“How do you handle different levels of power?”
As a therapist or health care worker, it can be very important to know how to handle power differentials, which is the difference in power between a professional and the person they are helping. This can help you give the best and most honest care to your clients and patients. If a potential employer asks you how you handle differences in power in your practice, it’s important to give an answer that shows how serious you are about being professional and how responsible you are for the well-being of others in your role. Reviewing tips on how to answer this question well before your interview can help you make a great impression. “How do you handle different levels of power?”
This article explains why interviewers ask how you handle differences in power, how to give a good answer, and gives examples of answers you can use as guides.
Why do people in charge of hiring ask, “How do you deal with different levels of power?”
When an employer asks how you deal with differences in power, they might be looking for a few things. Here are some reasons why your interviewer might ask you this question:
To make sure you know what’s right and wrong about your job
If you want to work in health care or another field where power differences happen, you need to know what they are and why they matter. A potential employer might ask you about this part of your job to make sure you understand the ethical requirements of the job. It’s important to give an answer that shows you understand the concept and how important you think it is to give clients and patients ethical care and advice.
To find out how you will take care of patients and clients
The interviewer might also ask this question to learn more about how you treat and advise clients and patients. How you deal with power differences says a lot about how you think and act at work. Try to show potential employers that you’re tactful when getting to know clients or patients.
To see how you handle tough situations
It’s important to remember your authority and power in any field where clients or patients depend on you to give them accurate, honest, and useful information. It can be hard to talk about differences in power in a way that is both helpful and kind. Employers can see that you care about helping people in a moral way if you prepare thoughtful answers that show you respect your office and your authority. Take your time when answering questions about this subject because it’s important to say what you really mean, think, and understand.
How to answer the question “What do you do when there are different levels of power?”
Here are some ways to answer this question well if it comes up in an interview:
1. Give your answer a lot of thought.
Think about what you want the interviewer to know about how you deal with ethical issues in your practice before you answer. People need to know what you really think and how you keep professional boundaries, so it’s important to tell them the truth about yourself and do it well. Because talking about power and how you use it in your position is a sensitive topic, give yourself time to think of a good answer that is also honest. If you’re worried about taking too long to answer, you could say something like, “I’m just taking a moment to collect my thoughts because this question is very important to me.”
2. Know the moral requirements of your job
One of the main reasons an interviewer might ask you this question is to see if you realize how much power you have in the job and take it seriously. When giving ethical care, it’s important to remember that the people you’re helping may be in a weak position. Your role gives you knowledge and power, which means that your title can change the environment and the power you have in it. Talk to your interviewer about what that extra power means to you in terms of your responsibilities and what it opens up for you.
3. Explain your approach
Talking about how you handle a session with a patient, an interview with a client, or a professional interaction can tell us more about how you handle differences in power. Tell me how you create safe spaces, give your clients the tools they need, protect vulnerable patients, and keep things in perspective. Be clear on how you use ethics at work and how you use your authority well.
4. Talk about what you do to make sure that your practice doesn’t go too far.
Lastly, tell your interviewer how different levels of power help you do your job. For example, you could say that you help your patients let go of some of their problems or listen to objective advice by using your authority and the trust they have in your knowledge. By recognizing power differences and explaining how you use them to set limits, help others, and encourage healthy growth, you can show that you are a dedicated professional who knows what your role is.
5.How do you deal with differences in power?
Here are some answers to the interview question “How do you deal with differences in power?” that can help you think of your own good answers:
Example 1: Nurse
“I handle differences in power by making sure that my patients know who I am and how I can help them. I want them to know who I am and what power I have over their care, so they don’t have to guess. I usually tell them to ask their doctor a question or that I’m just giving them advice and not telling them what to do.
If a patient seems hesitant to tell me something, I try to explain my ethical commitments to reassure them that I’m a safe person who is there to help. I would never want to use my position to hurt a patient or make them feel too weak or uneasy.”
Example 2: A counselor
“I think it’s important to be careful with power differences. Most of the time, when I have more power, my patients like it. It gives them a chance to unwind and takes some of the pressure off of them to know all the answers. I try to use this power in a responsible way by letting them know they can talk to me without worrying about being judged.
I take my power very seriously and always try to act in a way that makes patients trust me even more. I can take good care of the people I work with by being sensitive, respecting where they’ve come from, and treating everyone equally.”
Example 3: The teacher
“In my job, it’s important for me to set clear limits. Students need to know that I know what I am talking about. I tell them right away that I respect them, and I expect the same in return. I work hard to keep my students’ trust and faith.
I think you can be in charge without abusing your power, so when I teach, I use my credibility, kindness, and empathy. I don’t think I’m good enough to deserve a student’s trust or faith. I work hard every day to make myself a person who deserves it.”
