35 Activity Director Interview Questions & Answers

"Probably the most popular activity that we had on our calendar was bingo. There was almost never a day when we didn't have a group of residents wishing to play, and when we added the prizes once a week, even more residents wanted to participate. Bingo was the biggest hit in our building."

"I would immediately notify the nursing staff and call emergency services. I would provide first aid and/or CPR if needed."

"I always made sure that there was space for wheelchairs at the tables when an activity was being set up. I also planned outings that could include those with wheelchairs and walkers, such as boat tours, baseball games at stadiums with handicapped seating, and visits to ethnic restaurants. In addition, for those who could not or did not wish to travel, I used to show travel videos and movies at our facility. Also, exercise was always done with the option of sitting in a chair, so that everyone could participate."

"Yes, I have two questions. First, would I be working with any assistants, and if so, how many? Second, would I be working at all in memory care?"

"I would be reporting to the Program Director."

"I like to act on what needs to be done, rather than letting the stress freeze me up. I usually do not immediately have a strong emotional reaction to sudden stressors, but instead, move to rectify as much of the situation as possible and deal with the stress after the fact. When I do feel myself having a strong emotional response, I know to ask for help from a fellow manager or my supervisor, so that I can take care of my needs and move on to handle the situation as soon as possible."

"I would ask the staff to speak with me in my office, rather than in front of the resident. I would mediate to help them resolve the conflict, if possible. I would also warn that arguing in front of a resident is not appropriate, and I would follow any further policies of the company in disciplining the staff involved."

"I have worked with all ages of adults and children, and while I enjoy working with people in general, this is the population that I have most loved working with. Watching residents' face light up when they hear a song that they love, accomplish a meaningful task, or just plain enjoy themselves is very motivating to me. This is why I am choosing to return to this field and plan to make it my life's mission to serve this population."

"I see myself as having achieved my activities certificate and running a successful activities program."

"My greatest strength is my creativity. I am able to think outside the box and come up with new solutions, which helped me to improve and expand our activities program at __________."

"I have learned that it is best to be open and listen first, in most situations, whether it be with staff or residents. I also like to ask clarifying questions for better understanding. Once I understand the situation and the other person feels heard, then I will proceed to say my part. In addition, sometimes allowing anonymous suggestions and feedback by way of a suggestion box or survey is helpful for communication."

"I am available Saturdays, per the job description; however, I have a standing commitment on Sunday mornings and would not be available until at least 1:00 pm. I am available on most holidays."

"Yes, I have my own vehicle, all of the maintenance is up to date, and I have never had it break down on me. It has been very reliable."

"I would like to expand my education to include an Activities course and corresponding certificate, to broaden my knowledge of how to better adapt activities for seniors as well as improve my management skills. I would also like to have better knowledge of Excel, as I only know how to do some of the functions."

"Yes, I prefer to be more physically active than to sit all day. I can easily stand and walk as needed. I do have some issues with my lower back and cannot lift very heavy objects. This is my only restriction. I will be continuing to exercise regularly to keep healthy and in good shape. I also wear good quality shoes to ensure that I can remain active throughout the day."

"No, I have not had the opportunity to plan an event involving the community. However, I did have the opportunity to participate in such an event before becoming the activities director. This was our annual holiday boutique, which was open to the public. I was able to experience how the activities director at the time managed the event and assist her with making sure things ran smoothly."

"I would periodically survey the residents or have a suggestion box always accessible to them so that I could make sure that we were offering what interests them. I would also find a way to get reminders to those who need assistance remembering the schedule so that they don't miss out on what they want to do."

"After reviewing the activity calendar, I would add some word games and puzzles for the residents to participate in. This could include Scrabble tournaments or Words with Friends online, or even word searches and crossword puzzles that are circulated on a regular basis. If people were not motivated to participate, I might even add prizes to certain activities, as an incentive."

"One thing that I would like to add is the opportunity to go swimming at an indoor facility, as swimming provides the opportunity for those with back or joint pain to be able to exercise comfortably. Another thing that I would do is make available 1, 3, and 5-pound weights or resistance bands for use during chair exercises, to add resistance and build strength. Finally, I would add some scenic walks during the Spring and Fall, perhaps at the Desert Reserve, so that the residents can enjoy nature and get some sunshine during their walks."

"I did take a look at the calendar, and there was a wide selection of activities; however, there are a couple of things that I would implement. First, I would be to make sure that there are options for activities that specifically appeal to male residents. Also, I would take a look at resident demographics to see if any different spiritual opportunities needed to be added; for example, if some of the residents are Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, etcetera, I would research if there was a way to provide opportunities for them to have worship services either on-site or remotely, at least once a month."

"Yes, I occasionally met with family members to discuss how we could better help their loved ones adjust to their new environment. I also had some brief interactions with loved ones when a family member passed away. In all cases, I treated the families with compassion and empathy as was appropriate for the situation."

"If hired, I can start immediately."

"The responsibility that I liked the least was talking with some of the entertainment vendors. Some of them really pushed to come to our facility more often and didn't understand that we rotated through various types of entertainment for the sake of the members. Occasionally someone would become angry or put on a lot of pressure that we weren't calling them as often as they wished, and that was always a difficult conversation to have. I always handled the conversations professionally, however, and never experienced a vendor refusing to work with us."

"Through the years, I have worked with many different populations, and senior citizens are my absolute favorite to work with. These people have so much wisdom to contribute, many wonderful stories to tell, and are so much more energetic than they are given credit for. I truly enjoy working with and serving this population, and nothing makes me happier than seeing someone smile, knowing that I helped them to feel happy in that moment. I truly feel that our seniors have earned the right to live their best life, and I wish to be a part of helping them to do so."

"Friendly, approachable, creative, flexible, open-minded, and intelligent."

"I very much enjoy arts and crafts, spending time with friends and family, and sometimes reading. Human connection is very important to me, so I often combine some of these activities by hosting a craft night with friends or participating in a seasonal book club."

"I have a bachelor's degree in psychology and have plans to enroll in a course to get an activities certificate. I also intend to update my CPR and first aid certification, which is expired at this time."

"I have experience interviewing staff, but as I was new to the hiring process at the time, our director ended up making the final selection. I then was responsible for training our staff member, who eventually took over my position when I left."

"When I was volunteering at _______, I started a Poetry group. Only one person showed up on the first day. While she reported enjoying the activity, she never showed up to another group. In addition, no one else attended any of the poetry groups."

"I regularly added or adjusted activities to suit the needs and desires of the residents. For example, when some residents did not have access to cash or could not afford to spend money on Bingo, I changed our Friday game to a free game where the residents could win small prizes. Also, I changed up the locations of our twice-monthly outings to include places that the residents had never had the opportunity to visit."

"I absolutely loved the times that I have had the opportunity to work with the senior population. At ________, I really got to know a lot of our residents, first during my time as Personal Preferences Coordinator, and then later working in Activities. To me, it was very important to take into account what the residents wanted and needed, as well as to try to keep things interesting for them. Later, when I volunteered at _________, I had the same feeling of satisfaction working with the residents and getting to know them. Getting back into this field is something that I have wanted to do for a long time, and now that we are past the days of locking down for covid, I am hoping to return to doing what I love."

"I believe in treating staff members with respect, leading by example, and learning their individual personalities so that I can adapt my leadership style to help them succeed. I learned at ___________ to be flexible with my approach, in order to help the staff member feel more comfortable."

"I actually have never encountered this issue. The caregivers, office staff, and visiting family members at our facility were always ready to help and encourage the residents to participate. Many staff even helped me to give reminders to the residents that an activity was coming up so that they could participate. If I did encounter this issue, I would talk with the caregiver to discover what the roadblock was, try to work around it, and welcome their suggestions as to what the resident might enjoy better."

"I would immediately report the incident to our program director, as well as the Ombudsman."