NHS admin interview advice

[Hbirdette]

Hey guys I thought I would just let you know I got the job I’ve actually turned it down as I’ve realised it’s too many hours and I’ve got a small baby but fear not, I’ve got 2 more applications pending for a 3 day role doing virtually the same thing in a different department, so keeping my fingers crossed. I feel really silly that I’ve turned it down but I knew it wasn’t right for me. If anything, it’s given me fantastic experience and I’ll let you know how I get on with the others

 

[Hbirdette]

So in a turn of events, the woman who interviewed me got in contact with me again and said that she had another job going live in a couple of weeks time which is actually much more up my street! I must have made a good impression if she wants me to apply for it

 

[kittypaws]

I’ve had a number of professional interviews and I’m generally quite successful when I interview. In fact my manager told me only last week that when I interviewed for my role 2 years ago I blew everyone else out the park and he didn’t see the need to carry on with the rest of the interviews (where’s my trumpet? )

Never had an NHS interview but I can offer more generalised advice…

- smile a lot! Be professional but also make sure you come across very friendly and approachable

- make eye contact with the interviewers when answering questions

- have an example in your head of when something “went wrong” or a difficult situation and how you handled it. Whenever I answer this question I always explain my example and explain how I handled it as they have asked, then I say “mistakes will always happen, it’s human nature but what’s important is how you deal with it and how you can try to prevent it from happening again. Mistakes are there to be learnt from”

- don’t be afraid that you’ve not had experience in this sector, just sell yourself. When they ask what you can bring to the role, tell them you’re excited for a new opportunity, you’re extremely motivated and committed, you want to acquire new skills while also developing your current skills and capabilities further. Think of what skills you currently have can be applied in the new role.

- do some initial research, find out a few facts about the department, what their core values are etc and quote one of them when they ask why you applied.

- They might ask how you prioritise workload and handle the pressure of lots of work and different deadlines. For this one I always say I write my to do list down to clear my head. I always say how important communication is, for example if something urgent came in from person A while I was completing a task for person B I would make sure I communicate with both people and explain the situation. If struggling I would speak with my manager and ask what they would like me to prioritise - they like to know you’re not afraid to ask for help!

- Similarly to the last one they may ask how you handle stress. Again I always say I write my to do list down, talk to my manager if it becomes too much, work out priorities and get any quick tasks done first so my head is clear to focus on the bigger longer term tasks.

- They may ask what aspects of the job you think may be challenging for you. The key here is to be positive. You don’t have to lie and pretend you’ll know how to do everything, you can 100% say there are certain things you’ve not done before BUT you’re excited to learn, you’re excited for the challenge and you’re a quick learner. You can say you’re aware there will be new systems to learn but tell them that excites you.

- A lot of interviewers ask what your weaknesses are and you should always provide them with one, even if it’s made up. But reinforce it with a positive! For example I often say “I consider myself to be a people pleaser which often means I have a hard time saying no and can take too much on, but I’m aware of this and it’s something I’m trying to work on so I don’t overwhelm myself.” The employers want to know that you’re honest and can admit to your own weaknesses but that you’re also always looking to improve yourself.

- Finally, at the end ALWAYS ask a question. Ask them sometime challenging that may surprise them, but make sure it’s about the job, not how much money you’ll be earning
Examples I use are:

“What is the most challenging part of working here?”
“What do you enjoy most about your job?”
“Why did you choose to work for this company?”
“What would you say are the biggest challenges in this role?”

It’s time to make THEM think and answer a question and also see how keen and enthusiastic you are.

Good luck

 

[justapossum]

I just wanted to say that I was lurking on this thread as I applied for a job via NHS (not an admin role) but all the advice really helped me - I had the interview today and they called straight after and offered me the job!

 

[Hairraiser]

Sooooo….I have some good news.
I got a call from the person who had been given my details & application from the job I didn’t get before. She was asking me a few questions but nothing ‘interview’ like, but we had a formal chat about my experience & skills.
long story short, she offered me the job there and then!!!!! She was happy with the previous interview score I got, and my application and having a chat over the phone so towards the end of the call she said ‘well I’m pleased to tell you, Id like to offer you the job, congratulations!
I was speechless, I couldn’t believe it! I had to submit another application for this role and the teams interview was 22nd, but I no longer have to do that now.

I’m so happy!!!thank you everyone on the thread for your kind words xx

 

[Hbirdette]

Hopefully this is the last update from me but I got offered another band 4 job today and accepted it so shocked as I didn’t feel confident but just wanted to thank you all for your great advice x

 

[Pawpaw365]

I would look up the values of the organisation - most Nhs trusts will have a motto or values. Fit them into your answers and explain how you align with the values. Also when I interview people I like when they ask if there are any opportunities for professional development or growth. It shows willingness and drive to succeed.

 

[Exceltracker]

Ask these qsts. What will a typical day entail, who will be my Line Manager, why has the position become available, is there a possibility to work from home, will I be assigned a mentor etc etc. I’ve interviewed around 40 people and like it when I’m asked these types of questions. End by saying I’m unique because…fill in the blanks and good luck

 

[Cynic123]

I know this is not strictly NHS admin related but I have been selected for interview for a Trainee Nursing Associate in a couple of weeks. I currently work in the NHS as a Covid vaccinator and have worked on and off for the NHS for nearly 30 years. I have always wanted to be a nurse but the timing and life situations have always gotten in the way. Does anyone know any questions that they may ask me and how to answer? I know safeguarding comes up in everything but I just want to be as prepared as possible as this could potentially be different to any NHS interview I've had before. Many thanks in advance and good luck to those having interviews in the near future.

My advice would be go back to the job advertisement and find the list of essential skills, competencies and values. For each on I’d write out a few examples, giving specific situations. Use the Star technique:
S - situation - give a brief outline of the situation you were in
T - task - what the task was, keep it brief maybe just one or two sentences
A - action - this is where you score the most points, give detailed answers on what action you took in the situation, the decisions you made etc. Always start these answers with ‘I’ because as an interviewer I want to know what your role was not the others in the team.
R - results - what the outcome of the situation was, it doesn’t always have to be the desired outcome.

Also they may ask follow up questions like what did you learn from this, what went well, what didn’t go so well, what would you do differently next time. So it’s good to have a few sentences in these areas for each example.

Also practice practice practice, say your answers out loud or get a trusted family member to ask you some questions.

I imagine for this role they may focus on areas like:
- working as part of a team
- making decisions effectively (weighing up evidence, assessing situations)
- knowing when to seek advice from others
- escalating issues to people in more senior roles
- dealing with difficult customers / patients

You sound like you have tons of experience so you’ll have loads of examples to call upon, just make sure you can create the time and space at home to give it serious prep as that will make the biggest difference.

Also don’t be afraid to ask for questions to be repeated or take a few moments before you answer to collect your thoughts.

Sorry for the long winded post but hope it’s of some use. I have experience of interviewing in the public sector and preparation is the key, makes such a difference when you have a well structured answer as it makes it easy for the interviewer to score you well.

Good luck, I hope everything goes well for you.

 

[LewyB]

Use the STAR technique to answer questions (situation, task, action, result)

Ask what their onboarding process is like for the first 30, 60 & 90 days. Maybe ask them what their processes and IT systems are like so that you can speak on your organisation and skills there

make sure you know the job spec and can answer most if not all of the points with specific experience and examples

enjoy the interview. It’s a conversation and it is two way: To see if you fit there and they fit for you too! x

 

[xbxbx]

I got the job

I was really nervous during the interview and wasn’t happy with how I answered a lot of the questions but I think because they know me, they knew what I was trying to say. They said I did really well though and ticked all the boxes and my experience already working in the department was an added bonus. I’m glad it’s all over and I can now relax!!

Thank you again for the advice!

 

[Pawpaw365]

Hi, just wanted to let you know I didn’t get the job.
Tbh I feel like they already knew who they were going to employ. It seemed like an effort for them to interview me, and I was only in there 20 minutes, I feel I didn’t get much time to tell them all about myself?
I feel so deflated 🥲
She did call me to say that she thought I interviewed really well and that she’d passed on my details to a different department who were interested in me. So I’ve had some bad and good news

Ah i'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like perhaps it might have been that they knew who was getting the job, but they have to go through the motions of looking like they're offering it to other candidates, in which case you never would have stood a chance and it's no reflection on you.

 

[Hairraiser]

I’m sure you’ll be fine, good luck! Interviewers will always take nerves into account. X

Hi, just wanted to let you know I didn’t get the job.
Tbh I feel like they already knew who they were going to employ. It seemed like an effort for them to interview me, and I was only in there 20 minutes, I feel I didn’t get much time to tell them all about myself?
I feel so deflated 🥲
She did call me to say that she thought I interviewed really well and that she’d passed on my details to a different department who were interested in me. So I’ve had some bad and good news

 

[Snookie]

I’ve had a number of professional interviews and I’m generally quite successful when I interview. In fact my manager told me only last week that when I interviewed for my role 2 years ago I blew everyone else out the park and he didn’t see the need to carry on with the rest of the interviews (where’s my trumpet? )

Never had an NHS interview but I can offer more generalised advice…

- smile a lot! Be professional but also make sure you come across very friendly and approachable

- make eye contact with the interviewers when answering questions

- have an example in your head of when something “went wrong” or a difficult situation and how you handled it. Whenever I answer this question I always explain my example and explain how I handled it as they have asked, then I say “mistakes will always happen, it’s human nature but what’s important is how you deal with it and how you can try to prevent it from happening again. Mistakes are there to be learnt from”

- don’t be afraid that you’ve not had experience in this sector, just sell yourself. When they ask what you can bring to the role, tell them you’re excited for a new opportunity, you’re extremely motivated and committed, you want to acquire new skills while also developing your current skills and capabilities further. Think of what skills you currently have can be applied in the new role.

- do some initial research, find out a few facts about the department, what their core values are etc and quote one of them when they ask why you applied.

- They might ask how you prioritise workload and handle the pressure of lots of work and different deadlines. For this one I always say I write my to do list down to clear my head. I always say how important communication is, for example if something urgent came in from person A while I was completing a task for person B I would make sure I communicate with both people and explain the situation. If struggling I would speak with my manager and ask what they would like me to prioritise - they like to know you’re not afraid to ask for help!

- Similarly to the last one they may ask how you handle stress. Again I always say I write my to do list down, talk to my manager if it becomes too much, work out priorities and get any quick tasks done first so my head is clear to focus on the bigger longer term tasks.

- They may ask what aspects of the job you think may be challenging for you. The key here is to be positive. You don’t have to lie and pretend you’ll know how to do everything, you can 100% say there are certain things you’ve not done before BUT you’re excited to learn, you’re excited for the challenge and you’re a quick learner. You can say you’re aware there will be new systems to learn but tell them that excites you.

- A lot of interviewers ask what your weaknesses are and you should always provide them with one, even if it’s made up. But reinforce it with a positive! For example I often say “I consider myself to be a people pleaser which often means I have a hard time saying no and can take too much on, but I’m aware of this and it’s something I’m trying to work on so I don’t overwhelm myself.” The employers want to know that you’re honest and can admit to your own weaknesses but that you’re also always looking to improve yourself.

- Finally, at the end ALWAYS ask a question. Ask them sometime challenging that may surprise them, but make sure it’s about the job, not how much money you’ll be earning
Examples I use are:

“What is the most challenging part of working here?”
“What do you enjoy most about your job?”
“Why did you choose to work for this company?”
“What would you say are the biggest challenges in this role?”

It’s time to make THEM think and answer a question and also see how keen and enthusiastic you are.

Good luck

Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for this post I used some of your examples for my interview the other day and I got the job! I’m so happy! xx

 

[Hairraiser]

Thank you to those who have contributed so much on this thread, I’ve got a band 4 assistant practitioner interview on Monday.
I’m absolutely crapping myself
I don’t do well in interviews cause I get so anxious and struggle to get my words out. I’ve only ever had interviews for a band 2 and then a band 4, which I was successful for both (I didn’t accept the band 4 as I was referred for IVF soon after so couldn’t fully commit) so I really want to show myself that I can do it and everything will be ok.
I’ve done a lot of prep already but I feel I just need some words of wisdom now to get me through it

 

[Cynic123]

Best advice is what has been said above, use the STAR technique and the main focus of each answer should be on the action (what your role was). Always try to answer with “I” rather than “we” as that will really reinforce your skills and competencies to the interviewer.

If it’s public sector there should be a list of the key competencies for the role. I would prep a couple of answers/examples that would fit with each competency. Practise saying your answers out loud to get confident.

Most importantly don’t be afraid to pause, breath and have a think before you answer. A good deep breath can steady the nerves.

Also if you think of anything else at the end you can usually go back at the end of the interview and add any bits and pieces on to your answers.

Good luck

 

[sephre]

Jumping in on an old thread in the hopes for some advice.

Does anyone have experience where the interview is for a promotion within your current department? Say from band 2 to band 3, both admin roles? I’m hoping it’ll be more of an informal interview as the panel are my current management but the role was also advertised externally so not sure if I have to do the same questions as other candidates so that it’s fair under HR reg. I’m struggling to prepare as I can’t see them asking me the usual questions like ‘tell us a time when..’ ‘when have you made a difficult decision..’ etc but I don’t know if they have to. Also struggling to prepare questions to ask at the end as I already know everything I need to know about this specific role as I currently work in the department and work closely with someone else doing this new role.

It’s such an odd situation to be in where I tick all the boxes in what they’re looking for, have the experience and advantage of already being in post within the department but also feeling SO underprepared for the interview!

I have a band 7 management role in the NHS and I do a lot of recruitment. Even when it's an internal application we have to ask the exact same questions and score the answers from 1-5. The highest overall scoring applicant has to be considered.

Even though the interviewers know you it's therefore really important that you sell yourself, even if you are saying things they already may know about. At my workplace we have to send our notes with people's answers/our scoring to HR after the interviews so they can confirm the interview process was fair etc.

Good luck! I'm sure you will be great - just pretend the interviewers know nothing about you

 

[xbxbx]

It's always harder preparing for an interview when you know the interviewers. I would say prepare and present your answers as if you don't know them. They will ask you the same questions as the other external candidates.
I'm in NHS finance, and the STAR technique is something that we were generally advised to use when answering interview questions.

A good question to ask at the end I suppose, is if there's a chance of job progression, or study/training funding etc

I have a band 7 management role in the NHS and I do a lot of recruitment. Even when it's an internal application we have to ask the exact same questions and score the answers from 1-5. The highest overall scoring applicant has to be considered.

Even though the interviewers know you it's therefore really important that you sell yourself, even if you are saying things they already may know about. At my workplace we have to send our notes with people's answers/our scoring to HR after the interviews so they can confirm the interview process was fair etc.

Good luck! I'm sure you will be great - just pretend the interviewers know nothing about you

I agree with the poster above - questions about progression, how will your job role change with the new job etc. they literally have to do it to tick boxes I reckon. But it’s all points based so asking a question is better than not doing so!
They may change the questions for each band. I ended up going on YouTube and looking at band 4 questions for nhs.
a few weeks ago I asked to go from part time to full time and they were like you may need to interview for it, I was like ffs totally get why though. Anyway I was lucky enough and my manager did a C form for me

Thank you so much! Going to prepare as much as I can tonight. I’ve tried to remember some questions I was asked in my initial interview but it’s honestly a blur now as it was over a year ago. All I can do is my best. I will update once it’s all over and I know the outcome. Thanks again

 

[sassylash]

I know this is not strictly NHS admin related but I have been selected for interview for a Trainee Nursing Associate in a couple of weeks. I currently work in the NHS as a Covid vaccinator and have worked on and off for the NHS for nearly 30 years. I have always wanted to be a nurse but the timing and life situations have always gotten in the way. Does anyone know any questions that they may ask me and how to answer? I know safeguarding comes up in everything but I just want to be as prepared as possible as this could potentially be different to any NHS interview I've had before. Many thanks in advance and good luck to those having interviews in the near future.

ooh i’m interested too (not applying for the role yet) but my friend done this course and she is looking for a full time role. she loves doing phlebotomy and wound care, but she’s finding it difficult to get a job which is quite surprising as they are cheaper to pay than nurses!

I wish I’d seen this earlier! I’ve been a 4, 5 and just got a band 6 role. If you come back wanting some last minute tips I’d say go back and get some interview feedback (regardless of if you got or not, always invaluable), but my main one would be EXAMPLES EXAMPLES EXAMPLES!!! They love it!!
Trusts values was a good one, rightly popular, and keywords will get you lots of the points.
You sound like you’ve got a fab attitude and how you’ll get on with the rest of the team will be taken into consideration. You’ve got it in the bag doll

band 6 you gooooo girl i’m trying to get up from band 3!! but i can only currently do part time hours

 

[MarthaFarkus]

My advice would be go back to the job advertisement and find the list of essential skills, competencies and values. For each on I’d write out a few examples, giving specific situations. Use the Star technique:
S - situation - give a brief outline of the situation you were in
T - task - what the task was, keep it brief maybe just one or two sentences
A - action - this is where you score the most points, give detailed answers on what action you took in the situation, the decisions you made etc. Always start these answers with ‘I’ because as an interviewer I want to know what your role was not the others in the team.
R - results - what the outcome of the situation was, it doesn’t always have to be the desired outcome.

Also they may ask follow up questions like what did you learn from this, what went well, what didn’t go so well, what would you do differently next time. So it’s good to have a few sentences in these areas for each example.

Also practice practice practice, say your answers out loud or get a trusted family member to ask you some questions.

I imagine for this role they may focus on areas like:
- working as part of a team
- making decisions effectively (weighing up evidence, assessing situations)
- knowing when to seek advice from others
- escalating issues to people in more senior roles
- dealing with difficult customers / patients

You sound like you have tons of experience so you’ll have loads of examples to call upon, just make sure you can create the time and space at home to give it serious prep as that will make the biggest difference.

Also don’t be afraid to ask for questions to be repeated or take a few moments before you answer to collect your thoughts.

Sorry for the long winded post but hope it’s of some use. I have experience of interviewing in the public sector and preparation is the key, makes such a difference when you have a well structured answer as it makes it easy for the interviewer to score you well.

Good luck, I hope everything goes well for you.

You’ve been fantastic, thank you! I’ve found STAR to be very successful for me in the past, employers love that don’t they. I always prep for an interview to within an inch of my life too so no worries there either. I guess I just hate not knowing exactly what questions they’ll ask but that’s the idea, obviously.

If I manage to get through this, they’ll be an interview for the university part. I would have to prove I could cope with studying, I already have a degree so I think I’d be ok there. My daughter is off to uni in a couple of weeks so I’ll have all the time in the world to commit to the demands of it.

Thanks so much for your advice