Security Officer
Posted Aug 20, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
This is a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. night shift at St. John's Hospital. What experience do you have with overnight security work?
What they are checking: Whether they can stay alert and effective through long nights in a busy hospital.
Tell me about a time you calmed down someone who was upset without using force.
What they are checking: Proven de-escalation skills, which are used far more often than physical intervention.
Tell me about a time you worked with police, fire or medical staff during an incident.
What they are checking: Teamwork with responders, which happens often at a hospital.
How do you treat families who are grieving or scared while still keeping order?
What they are checking: Empathy and respect while enforcing rules, which fits HSHS's patient-first mission.
What would you do
A visitor in the emergency department is shouting and getting closer to staff. How do you handle it?
What they are checking: De-escalation first, which reflects the MOAB training the role requires.
During rounds at 3 a.m., you find a door that should be locked propped open. What do you do?
What they are checking: Attention to detail on patrols and follow-up so security gaps are fixed.
A patient at risk of elopement tries to leave the building. What do you do?
What they are checking: Knowing how to stop a patient safely and work with clinical staff under hospital policy.
About the work
What's different about security in a hospital compared with other places you've worked?
What they are checking: Understanding that patient care, privacy and vulnerable people change how security responds.
How would you use OC spray, and when would you choose not to?
What they are checking: Judgment on force options, since the role requires OC certification and careful use.
How do you write an incident report so it's useful later?
What they are checking: Clear, factual documentation that can hold up if there is a complaint or legal issue.
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As published by HSHS.