NHS Admin Interview!

guille

Hi everyone,

I have an interview coming up for a position with the NHS as an NHS Staff Bank Resource Coordinator.

I was wondering if anyone could help me out with what to expect at the interview?

Basically, the job involves responding to requests from various wards when extra staff is needed and when NHS Staff Bank members are looking for extra work. I'd also be responsible for processing pay and other general administrative duties.

All I know is that I'll take part in a short proficiency test after the interview questions to demonstrate my keyboard and telephone skills.

Any help and/or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks a lot!

lyndorset

I know through giving teenage careers advice, that you should dress one level above what you would expect to wear for the interview. ie wear a suit if you would expect to mostly wear a skirt and cardigan, which is what I would anticipate the dress code to be for the job. I worked for the NHS years ago and undertook the tests you mention and had a friendly interview panel too, but it may have changed.

I wish you the very best of luck.

guille

Thank you, lyndorset.

I've actually had what I'm doing to wear planned for a while and I'm happy with it.

I'm hoping to get some advice about any questions that might come up or anything about the test.

I've prepared every possible question I can think of and still have a week.

Here's hoping!

Coraline

I went for an NHS admin interview several months ago. From what I experienced then and have seen so far is that it's standard to have at least two people interview you.

The person interviewing me read from a script and it seemed rather stilted. After I got the job, that person (former boss, now colleague) told me that the questions were given as "standard."

But I'm not sure if that's the case, with all the recruitment in our department over the past month everybody has been interviewing with their own questions. No tests were ever given.

However I was put forth by a recruiter, and took tests from the agency, so perhaps they decided not to test on that accord.

In a nutshell I can't see any method in the madness to recruitment procedures to what I've witnessed since hired. (I work right opposite our HR lead).

lyndorset has it right about the clothing though--always show up suited and booted. We had someone show up today in a tee-shirt with many tattoos exposed. Not that I'm against tattoos, (I have 5) but showed up at my interview covering my arms.

If the tests are only keyboard and telephone skills, I can only say for keyboard would be a wpm test, and perhaps a test on the 9-key. I've never been tested for "telephone skills" or have heard of such a thing--would be curious to what it is!

Best wishes to you & good luck---try googling about those tests. Be prepared for questions about how you dealt with certain situations, how you manager your work, the standard stuff.

guille

Thanks very much, Coraline!

With clothes, I've new dress shoes, grey dress trousers and a smart shirt. I wasn't worried about that but now... I dunno!!!!!

I've tried to Google some tests here and there but haven't found anything concrete!

My interview is Friday the 23rd, so I'll let you know how it goes! I'm hoping they will let me know (either way) the same day...

Thanks again

Coraline

You're welcome! I can only speak from the experience I had (which actually was quite pleasant) but NHS is such a large breed of cat you just don't know what to expect. It really comes down to who's interviewing.

In regards to telephone skills--are you interviewing for a PA sort of position? If that's the case it will be in some format of "You received a call from a person you don't know and you don't know if your manager knows requesting a meeting. What do you do? "

I don't think they'll actually put you on a telephone and have people call you (frankly because nobody has the time to do that) but it may be a written test asking "what do you do if..." types of questions.

I've worked (yonks ago!) as a receptionist, and as a PA/EA, etc., and if this the type of position you'll be interviewing for the telephone skills come down to:

1) Do you have a pleasant manner whilst answering the call?
2) Can you decide if a call is urgent or not, and after that decide what is the course of action. (Alert your manager immediately, take a message, etc.)
3) How do you deal with ambiguity? Many times people call requesting a meeting (90% of the time and money spent in the NHS admin side is dealing with meetings). Do you put meeting in your manager's diary right away, or suggest that you will return the call after consultation with your manager as there may be someone more suitable to meet with?

Just off the wall, do you know how to deal with telephone scammers? Telemarketers? Google "Photocopier Scams" and be prepared to be astonished at the shenanigans going on!