Hiring for the open positions at your practice can be time-consuming and frustrating. What are some tips to make the hiring process less stressful and find employees who are going to be the right fit for your practice for the long haul? Here are five tips on how to hire in a competitive market.
Consider your previous hiring history
Before you try to reinvent the wheel, look at what’s worked well for your practice in the past.
Consider your current employees and how they came to your practice. Are there consistent patterns in the referral sources of your top-performing and longest-lasting employees? Are there job posting sites or staffing firms that have provided you with some of your best employees? Previously successful hiring methods may continue to provide the best candidates in the future.
Also, review hiring methods that either didn’t produce results or didn’t produce high-quality employees and consider skipping these. Focus the most resources on what has worked well for you and don’t waste time on what hasn’t worked. It is not necessary to post your open positions on every job site.
Consider your reputation as an employer
Potential candidates have several options to “interview” your company before they even apply. Websites such as Indeed and Glassdoor offer company reviews from current and former employees. Periodically check for any postings about your practice and ask current employees to write their reviews. Give employees the context that these reviews can influence whether people apply and, ultimately, how long it takes to fill an open position.
Also review your website and social media accounts from the lens of a job seeker. Are you communicating that your practice is a great place in which to work? Your practice’s online reputation influences not only prospective and current patients, but job seekers as well.
Review the job description
Make sure the job’s requirements are reasonable. Ask your staff members to weigh in on the requirements and responsibilities they view are most important for this position. You’ll cast a wider net of available candidates if the job has fewer requirements and seems doable, not daunting.
Use the job description as a way to engage the applicant. Give the applicant a vision for what they could do in this position and how they contribute to a greater purpose, such as helping people look and feel their best.
Also consider working with a human resources consultant or recruiter to determine if the job description and proposed compensation are attractive. The job market has changed considerably in recent years, so keep in mind that the compensation you have offered in the past may not be enough in this competitive landscape.
Be certain of your hiring needs. Ask yourself and your staff if your practice truly needs this position or if an alternate position would be of greater benefit. Rethink whether the positions you truly need require in-house presence or if they can be completed offsite. If you do need help in a particular area that doesn’t require in-office work, consider outsourcing or remote work opportunities.
Make applying easy
Looking for a job is a lot of work. Do what you can to make the application process easier. Post your position on online job sites so that some of the candidates’ information will populate automatically. Also, take a fine-tooth comb to your application. Remember that you may frustrate job seekers with unnecessary questions. You don’t have to ask all your questions up front. You can ask any additional questions that you have once the candidate is farther along in the process.
Be sure to respond quickly to interested candidates so that they don’t lose interest. Your eagerness to interview them communicates how much they should be eager about this position. In a competitive job market, you may find that you lose out on the best candidates if you don’t move quickly. When you have an open position, carve out time in your day for reviewing applications and resumes, and contacting potential candidates.
Consider alternative sources
You may find that your tried and true methods of recruiting just aren’t working. Consider alternatives, such as whether you could promote one of your current staff members to the open position. This is a great option if you’re trying to fill a niche role. Your own staff has the advantage of understanding the culture and expectations of your practice, and that counts as some aspect of experience.
Many experts recommend referral bonuses for employees. Your employees often have a good idea if someone they know personally has a work ethic and attitude that are compatible with the practice. Rewards can include gift cards or bonuses for employees who refer candidates who are still employed after a set term.
Some practices also market open positions to patients. This is a free pool of applicants that has an inside look at life in your office and who also may provide you with leads on other available candidates. Common ways to invite patients to apply are via email blasts, in-office signs and on social media.
Think creatively about which candidates may have an interest in working in a medical practice. Consider recruiting students in healthcare professions to gain experience through a paid position in the medical field. Also consider if experience is necessary for the position. For example, can you teach someone who is in the service industry or sales to complete the medical intake? Such creativity can open up an entirely new pool of applicants.
Keep the long game in mind when recruiting. It may take some time and investment to find quality candidates, but the right candidate could become one of your highest valued and longest lasting employees. Recruiting is a lot of work, but the potential payoff is worth it.
