Health Execs Share Their Favorite Interview Questions

“This question is so open-ended that it can lead to a discussion about many different aspects of the healthcare system and give me insight into how the candidate thinks both operationally and philosophically.” 

-Don Hall, MPH, principal, DeltaSigma LLC Healthcare Consulting

“This has always provided great insights into what kind of team member the interviewee will be. One young woman told me that she was unable to work with ‘an older guy’ so their boss finally relocated each of them to opposite sides of the floor. Needless to say, she didn’t get hired.”

- Sherry Rohlfing, principal, DeltaSigma, LLC Healthcare Consulting

“This question provides a view of how the interviewee handles challenges and their ability to seek a creative solution.”

- Rohlfing

“At a superficial level, this gives us an idea of whether or not the employee has done any homework on the company … But what we’re hoping to elicit is more than just a rote recitation of our mission statement from the website, but a sense that this mission is important … Those who value ‘doing good’ are more likely to embrace the corporate culture and to stay with us as long-term employees. This is especially important for the one-third of our employee base who handle highly technical tasks (IT, networks etc.). Unemployment in this sector is around 1% nationally … We have found that a sense of connection to our mission correlates with a willingness to stay and work hard in an often-challenging environment.”

- Paul Mahoney, vice president of communications, CCNC

“Given healthcare is influenced by myriad dynamics-demographics, the economy, policy and regulation, consumer/patient expectations, medical and technology innovation, benefit designs, healthcare workforce, etc.- there are always interesting potential sources of enhanced healthcare value to analyze, discuss, and possibly implement.”   

-Virginia Gurley, MD, MPH, chief medical officer, AxisPoint Health

“I love [getting asked] this question because, unlike some tougher topics, this one has so many possible answers! But before answering I first ask, ‘Expensive compared to what?’ For example, if compared to various hospital inpatient charges, then the price of medications may look much more attractive, along with generally being much safer … I like this question because it allows me to emphasize the value received from so many innovative medicines-value that is overwhelmingly accrued by patients and our society at large through health improvements and life extensions. We should always be critically assessing the relationship between price and value for all healthcare services, and we may find that many are actually quite a bargain!”

-Dan Renick, president of Precision Value & Health

“Mistake is a harsh word, but if I were to look back on my career, the most profound lessons all came out of errors or poor choices. Mistakes, personally or professionally, are what shape you and I am always impressed by those who don’t shy away from the question and give an honest answer. And, in listening to what they would have done differently, I get a sense of their critical thinking and capacity for growth and direction. We all fail-the key is to fail forward and determine where you need to improve. If you can do that, I want you on my team.” 

- Peter Wilderotter, president and CEO of The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

“It’s critical that our clients turn to us for strategic input and direction, and it’s our firm belief that the source of this input should come from having direct experience across the major touchpoints of healthcare delivery and payment. But that doesn’t stop once you join [our company] since all of our senior leaders remain actively involved in industry organizations that help shape the healthcare landscape, not just react to it. This is why I love to hear from job seekers how they go about this, how they remain actively involved in the industry, and how they infuse their client work with this information, all to ensure medical innovations can reach patients regardless of marketplace barriers.”

- Dan Renick, President of Precision Value & Health

“Candidates are typically pretty fond of their grandparents. My goal is to get candidates comfortable enough to open up about their values and what motivates them. For me one of the most important things to understand about leaders who might join our company is whether they are a good cultural fit. Do they have heart? Do they have edge? What drives them, individual wins or team accomplishment? An open conversation about values is a great way to learn about whether our candidates share the same commitment to team as the rest of our leadership team.”

- John Driscoll, CEO of CareCentrix

“These questions help us see what the candidate’s priorities and insights are.”

- Edmund Sabanegh, Jr, MD, MBA, president of Regional Hospitals at Cleveland Clinic