Ace Your Ascension Management Interview: Insider Tips and Common Questions

With over 2,600 healthcare facilities in its network, Ascension is one of the largest non-profit health systems in the U.S Landing a management role at Ascension can be a great opportunity to advance your healthcare career However, you’ll need to showcase your leadership abilities and operational expertise during the interview process.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share insider tips and strategies to help you thoroughly prepare for your Ascension management interview. You’ll learn what to expect how to highlight your qualifications and examples of the most common interview questions along with proven answers.

Let’s dive in!

Overview of the Ascension Hiring Process

The hiring process at Ascension typically involves:

• Online application – Submit an application tailored to the specific management role. Emphasize applicable leadership experience.

• Phone screen – A recruiter may conduct a short preliminary interview to discuss your background.

• In-person interview – Expect at least one comprehensive interview, often with your potential direct manager. Some roles require a panel interview.

• Background check – Ascension conducts extensive background checks on all potential hires.

• Reference checks – Your references will be contacted to vouch for your past performance.

• Follow-up interview – Additional interviews with leadership may be needed for senior roles.

• Offer – The process concludes with a formal job offer if you’re selected. Be prepared to make a prompt hiring decision.

Throughout the process, expect interview questions about your specific leadership style, strategies for achieving operational metrics, and approach to team development. Next I’ll share plenty of examples.

How to Prepare for Your Ascension Interview

Thorough preparation is key to standing out among the competition for coveted management roles. Follow these tips:

1. Research Ascension’s values – Understand their commitment to healthcare that works, cares, innovates and empowers.

2. Review your resume – Update your resume to strongly demonstrate applicable management experience and measurable achievements.

3. Prepare examples – Rehearse stories that provide specific evidence of your leadership abilities. Quantify results.

4. Know the role’s responsibilities – Be able to articulate how your background lines up with the role’s day-to-day duties.

5. Review industry trends – Brush up on the latest healthcare challenges, innovations and regulations.

6. Prepare questions to ask – Draft 2-3 thoughtful questions that show your engagement and interest.

7. Dress professionally – Pick an interview outfit that adheres to Ascension’s professional dress code.

8. Arrive early – Leave extra time to get settled and review your notes before the scheduled time.

Taking these steps will help you feel focused and confident going into each interview round. Now let’s look at examples of the interview questions you’re likely to encounter.

Common Ascension Management Interview Questions and Answers

Here are some of the most frequently asked Ascension management interview questions along with strong sample responses:

1. How would you describe your management style and approach?

Focus on empowerment, leading by example, and achieving results through collaboration.

Example: “My management style emphasizes compassionate leadership and empowering staff. I lead by example, modeling hard work and dedication alongside my team. I provide the vision and resources for my team to excel in their roles while encouraging creative input to solve problems. By fostering open communication and recognizing achievements, I build a culture of accountability focused on surpassing our department goals through collaboration.”

2. How do you typically motivate your team?

Discuss tactics like setting clear expectations, providing encouragement and feedback, and recognizing achievements.

Example: “I motivate my team by first setting clear performance expectations and making sure they have the tools to succeed. I maintain an open-door policy for providing guidance and encouragement. When staff are performing well, I’m committed to providing specific praise and pointing out examples for others to model. I also celebrate team accomplishments like achieving safety milestones or patient satisfaction targets. Seeing their hard work contribute to department success keeps motivation high.”

3. How would you handle an underperforming employee?

Highlight objective feedback, performance improvement plans, and working collaboratively to build capabilities.

Example: “If faced with an underperforming employee, I would first aim to understand the context behind their struggles through an empathetic conversation. I would provide concrete, objective examples of where expectations are not being met and collaborate to create a performance improvement plan tailored to their growth areas. This may involve further training, resources, or short-term goals. Throughout the process, I maintain clear communication and check-ins to gauge progress and give timely praise for improvements. My aim is to set them up for success.”

4. Tell me about a time you had to make an important business decision with limited information.

Share your analytical process, prioritization, and how you evaluated the outcome.

Example: “When our hospital unit was facing a potential PPE shortage early in the pandemic with limited supplier information, I gathered our team to analyze usage rates and create projections for future needs across multiple scenarios. I prioritized sourcing additional supplies and identifying alternative solutions to ensure we would avoid disruption to critical services. Through our collaborative efforts, we secured the necessary PPE and had contingency plans to pivot if supplies waned. When important choices have ambiguous variables, I leverage cross-functional input to make deliberate decisions.”

5. How would you improve patient satisfaction scores in your department?

Show you can pinpoint opportunities through data analysis and implement targeted solutions like process improvements or staff training.

Example: “First, I would aggregate the latest patient satisfaction data and feedback to spot priority areas, such as improving bedside manner. I’d engage frontline staff to brainstorm process improvements, like implementing hourly safety and comfort rounds with bedridden patients. For targeted training, I’d conduct roleplaying exercises at our team meetings to practice empathetic patient interactions. I would monitor data over the next quarter to gauge progress and continue iterating. My goal is driving measurable gains in patient satisfaction through data insights, process enhancements and empathetic care training.”

6. How do you ensure your team provides culturally competent care?

Highlight training, resources, and your commitment to diversity and inclusion. Provide examples.

Example: “Providing culturally competent care is a top priority to me. Iensure regular staff training in areas like implicit bias and communicating with diverse patients. When I onboarded at my previous hospital, I created a quick-reference guide of our translation services and religious preferences to keep top-of-mind. During team huddles I reinforce expectations around demonstrating respect for all patients, no matter their background. As a leader, I model these behaviors and hold my team accountable through coaching and celebrating growth. My aim is leading by example to build cultural awareness and deliver patient-centered care.”

7. What experience do you have with budgets and managing expenses?

Demonstrate your ability to manage budgets and identify cost-saving opportunities without sacrificing quality of care. Use examples.

Example: “In my previous manager role, I oversaw a $3M operating budget for my 50-bed unit. I led monthly budget reviews, monitored for variance, and created quarterly forecasts. When a change in treatment guidelines would have increased pharmaceutical spend by 15%, I negotiated with vendors and substituted generic medications when clinically appropriate to maintain expenses. My team now tracks a cost-per-patient metric and diligently manages resources, like limiting unnecessary tests, to provide high-quality, efficient care within budget.”

8. How do you drive continuous improvement in your department?

Discuss processes like audits, performance dashboards, and instilling a culture of improvement. Provide examples.

Example: “Constant improvement is crucial in healthcare. I prioritize lean audits to identify optimization opportunities, like streamlining admission workflows. Our KPI dashboards track metrics like medication errors and lengths of stay to catch emerging issues. At team meetings, we conduct root cause analyses of defects and brainstorm solutions. I also empower frontline staff to suggest improvements. Instilling this culture of shared accountability promotes continuous enhancements. Since implementing these processes at my previous hospital, patient safety incidents declined by 22% over two years.”

9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Demonstrate your passion for progressing into broader healthcare leadership roles at Ascension.

Example: “My goal is to continue advancing as a leader within Ascension. In 5 years, I hope to move from an operational management role into an executive leadership position, potentially at the regional level. I’m deeply passionate about Ascension’s mission to provide compassionate, personalized care that meets the needs of diverse communities. I’m committed to growing my strategic capabilities to help Ascension realize that mission on an expanding scale through transformative system-level leadership.”

10. Do you have any questions for me?

Ask thoughtful questions about leadership development programs, opportunities to collaborate across departments, or how the system navigates healthcare’s biggest challenges.