Interview Questions For Hiring In Ophthalmology
Each time you hire a new employee for your ophthalmology practice it’s one of the most significant decisions you’ll make. A great hire can elevate your team’s efficiency and boost employee engagement, while a poor one can lead to patient complaints, administrative headaches, and costly healthcare turnover.
While a résumé provides a snapshot of experience, the interview is your main chance to truly assess a candidate’s character, skills, and fit for your unique clinic culture.
Interviewing staff in ophthalmology has a huge moment for your clinic in determining your future productivity.
But what questions should you ask to cut through the prepared answers and get to the heart of who a candidate really is? Let’s explore a framework for crafting an interview process that helps you hire the best talent for your team.
1. Assessing Overall Character and Culture Fit
In ophthalmology, a team member's character is just as important as their technical skills. You can teach someone how to perform an autorefraction, but you can’t teach humility or a strong work ethic. These questions are designed to reveal a candidate’s underlying values and personality.
"What are some things you’ve accomplished that you’re proud of?" This question helps gauge someone’s drive to contribute. If someone can readily cite significant accomplishments, then it’s more likely that they are hungry to succeed at work. If they struggle or if their examples are lackluster, then you are more likely dealing with someone who coasts by. Great people have lots of examples of ways they’ve contributed to the team and the clinic.
"What are some things you could have done better in your last job?" Everyone has areas for growth. A candidate who struggles to answer this question may lack self-awareness. A strong answer shows they are humble and open to feedback, both essential traits in a high-stakes clinical environment.
"Tell me about a challenging coworker you had in the past." This question is a test of people smarts. Does the candidate blame the other person entirely, or do they demonstrate empathy and an understanding of the situation? The best responses show a desire for resolution and an ability to navigate conflict gracefully. If the candidate doesn’t explain how they handled the challenge, probe deeper.
"Tell me about a time that you made a work process or a group situation better." This question reveals a candidate's proactive nature and hunger for improvement. Look for examples where they took initiative to solve a problem without being asked. This is a powerful indicator of future leadership potential.
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2. Probing for Job-Specific Technical Knowledge
While character is key, you still need to ensure the candidate has the necessary knowledge or the capacity to learn it quickly. These questions should be tailored specifically to the role you're hiring for, whether it's a technician, front desk specialist, or billing coordinator.
"Tell me about your knowledge of insurance deductibles." For a billing or front desk role, a strong answer shows a foundational understanding of a critical part of the revenue cycle.
"Explain how you’ve used [specific software] in past jobs." This is a direct way to assess their familiarity with your clinic's technology. If they're a quick learner, they'll be able to quickly adapt to your systems. Another good question: “Tell me about a time when you had to learn a new software. How did you do it?”
"Tell me how you would perform a refraction on an 8-year-old." For a technician role, this tests their technical knowledge and ability to adapt their skills for different patient populations. The answer should show not just the steps, but also empathy and patience.
"Tell me about the various cameras you have experience with in an ophthalmology setting. What were they used for?" This is a great question to assess a technician’s breadth of experience and the depth of their technical knowledge.
3. Evaluating Job-Personality Fit
Every job has a unique personality. A great candidate for one role may be a poor fit for another, even in the same clinic. These questions help you determine if the candidate's personality and preferences align with the demands of the job itself.
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"Tell me about a job where you’ve had to deal with a high volume of people interaction." A front desk role requires a very different personality than a technician who spends much of their day in a dark exam room. The answer will reveal if they thrive in a high-touch, fast-paced environment.
"What experience do you have with having to learn a lot of things to do your job?" This is particularly important for entry-level technician roles. Since this is a job that requires continuous learning, you want to hire someone who finds that challenge exciting, not overwhelming.
"What is it about this job or about our clinic that you find interesting?" This question is a powerful gauge of genuine interest versus just looking for any job. A thoughtful answer shows they've done their research and are excited about your specific practice.
4. Addressing Logistical and Environmental Factors
Don't let the technical and soft skills questions overshadow the practical realities of the job. A candidate who checks all the boxes for skill and culture fit but can't handle the logistics will still become a turnover risk.
"What pay rate are you hoping to get for this role?" Be transparent about your pay ranges. If the candidate’s desired salary is far outside your range, it’s best to know that immediately. A hire who feels underpaid from day one is unlikely to stay.
"Is this a location you can get to easily every day?" A long, difficult commute is a major reason for a new hire to quit within the first year. Ensure their commute is very manageable, not a daily struggle.
"The hours for this job are ____. Is that something you can easily do?" Be clear about the schedule, including any required evening or weekend hours. This helps avoid future conflicts.
"There’s a lot of standing in this job. Are you okay with that?" For roles that are physically demanding, it's crucial to be upfront about the requirements. This shows respect for the candidate's well-being and helps prevent a mismatch.
Overall Tips
Regardless of what questions you use, here are some tips to keep in mind:
Always probe beyond their first answer. Get curious, ask for examples. Ask for reasons why they did what they did. Ask who was involved in the situation and how the candidate factored them into each situation.
Write custom questions for each job you hire for. Every job is different, so use different questions. Some questions will remain the same (e.g., culture fit) while others will change depending on the job.
Know the legal areas to avoid. Don’t ask about disabilities, but do ask if they are able to handle the physical demands.
Don’t expect someone to be just like your current staff members. Culture fit doesn’t mean cookie cutter.
Decide what your real needs are and don’t be distracted by the nice-to-haves. A person with all of the “need to haves” is better than a person who sort of meets the requirements but has a ton of nice-to-haves.
That being said, be sure that your requirements are truly required.
Conclusion
By adopting a structured and thoughtful approach, you can transform your hiring process from a guessing game into a strategic tool for healthcare staff retention. The best interviews are conversations, not interrogations, and they allow you to uncover the whole person behind the résumé.
Navigating these intricacies while also managing patient care can be a lot for a busy healthcare leader. If you’re looking for a deeper dive into how to build a hiring process that consistently finds you the perfect fit, or need hands-on support with other HR challenges in healthcare, consider how a fractional HR consultant could lighten your load and accelerate your progress.
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