Should You Interview for Leadership Outside Your Specialty Area?

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN
One of my graduate students will soon graduate but opportunities within her specialty area in her health system are limited. Her question was whether she should move to interview for leadership outside her specialty area. I am a believer that given the right set of circumstances, this is a wise move. I strongly encourage my students to move outside of their comfort zones in applying for positions. The world of healthcare is changing quickly. There was a time when most leadership positions were hospital-based but that is changing as care moves into the community. Yet moving out of your zone of comfort to consider new challenges can be difficult, it also puts a different type of stress on you as a candidate during the interview process. While it is true that clinical experience in a specialty area may be important for leadership credibility in a practice discipline like nursing, it cannot be viewed in isolation without considering role expectations and the leadership ability of candidates. The contemporary nurse leader is often much more a business manager than clinical leader.

Preparing for the Interview

1. Learn as much about the health care agency, the specialty area and the unit or department as you can in advance.

Prior to your interview, it is important to take the time to learn as much as possible about the organization and nursing department. Carefully study the website so you know the mission, vision and range of services provided by the health care agency. If the hospital or agency is part of a larger system, go to the systems website as well. Review any publicly reported data available about the agency such as what is on the hospital compare care site in the United States. Next visit the websites of professional organizations for that specialty so you can study the issues, challenges, types of certifications and continuing education that might be available if you are selected.

2. Request a copy of the position description, the organizational chart and information about how the interview will be structured in advance.

You should know in advance what the position expectations are and information about the reporting structure in the organization. This will allow you to carefully consider whether this position is a good fit for your current skill set and what competencies you may need to develop. Ask what resources will be there to help you grow in an unfamiliar specialty area. Will you be responsible to assess the competency of staff or are there other support staff who assist with this. It is important that you also know how the interview will be conducted and who will be involved. Many leadership interviews are conducted by panels. Ask if staff are involved in the interview and whether a tour of the department will be part of your interview agenda. Seeing the level of involvement of staff, the physical layout of unit and how you are greeted during a tour of the area will help you to better understand the unit culture.

3. Anticipate what types of questions you will asked.

Leadership interviews are different than interviews for staff level positions. You can expect to be asked questions directly related to leadership competencies so it is important to know what those competencies might include. It is very likely that if you are selected for an interview outside your specialty area – it is because the organization is specifically seeking strong leadership competencies. The NMLCInventory is a good document to review to better understand leadership competencies. Many organizations today use performance-based or behavioral interviewing techniques. In this type of interview, you will be asked very pointed questions and given leadership scenarios related to the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the position. You could be given a scenario that involved a conflict situation and asked the steps that you would use to resolve it. You may be asked to describe a situation where you did not use effective communication and how you would do it differently if it occurred again. You might asked how you manage your stress or to identify your leadership weaknesses. You will be asked about your own leadership style so carefully think about how you will respond to this. You should be prepared to give honest, authentic answers to a wide range of questions including how you would orient yourself to a new specialty area.

4. Develop your own list of questions to ask about the position and organization.

Come to the interview with your own list of questions about the position. If this is your first leadership role, ask about what type of leadership development and mentoring is offered, and what the leadership challenges are in the organization. Prepare questions to determine information about the budget, staffing, recruitment and retention issues and current performance on customer satisfaction surveys and other indicators. Ask questions about the patient population served, their needs and their health problems. Ask about the unit culture, what is important to staff and any specific areas where improvement is needed. Always have at least one or two questions when you are asked about questions that you have even if the interview has been thorough. You may also want to know about the leadership history – how much turnover has there been in the role?

5. Ask about the timeline for selection and the follow-up process.

Prior to leaving the interview, you will want to know what the follow-up process will be. You may be asked to come back for a second interview so don’t be surprised if this happens. Ask when a decision will be made about the position, and who you can contact if you have questions. Get business cards from everyone that you meet with during the interview process so you can send follow-up thank you notes or emails.

After the interview, think carefully about the job that you interviewed for and whether it really is a good fit with your strengths, weaknesses and career plans. I recommend making a list of the pros and the cons. If it does not feel right to you – trust your intuition. You may be offered a position that you decide is not the right one for you. That is fine but be gracious and professional in how you handle a situation when you turn a position down. You may not be selected for a position that you really wanted. All of us have this experienced this at some point in our career. Let the recruiter know that you were impressed and hope there may be other opportunities in the future. You will learn and sharpen your skills just by the act of interviewing. Take the risk of applying for positions that interest you even outside your specialty area. You just never know where it could lead you.