| 1 | Share an experience you had in dealing with a difficult person and how you handled the situation. |
|---|---|
| 6 | Tell me how you organize, plan, and prioritize your work. |
| 7 | Share an experience when you applied new technology or information in your job. How did it help your company? |
Community Health Worker Interview, Pt 1
How to prepare when interviewing your next CHW
As with any hiring process, your interview is the first interaction with potential CHW candidates. As such, it’s the best time to secure that basic organizational needs could be met by the person you’re interviewing. Training a CHW can come later, so focus on other skills at this early stage.
Initial conversations could start with topics such as availability, role expectations, surface-level background information, and any relevant professional references.
Consider the specific community needs
Community Health Workers are frontline healthcare workers who serve to alleviate specific needs within a community. When selecting your next CHW, it’s crucial to keep your community in mind.
Things to consider when planning your interview:
What experience do you have when it comes to discussing our recently posted COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER position?
Answer tips:
Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you know you do not have much experience in the job you are applying for, plan for this question ahead of time and ensure you can provide some relatable examples based on what you have done.
Almost all interviewers will appreciate confidence and pride in the work experience you have earned and your passion in transfering these valuable skills to your future role or position.
Answer sample
Essential skills for to look for when you hire a CHW
When hiring a CHW, keep in mind that they juggle a lot of different skills to give their patients access to the best resources and improve their health outcomes. Community health worker skills include Core Competencies or hard skills, and soft skills to fulfill their role.
Hard skills for CHWs refer to technical skills such as tech-savviness, research skills, professional training such as peer education, health literacy, working with electronic medical records, or using medical equipment properly.
CHWs must stay on top of the latest training and certifications to remain relevant and help their patients access the healthcare resources they need. A CHW who trains frequently, keeps their certifications up to date, and refreshes their knowledge consistently is one who will likely succeed in your organization.
You must also consider the cost of providing training to a more junior CHW or someone without the required training or certifications if you choose to bring them on board.
Soft skills for CHWs are harder to pin down. You can learn about your candidate’s soft skills with open-ended questions where they have the opportunity to share about past experiences. You can also observe them and pay close attention to how they communicate — not just their words, but body language, tone, and more.
7 must-have soft skills for CHWs:
FAQ
Why do you want to be a community health worker?
- Could you tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief? …
- How did you hear about this position? …
- What type of work environment do you prefer? …
- How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations? …
- Do you prefer working independently or on a team?
What questions are ask in a health care interview?
- “Tell me about yourself.” …
- “Why did you choose to apply?” …
- “What is your biggest strength?” …
- “What is your biggest weakness?” …
- “How do you see the future of healthcare?” …
- “How do you stay informed on current events and advancements in healthcare?”
What are the 9 core competencies for a CHW?
- a defined set of core competencies, which overlaps with.
- C3:
- Effective Communication Skills.
- Interpersonal Skills.
- Service Coordination Skills.
- Capacity-building Skills.
- Advocacy Skills.
- Community Health Outreach Skills.
