(And a Few You Should Ask)
By Ivan Bartolome, President & CEO, HealthSearch Partners, Neill Marshall, Chairman, HealthSearch Partners, and David Clark, Vice President, HealthSearch Partners
If you’ve made it to a search committee interview, expect to be asked some version of the same core questions because they work. These questions aren’t designed to trip you up, they’re designed to reveal how you think, how you lead, and how well you fit into the culture and the organization. After reviewing dozens of past search committee guides, here’s what you’re most likely to face and how you should think about answering.
What You Should Expect
These questions tend to fall into a few predictable but important categories:
General Background
- To what do you attribute your professional success?
- What are you most proud of in your current role?
- What are your core values?
- Tell us about a significant mistake or learning experience.
- What is one area you’d still like to grow in?
What they’re looking for: Self-awareness, humility, maturity, and a clear value system. Don’t give platitudes. Ground every answer in real examples.
Strategic Thinking
- What is your vision for our organization over the next 5 to 10 years?
- What would be your top three priorities in the first 90 days?
- Tell us about a strategic initiative that succeeded — and one that didn’t.
- How do you lead organizational change?
What they’re looking for: Strategic agility, long-term thinking, realism. Bring clarity, not clichés. Tie your examples to outcomes.
Board Relations
- What’s your philosophy of working with a board?
- How would a previous board chair describe you?
- How do you prefer to communicate with a board?
What they’re looking for: Someone who respects governance but knows how to lead. Demonstrate communication skills, collaboration, and mutual accountability.
Physician Relations
- What’s the key to a successful physician-administration relationship?
- How would members of the medical staff describe your leadership?
- What does physician alignment mean to you?
What they’re looking for: Authentic physician engagement. Not “managing doctors,” but partnering with them.
Executive/Employee Leadership
- What’s your management style?
- How do you improve morale and drive performance?
- How would your current team describe your leadership?
What they’re looking for: Culture builder, team developer, decisive but collaborative leadership. Give stories that show it, not just say it.
Quality, Safety & Patient Experience
- What role have you played in quality improvement?
- What’s your track record in patient satisfaction?
- How do you balance efficiency with safety?
What they’re looking for: Accountability and passion. Don’t defer to “the team.” Tell them what you did.
Financial & Operational Acumen
- What are the keys to financial success in today’s healthcare environment?
- How do you view budget-setting?
- How do you balance labor productivity with care quality?
What they’re looking for: Command of the numbers and the mission. They want a steward who can drive margin without losing the mission.
Personal Fit
- Tell us about your family.
- What would relocating mean to them?
- What are your hobbies or passions outside work?
What they’re looking for: Willingness to commit, authenticity, a well-rounded leader who fits their community.
What You Should Ask
When it’s your turn, don’t ask about next steps. Use your time to show curiosity, insight, and strategic thinking. Here are a few examples of thoughtful, open-ended questions:
- “What are the top two or three strategic challenges the organization is facing right now?”
- “How does this organization measure success — and how aligned is the leadership team around those metrics?”
- “What do you see as the cultural ‘must-haves’ for a successful leader here?”
- “How would you describe the relationship between the system and the community it serves?”
After you ask, respond, briefly. If they mention a challenge and you’ve led through something similar, offer a short example, but don’t hijack the conversation.
Final Thought
This isn’t just about giving the “right” answer. It’s about delivering it with clarity, presence, and a story that sticks. Preparation wins this room — not polish alone. Be ready to answer the obvious, the unexpected, and the important.
Up next: Part 5 – Search Committee Nightmares: What Not to Do (Real Stories, Real Lessons).
