my mother do for a living? How old is my mother? (Again this had to do with when I have children, who else would take care of them)

The above questions were the most (I thought) inappropriate and possibly illegal to ask during the interview process.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Health Information Management.
Oh gosh, where do I start? Well, I've been asked:

When I plan to start having children and if so, how will I juggle work and children? (People tend to think I am much younger than what I look, its a blessing and a curse..lol)

How many children I plan on having?

What does my husband do for a living?

Am I driving to work or commuting by train?

What does my mother do for a living? How old is my mother? (Again this had to do with when I have children, who else would take care of them)

The above questions were the most (I thought) inappropriate and possibly illegal to ask during the interview process.

Just to clear things up: most of the questions you were asked weren't possibly illegal, they were VERY illegal.

Here's a link to information that clarifies many of the forbidden interview questions and topics. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:SFJN2pcdEtoJ:hr.uchicago.edu/employment/employment_guide/docs/illegal%2520questions.doc+illegal+interview+questions&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

A google search will turn up lots of other sites with similar information. Yikes, I hope you didn't take a job at that place!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case Mgmt, Home Health, Geriatrics.
Just to clear things up: most of the questions you were asked weren't possibly illegal, they were VERY illegal.

Here's a link to information that clarifies many of the forbidden interview questions and topics. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:SFJN2pcdEtoJ:hr.uchicago.edu/employment/employment_guide/docs/illegal%2520questions.doc+illegal+interview+questions&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

A google search will turn up lots of other sites with similar information. Yikes, I hope you didn't take a job at that place!

Oh heck no, I didn't take that job. During the interview I realized the woman interviewing me didn't know her head from her buttocks (lol). As she was asking me these questions, I was saying to myself "this woman cannot be serious, she can't ask that, is she crazy?" I sooo wanted to put her on the spot, but I'm not much for confrontations, but gosh was she terrible! Thanks for the link

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, School Nurse, Med/Surg, Psych.

I have a chronic, incurable condition that requires me to ask my employer for an accommodation. MANY times I have had to politely explain to the person interviewing me that though I have asked for an accommodation that does not allow them to ask me about my condition. They are allowed to ask me if I have ever used FMLA and how often I am absent from work because of my condition but that is about it. You would not believe the down right rude and personal questions I have been asked, by nurses. I was blessed by Dear Abbe giving me the perfect response: "EXCUSE ME?" with a very puzzled look. (say it like they just spoke Swahili) I don't take those jobs - if they are not going to respect my privacy in an interview they are not going to respect my privacy when I am working for them either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As a new grad I was excited to have an interview at a facility offering a weekend program. I arrived for interview with the ADON, during the interview the DON comes barging into the office, and excitedly/nervously announces that "State is here, and they are going through the F****** med carts....,what do you think they are looking for" went on and on. I thought that was most unprofessional. They offered me the position, I listened to my gut instinct and said "I think I'll keep looking"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Oh gosh, where do I start? Well, I've been asked:

When I plan to start having children and if so, how will I juggle work and children? (People tend to think I am much younger than what I look, its a blessing and a curse..lol)

How many children I plan on having?

What does my husband do for a living?

Am I driving to work or commuting by train?

What does my mother do for a living? How old is my mother? (Again this had to do with when I have children, who else would take care of them)

The above questions were the most (I thought) inappropriate and possibly illegal to ask during the interview process.

How long ago was this? Questions like this have been massively illegal for 25 years that I know of.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Health Information Management.
I have a chronic, incurable condition that requires me to ask my employer for an accommodation. MANY times I have had to politely explain to the person interviewing me that though I have asked for an accommodation that does not allow them to ask me about my condition. They are allowed to ask me if I have ever used FMLA and how often I am absent from work because of my condition but that is about it. You would not believe the down right rude and personal questions I have been asked, by nurses. I was blessed by Dear Abbe giving me the perfect response: "EXCUSE ME?" with a very puzzled look. (say it like they just spoke Swahili) I don't take those jobs - if they are not going to respect my privacy in an interview they are not going to respect my privacy when I am working for them either.

As someone in the same boat who is currently in school (HIM, not nursing), I can't begin to say how un-thrilled I am to hear about this. If you'll excuse my curiosity, how often have you been offered a job under these circumstances? I mean, have you still received job offers even after you've requested the accommodation, or does that largely scare off prospective employers?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Oh. I forgot to mention that I have also been asked, "Do you need to talk this over with your husband or boyfriend before you accept the job offer?" In my opinion, that question was so antiquated and olden.

I'm unmarried and have no boyfriend, but even if I did have a significant other in my life, I would still be very much capable of accepting a job offer without anyone's input.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Health Information Management.
Oh. I forgot to mention that I have also been asked, "Do you need to talk this over with your husband or boyfriend before you accept the job offer?" In my opinion, that question was so antiquated and olden.

I'm unmarried and have no boyfriend, but even if I did have a significant other in my life, I would still be very much capable of accepting a job offer without anyone's input.

I sort of understand this one, though I also see how it could be offensive and inappropriate. Whenever my husband is offered a job, the employer offers to give him time to talk it over with me. On the other hand, my husband wears an obvious wedding ring, so it's pretty clear he's married. I think this one is less a sexist leftover of the 70s and 80s than it is a reflection of the fact that most settled couples make such decisions together. However, assuming that someone is married, or using the question to dig personal information out of a candidate, is obnoxious and out of line. So it's a very fine line, in my opinion.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
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. :smokin: 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?" :banghead:

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!"

OMG I laughed so hard at this post...:yes:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

"You have great experience and we'd love to have you!" when you have NO experience in that area of nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment