Top 5 Culture Fit Interview Questions in Nursing
Every unit within a healthcare facility has its own unique culture, which encompasses the attitudes, values, and practices that define how teams work together. When hiring a new nurse, you ideally want someone who will strengthen your team’s culture, rather than detract from it. As such, asking candidates culture fit interview questions can be an important part of the hiring process.
Through learning more about a candidate’s personal values and goals, you can better determine how well they align with your team and the organization as a whole. In this article, we’ll explain how to ask culture fit interview questions by outlining examples and key tips for evaluating your candidate’s answers.
What Does Culture Fit Mean in Nursing?
Broadly speaking, “culture fit” refers to how well a nurse aligns with the mission and values that shape a facility’s culture. However, being a good cultural fit for a unit doesn’t mean that a nurse must fit into a uniform mold. Instead, it means that they bring in diverse perspectives (while respecting differing perspectives), positively contribute to team dynamics, and can effectively work toward shared goals.
There are many different nursing specialties, and what makes a nurse a good cultural fit for an organization will largely depend on the type of unit they’re applying to. For instance, a school nurse may need to embody more independence and educational values, whereas an operating room nurse may be expected to be more assertive and a strong team player.
Why Should You Evaluate Culture Fit When Hiring Nurses?
Let’s say that you’re vetting two nursing candidates with relatively similar qualifications on paper. During the interview, one of them comes off very warm, compassionate, and eager to help their coworkers. The other is hyper-focused on negotiating pay rates and complains about one of their previous patients. In this situation, it’s fairly clear that one candidate has the potential to enhance your team’s culture, while the other might dampen it.
The bottom line is that workplace culture can largely influence how healthcare teams communicate and work together. Even if a nurse has exemplary clinical skills, they can negatively impact care if they have poor ethical standards or a pessimistic attitude. Especially in a collaborative profession like nursing, you want to make sure that a candidate can boost staff morale and contribute to your team’s success.
5 Culture Fit Interview Questions for Nursing Professionals
Now that we’ve gone over what culture fit means and why it’s important, you may be looking for effective ways to evaluate your candidates. Below are five essential job fit interview questions for nurses that you can incorporate into your next hiring cycle.
1. What do you like most about working in healthcare?
This is an open-ended question that allows candidates to focus on what they value most about their job. Not only can you get a sense of their passion for the profession and working with patients, but also what type of attitude they might bring to your team.
What to listen for:
- Genuine passion, interest, and drive to care for patients
- Realistic and positive attitudes toward what the job entails
Potential follow-up questions:
- What makes you excited to come to work every day?
- How would your former colleagues describe you?
2. What made you interested in working for our facility?
Evaluating a candidate’s understanding of your facility’s mission and values is important when asking culture fit interview questions — and answers should indicate that a candidate has done their research. Beyond pay and benefits, this question can help you determine whether a candidate truly resonates with what your facility is doing and can articulate why.
What to listen for:
- Knowledge of your facility or unit’s mission, values, and opportunities
- Clear alignment between personal and organizational goals
Potential follow-up questions:
- What aspects of our facility’s mission and values resonate with you most?
- What does your ideal work environment look like?
3. What are the top three things you prioritize when delivering patient care?
This question evaluates a candidate’s morals and their ability to provide patient-centered care. While the nuances of cultural fit can vary by unit and specialty, a commitment to meeting ethical standards is an essential part of any healthy work culture.
What to listen for:
- Qualities that center around the needs of the patient and care team
- Well-rounded answers that showcase strong ethics, compassion, and thoughtfulness
Potential follow-up questions:
- What does cultural competence mean to you?
- As a healthcare professional, how do you work to maintain ethical standards?
4. You notice that a fellow coworker is struggling to start an IV. What do you do?
The way that a nurse interacts with their coworkers can tell you a lot about how they will impact your unit’s culture. This question poses a real-world scenario, which can give you a better sense of a candidate’s approach to teamwork and collaboration.
What to listen for:
- Ability to be encouraging, communicative, and provide support to colleagues
- Willingness to go above and beyond to help the team when necessary
Potential follow-up questions:
- How much autonomy do you prefer to have when working on the floor?
- What would you do if you noticed a team member was breaking care protocols?
5. Think of a nurse manager, leader, or mentor who helped you deliver your best care. What were some of their top qualities?
When preparing cultural fit interview questions, it’s also important to evaluate how a candidate meshes with the nursing leadership team. This question assesses whether a candidate would be able to succeed under your current style of management, and maybe even highlight new perspectives that could help strengthen it.
What to listen for:
- Thoughtful consideration of how leadership styles can influence care delivery
- Leadership traits that align with the candidate’s perception of quality care
Potential follow-up questions:
- How do you respond to criticism or feedback?
- How would you describe your own leadership style?
Find Nurses Who Can Answer Your Culture Fit Interview Questions
Finding well-rounded candidates in a high-demand profession like nursing can be a challenge. Tired of sifting through applications that don’t meet your facility’s standards? Post to IntelyCare’s nursing-only job board today and reach the right candidates faster.