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How To Assess and Hire a New Coordinator

NIMICT Original

How to Assess and Hire a New Coordinator

  • Interview questions for someone who has no prior clinical experience
    • Why are you interested in this position?
    • What do you know about clinical research?
      • Is the person knowledgeable about the purpose and significance of clinical research?
      • Does the candidate seem enthusiastic about clinical research?
    • What medical areas interest you?
      • Do the candidate’s interests overlap with the clinical trial in question?
    • What are your future career goals?
      • Does the candidate demonstrate long-term interest in medicine and/or research?
      • If the person is invested in the fields of medicine and research, he or she may be equipped to successfully conquer the steep learning curve of coordinator training.
  • Interviewee has previous experience
    • Why are you interested in this position?
    • What types of trials have you been involved with in the past?
      • Do the candidate’s previous experiences overlap with the clinical trial in question?
      • If not, does the candidate seem willing to learn about a new type of clinical trial?
    • What have you learned from your previous experience(s) as a clinical research coordinator?
      • The candidate should be able to provide concrete examples and discuss the lessons they learned.
    • What are your future career goals?
    • Do you have other experiences in a clinical research setting? Please explain.
      • Examples may include recruitment experience, experience dealing with budgets and contracts, and experience training other staff members.
  • Qualities to look for in a potential coordinator
    • Prior knowledge or demonstrated willingness to learn
    • Autonomy
    • Readiness
    • Ability
    • Motivation

*TIP: Interview 10 qualified applicants for every one person you want to hire.

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