Series - Part 3 of The Power of the Interview Process

KDR Team • September 8, 2023

Series - Part 3 of The Power of the Interview Process

Creating a Connection: Storytelling Magic

Welcome back to our blog series on utilizing your interview process to showcase your job openings and company culture. In the first two installments, we explored ways to convey your values and brand and how to set the stage for an impactful interview. In this post, we're diving into the heart of building connections – storytelling and well-crafted questions.

Storytelling is a powerful tool for creating an emotional connection with candidates. Sharing stories about your company's successes, challenges, and culture can help potential candidates visualize themselves as a part of your team.

Before you even begin crafting your interview questions, begin by identifying the key values and behaviors that define your company culture. These may include things like collaboration, innovation, teamwork, or customer service. Then think about specific examples of when these values were demonstrated in the workplace. Consider success stories, challenges overcome, and unique experiences that set your company apart. Use these ideas and themes to craft and design questions that will help you assess whether or not the candidate embodies these same values.

Here are a couple of our interview questions so you can start to see what I mean. “As we mentioned in our email, one of our core values is having transformational experiences with our patients and coworkers, rather than just transactional. Can you tell us about a time you had a transformational experience with a customer, patient, or team member in a previous job? How did you know it was transformational?”

Here’s another example, “As a private practice, we are lucky to be able to implement strategic changes relatively quickly and you might remember, being strategic is another one of our core values. Sometimes people can get uncomfortable embracing an organizational change, because even a positive change can be challenging. Please describe a time when you supported an organizational change in a current or past position.”

If one of your core values is collaboration, you could ask something such as "In our organization, collaboration is something we value. Can you describe a time when you worked on a team to accomplish a goal, and what role did you play in that team?" This question will help you assess the candidate's ability to work collaboratively and give you an idea of how they approach teamwork.

Bottom line, ask questions that push the candidate to tell a story so that you and the applicant can visualize how they will perform within your culture.

To end our interviews, we give applicants the opportunity to ask questions as well as review our comprehensive benefit package so they hear about the perks we offer and professional development opportunities. We aim to help them to understand that when comparing offers from other potential practices, it’s not just a comparison of wage per hour, but the entire package and culture that your practice has to offer.

Communicate clearly when you bring the interview to a close. When I say communicate clearly, I mean be transparent about the hiring timeline and next steps in the process. Let candidates know when they can expect to hear back from you when a decision has been reached and stick to those timelines as closely as possible. And after a candidate takes the time to interview with your practice, show them that you appreciate their time and effort. A simple thank-you can go a long way in making a positive impression.

As we wrap up this post on how to connect with applicants through storytelling and well-crafted questions, we invite you to join us for the fourth and final installment of our series. In the next blog, we'll delve into the post-interview phase, where you'll discover how to build lasting relationships and further nurture the connections you've created with your potential new hire.

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Common Language Tool: The Ice Cream Truck Analogy

By David Bauer • January 15, 2026

One of the most common leadership challenges we see across organizations is under-communication. It rarely shows up as silence. It shows up as assumptions.

Common Language Tool: “Now, Soon, Later”

By David Bauer • December 22, 2025

If you’ve ever been in the middle of managing something truly urgent and had a team member approach you with what felt like a small concern, you know the tension I’m talking about. You’re triaging an urgent patient situation. A serious operational decision is unfolding. Your brain is fully in Fast Think mode. And suddenly, someone is standing next to you asking about next week’s schedule, a minor process question, or a frustration they want to talk through right now. So you told the truth, you didn’t have time. Later, you find out they felt dismissed. Or unheard. Or confused about why you didn’t seem willing to help. No one did anything “wrong,” but the disconnect still created friction. This is exactly where shared language matters. In earlier blogs , we talked about why a common language on a team is essential and how understanding Slow Think versus Fast Think helps teams work more effectively together. This tool builds on both of those ideas. The reality leaders don’t always say out loud: Many leaders, especially in healthcare, wear multiple hats at the same time. For example, you’re often switching between three distinct roles: Doctor Entrepreneur Leader The challenge is that those hats don’t always change on command. When you’re deep in your doctor role, managing a retinal concern, an acute red eye, or an unexpected complication, it can be genuinely hard to pivot immediately into your leader role and give a team member the time and attention they deserve. That doesn’t mean their concern isn’t important. It means the timing isn’t aligned. Most frustrations on teams come down to misaligned expectations, not bad intentions. I ntroducing the “Now, Soon, Later” language: “Now, Soon, Later” is a simple prioritization tool that gives teams shared language around timing without minimizing importance. The core question is: “Is this a now, a soon, or a later thing?” That’s it. Simple. Powerful. When leaders consistently use this language, a few important things happen. First, it reminds your team that you are balancing multiple roles and responsibilities in real time. If you can’t address something immediately, it’s not because it doesn’t matter. Second, it reassures them that there is a reason you may need to wrap up a conversation quickly or defer it altogether in that moment. Third, it gives them a framework to think through when and how they bring things to you. Over time, people naturally start to self-prioritize before interrupting. What this sounds like in real life: You might say: “I want to hear this. Is this a now, soon, or later thing?” “I’m in a now situation clinically. Can we put this in the soon bucket and circle back?” “This feels like a later conversation. Let’s find a time where we can both be present.” And yes, sometimes you may need to gently recalibrate expectations after the fact. That could sound like, “I’m not sure we’re on the same page yet about what counts as a now versus a soon. Let’s talk through that.” For this tool to work, follow-through matters. If you put something in the “soon” or “later” bucket and never come back to it, trust erodes quickly. The language only works when your actions reinforce it. Circling back doesn’t have to be elaborate. Even a quick: “Hey, you mentioned this earlier. I wanted to make sure we reconnect on it.” This language isn’t just for deflecting interruptions. It’s also a powerful way to show respect for your team’s workload. For example: “Susie, I have a few projects I’ll need from you, but none of them are a now. Let’s find a time that works with your current priorities to talk through them.” This approach acknowledges their capacity, avoids urgency inflation, and sets the tone for thoughtful planning instead of constant reaction.

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