Director Of Talent

How they apply. Don’t just apply for a job because you can’t stand your current job, so you’re running from something or feel like you’ll just take anything to escape. It’s really about the candidate and job match, especially now. The workforce is opening up more than it was in 2008/2009. It’s becoming a candidate or job seekers market. When there are a lot of jobs but not a lot of qualified seekers, that’s when a candidate has more choices, and they shouldn’t feel powerless like they don’t have anything to contribute.

Finding enough nurses. Many nurses are reaching retirement age and since they are usually working a 12-hour shift it is difficult for them to continue working at the bedside.

Also, respiratory therapists, rehabilitation therapists and pharmacists. In the past, you needed a Bachelor’s degree and now you may need a Master’s or even a doctorate. In general health care workers need higher levels of credentialing than before.

I have found in nearly 30 years of experience, those who read are stronger employees, more creative and can be more objective.

Because we need to know your capability for solving the actual problems you will face in this job, we would like to see how you will go about solving a real problem. “Please walk us through the broad steps that you would take in order to solve this problem that will be on your desk on your first day.

I find that how employees deal with conflict tells me a lot about them and how successful they will be.

I see this as a long-term career move.

Prepare your own five-year plan...

I already talked a bit about how I conducted interviews in my management position in the restaurant industry. I have also undergone training to prepare myself to be a great human resources worker. I think one thing that really demonstrates my capabilities and dedication is the fact that I went through training to be certified as a Certified Professional through the Society for Human Resources Management. I invested time and money into completing the program to make sure I was fully prepared for a job in the industry.

The best new hires rapidly seek to identify problems that must be quickly addressed in their new job. So, please walk us through the steps of the process that you will actually use during your first weeks to identify the most important current issues/problems, as well as any possible positive opportunities in your new job.

I wish they asked me what my leadership style is like and what I expect. They are interviewing us as much as we’re interviewing them. So they can confirm that this feels like the right match for them.

I also wished they asked, “How will I know I’m successful in this job in a year?” Use the interview to establish expectations.

Finally, I have candidates meet the team without me in the room. I wish people would talk about teams and get to know players on the team. Talk about where their strengths could help the team do better things. What kind of team they are going to be joining? What could they add to our team and what could that team add to them?

That you have to be a clinician to work in healthcare. We have IT, fundraising, marketing, PR, finance, HR, we have sales and business development. You can translate your skills to a role.

This question tells me how serious the candidate's last company was about employee performance and whether the candidate actually cared about/paid attention to how s/he did in each area and was being rated.

I ask both men and women this question and I look for body language and their verbal response. If the question was met with a smile or a slight shrug, it indicates a sense of humor and an easy-going nature. In their verbal response I am looking for an applicant willing to do whatever it takes to help the team find success but always like to hear, "I'd get it for you -- and then show you how to get it yourself the next time.

Typically, an organization nurtures the senior management level and those in critical positions, because when such employees leave, it strongly affects the operation of the organization. Mid-level employees are nurtured when they hold a critical position, or when the employee is a potential successor in the long-term succession plan.

More and more organizations, however, also introduce the process at mid-level. However, it then takes place at the departmental level and not at the level of the organization. Each organizational unit builds its own talent pool, which makes it a part of the organization’s general pool.

There was frequently a need for new staff when I worked as assistant manager at a restaurant, due to the high turnover rates in the industry. I was tasked with interviewing job candidates in order to determine who would be the most effective replacements. When I began recruiting people, our restaurant experienced a decrease in turnover rates of over 20 percent. I attribute this to my selective process and my knack for asking the right questions. In that job I also led the team a lot of the time, and the fact that I kept everyone motivated and ready to work hard is also a demonstration of my interpersonal skills.

You have to have some desire to be helpful to others. Even if you’re an IT person, you have to care about the health and well being of others.

That being said, health care is a challenging industry to work right now. We are becoming an incredibly competitive field, which is challenging for for some who left the for profit world to seek an opportunity in the not for profit world. We’re more businesslike than before: cost control, cost optimization, market share, etc. You need to be flexible and adapt quickly.

This answer tells me more about the social skills of the applicant and their ability to get along with others in the office. It also gives me more insight into their real personality.