3 Questions to Measure Long-Term Potential in Healthcare Job Candidates

With healthcare support worker turnover becoming a growing issue,¹ it’s paramount that hiring managers effectively screen and hire candidates who can excel and commit to the organization for the long haul. By taking steps to hire employees who may be more likely to stay for longer durations, organizations can reduce turnover and save on training costs.

If you’re in charge of hiring, interviews can be used as an opportunity to measure candidates for both their qualifications and “fit” within your organization. Here are three key questions to help you identify the most promising long-term candidates.

Why Are You Interested in Working at This Organization?

Notice this question isn’t framed around the actual job, but rather the organization as a whole. Employee “fit” is about much more than job skills and capabilities. It’s about how an employee’s work ethic, personality, and career goals align with your organization’s vision and culture.

A company’s culture fit can be determined by being less technical in your questioning and allowing the candidate to express their interests in a way that is personal to them. A question that asks about a candidate’s values or what’s important to them will allow you to assess cultural fit.

What Are Your Main Strengths and Weaknesses?

Though this question may not seem directly related to company culture, candidates’ answers can strongly indicate their level of self-awareness and reflect how well they know how to use their skills for the benefit of an organization.

For example:

• Do candidates understand their limitations and know when to seek help?
• Do candidates possess a high degree of emotional intelligence that will allow them to work well with others while solving problems and challenges?
• Are candidates willing to improve on areas of weakness so they can contribute as much as possible to your organization? Candidates who can honestly identify their strengths and weaknesses will likely be a positive hire because it means they have self-awareness and intuition.

What Is Your Willingness to Learn?

A willingness and desire to keep learning can help employees succeed at your healthcare organization long-term. Even if candidates meet all the job’s qualifications, they will need to consistently acquire new skills to keep up with evolving healthcare workplace needs.

A drive to learn is usually indicative of ambition and long-term career goals, both of which are positive traits in employees—especially when you’re planning for the long haul. Getting a sense of a candidate’s vision for themselves can help you get an idea of their potential for growth within your organization.

It’s important to evaluate candidates beyond their core qualifications if you want to explore potential long-term fit. While it’s sometimes difficult to get the full picture during an interview, going beyond the resume to tap into a candidate’s full potential can prove to be impactful during the hiring process.

Over time, you’ll notice that asking the three questions outlined above can help you assess a healthcare job candidate holistically in terms of both professional and personal traits. This hiring approach can pay off by reducing employee turnover and enhancing the quality of your workforce.

UMA can also help you build your workforce with recent allied health grads. We work with you to find healthcare employees who will be a good fit for your organization. This helps you build your staff while working with a healthcare education institution you can trust.