What can I expect - attending a " Value Based Interview"

[StrawberryYogs]

I am attending a Value Based Interview on Thursday with a children's hospital.

I know the org needs to ensure the integrity of the person, to get a better picture of personal values and beliefs, how the person acts at work, etc, I may need to give answers that say a lot about myself, personality, character, etc.

I am expecting questions like: If X (distressing/alarming situation) occurs at work, home or other place, how would you react, what would you do, what would you feel, what would you say? Is this along the right track? It is different to the normal type of i/v, where most people have a general idea of dos and don'ts and they have time to prepare and rehearse. Does anyone have more general info and tips about what to expect from this kind of i/v? Many thanks.

I am going to be honest and say I have never heard of or come across 'value based' interviewing. I've heard of 'value based management' which is all about making loads of money for shareholders, so I assume it's nothing to do with that, as it's a children's hospital!

Sorry, haven't heard of it. I would always use and recommend competency- or behaviour-based interview techniques, where the interviewers ask for examples of when the candidate has demonstrated that competency or behaviour previously, rather than 'what would you do if' type questions. Even if you are not asked those questions, I would still recommend where possible you answer any questions with real examples of when you have successfully done whatever it is before. Someone who has done it well is always a better bet than someone who thinks they know what they would do, iyswim.

Sorry I can't help you more. Have you thought about giving the HR department a ring and asking them? Just say you understand the interview will be 'value based', but you have not come across that concept as a recruitment method before, are they able to give you some idea of what it entails.

Thanks Flowerybeanbag. I will ring them on Monday. They have sent me info information about the vbi which is quite general and which I described earlier. Reading in between the lines, I think it is a proper test to see reaction that they can make a judgement on, so I don't think they are giving away too much - the questions are probably designed to see how the candidate would cope in emergencies or stressful situations that require quick thinking. Then the org can see what kind of behaviour to expect from them in the job.

It does sound behaviour based/competency. I going to try and think of lots of examples. Still have time. Thanks for your advice - am I right to think HR your line of work & exp?!

You are right!

They will be looking at your personal values and comparing that to the company's values, with the object being to see if you will fit in with the company's culture.

You could for instance be asked do you want to work 9.00am - 5.00pm or would you prefer to work flexible hours etc.

If you read up on the literature for the children's hospital you will probably be able to pick up on their culture. You could then fix it a bit to get the job. However, if you're honest with the interview questions and then you find out later you've got the job then you could view it that the culture of the organisation will match your personal values and as such you should like the environment.

The hospital won't give much away because it isn't a test which you need to prepare for. It is based on your personal perferences (values).

I used to work in Social Services recruiting people to work with children. I vaguely remember there being a recommendation from some sort of review (told you it was vague) about interview content for people working with children.

From my very vague memory, there was an assessment centre comprising all sorts of different exercises and interviews. One of the interviews was with a panel of people and the aim was to assess the candidate's suitability to work with children based on their beliefs and attitudes. This was around the time of the investigations into the child abuse scandals in childrens homes and I think the aim was to sniff out people with dodgy views but also to make the process seem very robust and scare dodgy people off. Not sure if this is the same sort of thing or not.

The NHS is full of jargon. I work for a similar organisation and I suspect that process is about assessing your suitability to care for the specific needs of young people and their carers.

Good luck.