RN Network wanted to know what Nathaniel Shoshan is passionate about. [Photo: Scott Wiseman]

When Nathaniel Shoshan, a 31-year-old with a degree in marketing from UCF, landed an interview with RN Network in Boca Raton, one of the largest traveling nursing agencies in the nation, the company wanted to know about his job skills, but company interviewers also asked him a lot of “unique” questions. For example: What was he passionate about? When was the last time he did something he was passionate about? What was important to him? And what did he like to do for fun?

Those questions are what Bill Heller, president of RN Network, refers to as a “cultural” interview. “We try to understand the person more than from just their past work experience, initially at least. We feel like we can train anyone who has the right personality,” says Heller. What sort of person is Heller looking for? Someone with good communications skills, empathy, common sense and “good follow-up and follow-through.”

Shoshan aced his interview and has been working at the company for two years, recently as a healthcare recruiter.

The company has a “fun” room with a Wii gaming system, two big-screen televisions, a pool table, table tennis and a couch. Every two weeks, a different employee is designated as “fun czar” and given $100 to use toward doing something fun for employees. During a recent employee appreciation week, the company handed out ice cream sundaes, gave out gift cards, provided free lunch via food trucks and let everyone out at noon to enjoy a pool party at a nearby Marriott hotel. “The positive environment makes you actually miss the office. Those long three-day weekends make you actually want to be back at work,” says Shoshan.