Interview Questions

Assessing knowledge and skills related to cultural competence

Use these sample questions to build interviews that help assess a job candidate’s knowledge and skills related to cultural competence. The questions have not been tested, nor does use of these questions guarantee a candidate is knowledgeable or skilled related to an organization’s specific cultural competency goals.

1. Please share any experience you have in working with individuals from backgrounds different from yours. How would this experience translate to working within a health care environment and with patients?
2. What are some of the challenges you have encountered in working with patients from diverse populations?
3. Do you have experience working with individuals with Limited English Proficiency?
4. What languages do you speak? If language other than English is offered, ask about proficiency (conversational, fluent, read, write, etc.) and if the proficiency has been tested.
5. Have you worked with interpreters? If yes, in what capacity and what was your scope of involvement? Are you knowledgeable about a specific culture such that you could serve a mentor role in teaching other staff about that culture?
6. If you suspected a patient was experiencing challenges (not following treatment plan, missing appointments, etc.) due to cultural preferences, what steps would you take to understand their preferences?
7. Have you ever participated in cultural competency training? Please describe the experience.
8. Have you ever participated, or worked in an organization that participated in a CLAS- or other organization-wide assessment of culturally and linguistically services?
9. How would you go about building rapport with a patient who is from a background different from yours?