Why do you want to work here?

WhyA seven-word question that is one of the most important that a potential employer should ask.

That three-letter word “why” is so powerful.  It is amazingly global because it touches on the culture and values of the organization, the candidate’s value proposition — why should we hire you, what can you do for the benefit of the organization — and integrity.

For the employer to get the needed answer to that question the candidate must be given a depth of information covering operations, finance, challenges, and opportunities for success. But the most important information he or she should be given is the organization’s culture/values profile.  They need to understand what they are getting themselves into operationally and financially, but to avoid failure because the individual did not fit in, the employer will have to provide them with that cultural/values assessment.

That doesn’t mean that the candidates will take the information to heart, but to not address these issues in detail before an offer is extended is a critical mistake.

Failure for cultural missteps is a more common reason a new hire does not work out than failure to achieve operational targets.

Miss-hires are an expense healthcare organizations can no longer afford.