Measuring Ethical Standards for a Medical Interview

July 25th, 2014

Ethics in any field are important but they are usually simple to navigate in the business field. The right decision is easy to arrive at when it deals with right and wrong such as cheating, lying, or stealing. In the medical field, however, the lines are less clear and many of the opinions held by those in the medical field will differ. While everyone agrees stealing is wrong in business, issues like abortion and euthanasia can present a controversy for those in the medical field. When you are interviewing possible candidates for a medical position, you need to ask the touch questions but keep in mind there is a difference between ethical standards and moral opinions.

Asking the Right Questions
You may personally want to know the candidates stand on hot-button topics but going straight down a list of issues won’t give you a well-rounded idea of who they are and their ethical standards. The idea behind the ethical questions is to gage their reaction when faced with something controversial or something non-standard. Medical professionals should know and understand their duties but sometimes their personal feelings or ideas can cloud their judgment. That is where you want to know how they would react. Even if you don’t agree with their answers, it is critical to see why they feel or chose a certain action as that will point to their ethics. It shouldn’t be a textbook answer or what they think you want them to say but rather how they really feel.  Knowing what to ask can yield the right answers and provide insight into the candidate on a deeper level.

Listening to the Answer
As the interviewer, you are listening for more than just a response. You need to know why the candidate chose a particular decision and the facts they use to support their answers. If they simply have an opinion without reason, their resolve may not be at the right level for your organization. You want a candidate who makes decisions based on facts and what they know at that time. Medical professionals will be faced with difficult decisions on a daily basis and if they are not able to these questions in an interview, what will happen when they are under extreme pressure? Your duty to listen to what they are not saying and even their body language will provide a large deal of information to you. Candidates who fidget and don’t seem comfortable with their answers may not know their own opinions or cannot think critically to make a decision. Ideally, the candidates should have resolve and know where they stand before faced with a tough decision.

Looking to Hire in 2014?
If you’re looking to add members to your current staff, contact the experienced medical recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce Corporation. Experts in staffing San Antonio, we have the team on hand to assist you with your hiring initiatives. Contact us today for more information!

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