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Practical tips for conducting an interview

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, September 23, 2008

By the time you or the practice recruiter schedules an on-site interview for a hospitalist candidate, there should be a great likelihood that you will accept the candidate as the new hospitalist in your hospital. The interview is where the recruitment game is won or lost.  Remember to follow these tips when you are preparing for and conducting the actual on-site interview:

• Create a candidate travel checklist. Gather information of travel dates, location, and airline(s). Remember to give the candidate information about car rentals, hotel stay, a gift basket, and information about the community in which the hospital is located. 
• Include an ice-breaker event. Create an event where the candidate will be in a casual, relaxed environment, such as a dinner meeting.
• Set aside time for the business discussion. A good time to discuss business and the draft agreement is after dinner. 
• Introduce the candidate to the community. Take a drive to meet school leaders, civic leaders, real estate professionals, bankers, etc.
• Arrange for time with future colleagues. Introduce the candidate to his or her soon-to-be peers if the candidate accepts the position.
• Arrange a hospital tour. Allow the candidate to view the facilities and meet the decision-makers of the hospital.
• Allow time for a wrap-up discussion. Following the interview, establish a timeline for follow-up procedures and a date for a final decision. Use this time to ask if the candidate can see him/herself working at your hospital.

The above excerpt is adapted from Practical Guide to Hospitalist Recruitment and Retention by Kirk Mathews, foreword by John Nelson, MD, FACP, published by HCPro, Inc.

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