Case Manager

At the core of a case manager’s job is the ability to manage people. A case manager candidate needs to have experience being a supervisor or leader in a medical setting. You can show that you’re ready to take on this job by highlighting your experience as a manager in nursing or other types of medically-related work. Make sure you give the interviewer a sense of your management style by offering examples of you and your team solving problems. This is one of the most important case manager interview tips.

I would give myself a realistic 9. I believe that I can get along well with people from diverse backgrounds, the proof of which is the 100% case management success that I have enjoyed so far.

An interviewer may ask about a candidate's interest in the position of case manager as a good way to evaluate his connection with the organization's cause. The interviewer wants to hear about how the candidate's skills fit with the position. With this question, the interviewer gives the candidate an opportunity to speak from personal experience about the cause of the nonprofit organization, the strength of his skills, and how he can make a difference in the organization.

Reveals more about work history.

Initially, this appears to be a question regarding your ability to perform work tasks. Actually, the hiring manager wants to see if you take pride in your work. If you already have some work experience, this is a perfect time to share a relevant anecdote. Otherwise, talk about the difference you plan to make and situations you hope to encounter.

Although this question may seem like a way to measure your ability, your interviewer is likely looking to gauge your sense of pride in your work by asking. If you have work experience and you can provide such an explanation, then do so—but keep your description relatively short and to the point. “I once helped a gentleman who did not have any health insurance secure the financing he needed to have life-saving surgery” is a great place to start, but be sure to embellish with some details, as well. If you do not yet have work experience, perhaps you can provide some insight by relaying a story you read or an observation you made that touched you.

As a case manager at a criminal defense firm, I have been the first point of contact for many types of clients, including those accused of heinous crimes. However, no matter what insights my knowledge of the case gives me as to the potential truth of those accusations, my job is to help these people get the best possible access to the representation provided to them by law. Doing the best possible job means establishing good rapport with the client, with tact and sensitivity.

As a case manager, your duties go far beyond the typical nine-to-five work schedule, especially if you work as a patient liaison in a hospital. There may be times when you need to explain the options to patients in emergency situations. Your willingness to work weekends and holidays as well as remain only a telephone call away will show your employer that you are ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done. “I understand that weekends and holidays are part of the job description. I know that patient illnesses and injuries do not wait for convenient times to occur, so I will be available as needed at any time” is a phenomenal answer.

In any line of work, there will come a time when you will likely be faced with an angry or upset client. In most cases, you will have to use your training and expertise to calm this individual and help resolve the underlying issue. If you have had experience in doing this, a brief story would make a fantastic answer. If not, simply provide a scenario followed by the way you would handle it. “If my client was upset because the hospital wanted to perform a treatment that his insurance would not cover, I would do my best to find a middle ground or see if there is any way that the insurance company would pre-approve the procedure if it was deemed medically necessary.”

One of the first vital case manager interview tips involves your ability to multitask. Case managers in a hospital or medical practice setting are often taking on several different tasks at once. It’s important to show to the interviewer that you have experience working on many projects at the same time. It’s also a good idea to talk about how you have managed to succeed with different things going on in the background. Candidates should give specific examples of their past skills in multitasking. This can show to the hiring manager that you have the right attitude and work ethic for the position.

Case management positions are not confined to the normal nine-to-five framework, particularly if you will be a hospital’s patient liaison. In fact, you might need to respond quickly to an unexpected emergency situation. In this profession, being available for weekends or on-call work shows that you are motivated to do whatever it takes to ensure the success of your prospective employment company. However, if you have extenuating circumstances, say so without getting too personal.

Working in case management may also require that you have top communication skills. When helping families or individuals decide what comes next in their health care, case managers often have to discuss plans with medical providers and insurance companies as well as the patient. You can show that your case management style is effective by displaying the ability to communicate difficult information to people. Explain to the hiring manager how you break down complicated medical jargon to families and patients.

Teamwork is an important part of medical care today. Case managers must be able to effectively work with a healthcare team of doctors, specialists and nurses in order to provide the highest quality of care to a patient. Wherever your experience has taken you, an interviewer wants to see that you have what it takes to be able to work well with others in a hospital or managed care setting. Talk to the hiring manager about the times when you have been successful with a group of people. Give examples of what your role looks like in the teamwork approach.

Working with people to help them gain access to quality and cost-effective interventions in their health plans, is something that I look forward to on a daily basis. The satisfaction that comes from knowing that you have helped someone who was unable to help him or herself, is the driving force behind wanting to work as a case manager.

Compassion. It is imperative for a case manager to possess compassion when working with people to be able to understand their situations, and work with them in a positive manner.