In the current talent market, it is hard to find talented physical therapy candidates. Hiring the right people is essential to elevate your practice for the future. Make sure you are asking the right questions when interviewing.
These are interview questions to assess hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Make Sure to Ask Physical Therapy Candidates These 5 Interview Questions
Why Do You Want to Work as a Physical Therapist?
With this question, you want to know if the candidate has compassion, a desire to help others, and is comfortable working one-on-one with patients. The answer can give you an understanding of the mindset of the therapist and their feelings about the position and their career path. In physical therapy and the health care industry, you want a potential hire to have compassion and a desire to help others. Applicants with a genuine desire to help others will stay longer than those seeking a paycheck.
How Do You Develop Treatment Plans for Patients?
This question is fantastic for gaining insight into what techniques a therapist is comfortable with and how they view treatment. The query can help you understand their interaction with patients at the first session and if the approach will fit your facility. Who knows? They might have a new system that benefits your staff. Look for ideas that blend well with your current strategy, a patient-focused mindset, and flexibility.
How do You Handle a Struggling Patient?
This answer explains how the candidate interacts with patients, especially when things get complicated. Understanding how the candidate interacts with patients can help you understand if they are a good fit. Look for a compassionate approach, flexibility in treatment planning, and the ability to encourage patients.
How do You Measure Patient Success?
This query helps gauge a candidate’s soft skills and attitude toward working with patients. This question is also suitable for determining if the candidate will strictly adhere to the policy or adapt to the patient’s unique needs. Pay attention to the presence of compassion when setting goals and adaptability for individual needs.
How Can You Improve as a Therapist?
This question allows you to identify potential weaknesses in a candidate. It lets you know if a candidate is aware of their shortcomings and is willing to overcome them for success. Candidates who recognize the need for additional training and learning can become stronger therapists. Look for:
- Awareness of any weaknesses
- A willingness to continue learning
- A need to overcome shortcomings to achieve success
How Can You Handle a Patient With Unreasonable Therapy Goals?
A physical therapist is responsible for motivating patients and ensuring they don’t get hurt. This question can help you measure a candidate’s experience and ability to help patients set healthy goals. Please pay attention to their interpersonal communication skills, their use of positive language, and gauge their previous professional experience.
Ready to Find the Perfect Candidate?
While these questions can help you identify the right fit, sometimes, you need a little extra help attracting the right physical therapy candidates to your open jobs. We can help! Work with myPTsolutions to find the perfect candidate for your practice.
