Behavioral interviews for nurses help potential employers evaluate candidates by asking about real-life scenarios they’ve experienced in previous jobs. This allows hiring managers to review past situations and the candidate’s response so they can anticipate and predict future behaviors. In addition to assessing skills and professional background, behavioral interviews go beyond the resume and demonstrate specific examples of problem-solving, stress reaction, and teamwork.
Why Employers Should Use Behavioral Interviews for Nurses
By introducing behavioral interviews into the evaluation process for potential new hires, employers gain deeper insight into how a candidate thinks, acts, and reacts, given real-life scenarios. Some candidates appear well-suited on paper, but may lack the practical qualifications required for the job. Behavioral interviews enable you to assess key traits and skills, including conflict resolution, adaptability, resilience, teamwork, and leadership abilities.
5 Benefits of Conducting Behavioral Interviews for Nurses
There are many more reasons to consider including a behavioral interview in your vetting process. Here, we take a deeper dive into what we think are the top five key benefits.
1. Uncovers the Most Essential Soft Skills
When you introduce behavioral assessment into your interview process, you uncover those essential skills like communication, empathy, teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, resilience, and adaptability that make a good nurse great. These attributes are beneficial to the safety, care, and well-being of your patients.
2. Predicts How Nurses Perform in Future Scenarios
When an interviewer asks about a candidate’s response and performance in specific, real-life scenarios, they can see how those candidates handled the situation. For example, ask about a time when the candidate encountered a difficult patient and how they diffused and de-escalated the situation. Or ask your nursing candidate about a difference of opinion or a clash with a coworker or team member. Their answers offer a reliable indication of how they will react in future scenarios.
3. Allows Potential Employers to Assess Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Resilience
Patient care can be a stressful job. Healthcare organizations understand the stress that nurses face each and every day. How a nurse bounces back or copes with the stress reflects on the organization and influences the care your patients receive. When you ask questions regarding real-life experiences, you’re better able to get an idea of a candidate’s response. Their ability to cope with stressful situations, manage a crisis, adapt to the ever-changing environment of a care facility, and make sound and safe decisions while under pressure weighs heavily in your decision to hire. Assessing these responses and skills during the interview saves time for everyone.
4. Behavioral Interviews for Nurses Reduce Turnover
The responses and insight you obtain go a long way toward ensuring newly hired nurses fit into your organization’s culture. When you hire a nurse who complements your work environment and culture, you promote better job satisfaction, reduce turnover, and maintain morale among your team members.
5. Promotes Fairness in Hiring Decisions
When you use a series of standardized behavioral questions to gain insight, you forge a new way to compare candidates. In using the additional data you’ve compiled, you minimize your own bias and level the playing field. Thus ensuring a fairer and equitable practice.
Interested in Behavioral Interviews for Nurses?
At BOS Medical Staffing, we strive to thoroughly vet our nursing candidates so you know they will fit well within your company culture and be an asset to your team. For more information on how you can use behavioral interviews to improve your hiring, please reach out to BOD Medical Staffing today.
