Everywhere you turn these days, Help Wanted signs decorate the scenery. Doctors’ offices are no exception, and many are struggling to fill essential staff positions. According to Monster.com, you shouldn’t be tempted to hire the first person who walks in with a pulse. Develop a strategy using these tips:
Give it the time it deserves. Firmly set aside time in your schedule to be part of the process. Don’t be rushed during a face-to-face interview because you have been double-booked and don’t skip over any part of the process like follow-up interviews or reference checks. Also, allocate time to identify appropriate outlets to post your Help Wanted ad.
Craft a clear job description. You will save yourself a lot of time and headaches if you make it clear to potential candidates what the position requires. This means writing up a detailed job description that truly gives a candidate insight into their day-to-day responsibilities as well as the overall atmosphere of the practice. If you hire a laid-back scheduler without letting them know that your practice can be an active and even stressful environment, this person will run for door soon after they start.
Get feedback from current staff. Find out what your current staff needs help with and add those skills to the qualifications. Also, if you are hiring for a position that has a counterpart, ask that person what they think the greatest challenges are in the position—this will help you craft your interview questions.
Budget appropriately. Fast food restaurants are offering $20 per hour in some locations. Keep this in mind when you are budgeting a salary for your new hire. Also, be sure to highlight all the perks and benefits you can offer a new employee such as vacation time, health insurance, and flexible scheduling when appropriate.
Hire for the long-term. There is nothing more costly and time-consuming than a revolving staff. This means more training time, more disruption, and potentially more risk as newbies are not as familiar with procedures and regulations. Beware of resumes riddled with job hopping and students looking for temporary employment. Although they may be great people, their chances of moving on are high.
