At JDI, we are frequently filling Executive Director searches for senior living communities. The requirements of this job depends on the current needs of the residents and staff. On paper, ED responsibilities include budget management, maintaining and increasing occupancy and managing staff. However, this role requires a flexible and adaptable mindset.
Because of this, hiring managers are particular about choosing the right management for their facility. The job interview is the most important step during the recruitment process for this role, as it’s your best chance to show that you have the capabilities of excelling in the role.
Here are some common questions you may be asked:
Why do you want to work with seniors?
“Why are you interested in this position?” is sure to come up in ANY interview. This job, however, requires working with seniors, so they want the question make be specific enough to gauge your passion for the industry. This is your time to explain what motivated you to apply and why this position makes sense for you. It shouldn’t be hard to do a little soul searching to figure out why you chose the senior living sector. This is also a good place to insert a personal anecdote if you have one.
An appropriate answer could be something like:
“Working in senior living gives me the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. Elderly patients and nursing home residents need the services you provided in communities like yours. I’ve been interested in working in an executive position at [company name] for some time now, so I was excited when I heard you guys had an opening. For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than working with the elderly.”
Can you rate your communication skills, with examples?
Communication is an important attribute in any manager. As an ED, you’re going to be required to wear many hats and juggle around various departmental issues. How you streamline communication can make or break the whole interview.
If you’ve struggled with communication, recognize your downfalls, and explain how you’ve been working to improve.
“I rate myself an 8/10 because I consider myself a strong communicator, but like a lot of people, I have things to learn. I am always striving to improve my communication skills because it’s the foundation of a successful team. As a General Manager in hospitality, I’ve developed strong interpersonal skills to keep guests and employees happy. I’ve written and given presentations to company executives and employees that have enhanced my communication skills over time.”
If you could increase public awareness on any health-related issue, which would you choose?
Talk to the interviewer about the areas that bring passion to you, especially if it’s related to seniors. Is there a particular issue that you wish the general public knew more about?
“There are so many healthcare issues that I am passionate about. In particular, I wish that people were more aware of the signs of depression in seniors. It’s a health issue that isn’t talked about enough. With more awareness, we can take more measures to prevent it.”
Tell me about a time when…….?
“Tell me about a time you disagreed with your supervisor?”
“Tell me about a time you had to discipline an employee?”
“Tell me about a time you had to handle a customer complaint?”
For many hiring managers, the “tell me about a time” questions are the building blocks for the interview. Be prepared to pull a few stories from your hat. It’s unsatisfying to interview someone that doesn’t have stories to back up their claims, so make sure to have some. In each of these questions, the interviewer is trying to learn something from the candidate. They may want to know how well you work with others, how you handle conflict, or how well you work under pressure. You’ll want to follow the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer the question.
You won’t be able to predict all of them, but if you can think up these stories beforehand, you may be able to morph these scenarios into almost any question:
- A time you made a mistake at work and fixed it.
- A time you had to meet a tough deadline.
- A time you had a conflict with a colleague or supervisor and had to resolve it.
- A problem you fixed because of a miscommunication.
“In my previous role, I was put in charge of transferring the sales department to a new CRM system, while simultaneously bringing in new hires and restructuring several of our departments. I have to ensure that the new database was implemented seamlessly by Q2, without impacting my performance. In order to do this, I reorganized my schedule and allotted time specifically to work on CRM migration every day. As a result, the transfer was completed by the deadline and I exceeded my sales goals from the previous quarter.”