Office Manager position in NHS advice please

SuzyZ

I've been offered a chance to interview for an Office Manager in NHS Department.

This job would suit me down to the ground as it's much closer than my current job, has a pension and could possibly work out well due to possible job share etc.

I've been in my current position 2 months but don't mind leaving for this new role.

Questions I have.

1. I've been told it would be a panel interview - I've never done one of these before and certainly not for central gov/NHS type (e.g. outside private companies). I have temped for 2 years continuously in central gov though. I also applied for work there but it's notoriously hard sometimes to pass their application process, my sister-in-law's brother has a Masters degree and failed it. So - how does a panel interview work?

2. What other sort of *hoops* do I have to jump through?

3. Should I ask about training? I'm a PA/legal sec but with office management experience in 2 jobs so far.

Thanks for help in advance.

sunflower1283

Hi,

NHS interviews are very hard, I work in NHS as bank support sec and ive had about 10 interviews so far which i havent got and 3 today which I don't think I've got either. Questions tend to be related to the job description. I usually Gert asked about dealing with upset Patients and confidentiality. Also if you can give some scenarios that helps.

ohreally

The panel won't be firing questions at you,each memeber is likely to have a different operational area and will question around a pre-determined script.
There is likely to be an HR presence (but not always).

Shoey1610

I've interviewed within the NHS (although not for your specific admin position). We were given a list of pre-set questions within a panel of four of us. We just shared out the questions based on our own expertise. We didn't have a HR bod present.

There are lots of scenario questions, to check how you would cope with a given common situation within the role.

Do ask about training and progression within the role, it will look like you are really interested in development which is important in the NHS. What sort of service would you be office management in?

LannieDuck

Agreed with above - I've sat on NHS interview panels too. Someone (normally the manager of the post being interviewed for) comes up with a list of questions related to the job description, and we asked those to each candidate.

Make sure you go through the Essential and Desirable criteria and think of an example you could give to demonstrate each.

No harm asking about training, but don't make it sound as if you would need a lot of training to do the role initially NHS posts are very oversubscribed atm, and most places are able to pick people who are well qualified. However, progression within the role is a good thing to ask about - places are pretty keen on staff retention.

LannieDuck

Forgot to mention 'other hoops'. My place asks admin/information related staff to do a small computer task that would be related to their role, e.g. spreadsheet work or drafting a letter to invite doctors to a meeting.

It's just designed to ensure you can use the relevant computer software, and (in the case of the letter) to see your writing style.

SuzyZ

Shoey1610 wrote: »

I've interviewed within the NHS (although not for your specific admin position). We were given a list of pre-set questions within a panel of four of us. We just shared out the questions based on our own expertise. We didn't have a HR bod present.

There are lots of scenario questions, to check how you would cope with a given common situation within the role.

Do ask about training and progression within the role, it will look like you are really interested in development which is important in the NHS. What sort of service would you be office management in?

Thanks for the advice - it would be in a certain area but I don't want to give the name now.

SuzyZ

Thanks for all the advice. Turned out the man who would be my boss had a bit of a problem in that he thinks he's building an empire (his words) and then got a bit obsessed with me through texts which annoyed my husband no end. This man was certainly *coming onto me*. He was asking me out for a drink and making really inappropriate and loaded comments which is not the way I'd want to apply/have a chance for a possible job. :eek:

So now I will *not* be applying for this job, tempting though it may seem!

from what went to meeting this man on Saturday at a party (without husband and young child) and him mentioning possibility of a job it has gone totally the other way to me thinking if I did get the job I'd have to be careful in case this guy made inappropriate comments etc.

BUT if any other NHS jobs come up I'll take all of your advice on board so thanks!

SmallL

Thats awful and terribly unprofessional.... i would be tempted to let HR know.
That really isn't 'on'!

SuzyZ

SmallL wrote: »

Thats awful and terribly unprofessional.... i would be tempted to let HR know.
That really isn't 'on'!

I think that would only make matters worse. And what do I do?! If it weren't for my friend's friend who is the girlfriend of this man I would report it.

for now I just want to forget about it.

Coraline

From my very limited experience (six months in the NHS) HR is more concerned about protecting the organization's reputation than its employees! But that's just an anecdote.

We've been interviewing left and right for months for myriad positions and it seems to me that it all depends on who is the interviewer. I don't see any rhyme or reason or consistency to the process at all.

Even the person who interviewed me for the job I was first hired for (then moved into a different job a week later so this person is no longer my boss) was frustrated with the standard questions given. But now we're interviewing and everyone wants specific, tailored, questions depending on the situation.

I'm starting to feel like there really is no method in the madness!