Simplify the Hiring Process with These 5 tips:
On a weekly basis I receive calls from members who are looking for a new Office Manager, Medical Director, or staff member to fill a vacancy in their aesthetic medical practice. Sometimes the hiring process is simplified by the fact that an existing employee can refer an interested colleague to fill the position or the Office Manager or physician already has a relationship with someone who would be a good fit for the practice. However, more often than not, the individuals I speak with find that hiring the RIGHT person for their practice is a major challenge!
How quickly can I fill the position so that I don’t lose business? How do I find a person who is willing to work the schedule I require? How will I find an employee who fits in with our culture and wants to remain with us long-term?
These questions plague every person who is tasked with the responsibility of finding new talent!
As employee retention can sometimes be as important as patient retention, it’s critical to consider the hiring process as part of your long-term growth strategy. While you can never fully avoid the possibility of employee turnover with any new hire, there are several simple rules you can follow to ensure that you mitigate this risk before and during the hiring process:
- Finding the right candidates: As I mentioned above, the hiring process may be shortened or simplified if you use your existing network to find the right candidate. If you value your existing employees and trust their judgement (which you should if you trust them with your patients), consider them a great resource for connecting you with like-minded prospects. Perhaps they worked with someone in a previous position who they think would be a perfect fit? Don’t forget to involve your vendors in this process. Sales reps generally have large networks and speak with dozens of clients on a daily and weekly basis. If someone is looking for a position in your area and industry, they’d be the first to know!
- Use the Strengths-Based Hiring Process: You’ve probably heard of SBR or Strengths-Based Recruitment. That’s because a number of major companies are incorporating this method into their hiring process. The Strengths-based approach focuses more on understanding the person, and understanding what they do well. SBR also discovers a candidate’s interests to find out not only what a person is qualified to do, but what they like doing, and whether they’ll enjoy your organization & their role to perform better. You’ll prepare yourself for higher retention if you hire with your candidate’s interests in mind. This will also provide some insight into how to motivate and retain that employee at a later time!
- Hire for Attitude, Teach for Skills: A perfect example of this occurs when hiring to fill a front desk coordinator or receptionist position. Aesthetic Medical Practices in particular tend to find front desk candidates who have a lot of enthusiasm for the industry, but not a lot of experience in it. With that said these people sometimes make the best employees because they’re willing to train and learn to keep their position or to move up the ranks in your organization!
- Match the talents of your candidates with the needs of your business: Ninety-eight percent of candidates believe that an employer recognizing their strengths is important—so if you want to start off on the right foot with your new employee, find someone whose strengths match your needs. If you need someone who’s efficient with technology and can properly interact with patients, consider only those candidates who have previous experience with the technology you use (or are quick learners) and those with a great personality!
- Finally, assess the status of your organization. Why are you hiring a new employee? When you’re considering adding personnel which means adding payroll and additional costs, you should ask yourself several questions. Are you utilizing your employees properly and are your methods effective? You may find that one or more of your staff members are spending time browsing the internet when they could be doing more productive tasks. Can your business needs be met by and independent contractor or temp? Keep in mind that a personnel change may be a good time to revisit your organizational structure!
