3-step hiring process

Optometric Management, Sep 2000 by Green, Pamela

Here's how to determine what you need - and get it.

Sally,

Sally, your receptionist, is bright and bubbly, knows all of your patients' names, their hobbies and their children's favorite toy. She's just handed you her resignation.

In these days of high employment, staff empowerment and flexible work environments, it still seems impossible to avoid high staff turnover. While it provides opportunities for office improvement, it's also expensive. The combined costs of hiring and training a new employee easily can approach thousands of dollars. Therefore, hiring wisely is a practice investment.

Here's a simple 3-step program you can follow when hiring staff.

Decide what you need

No matter how much Sally contributed to your office, you should think of her departure as an opportunity to improve your practice. Ask yourself these questions:

Why is she leaving?You'll often find the answer to this question by conducting an exit interview. Did the employee find a better opportunity or want to go to a better environment? Her answer can give you some insight into needed improvements in your practice.

What does my office need to be more efficient? It Sounds pretty basic, but most people don't ask this question until problems arise. Your practice is dynamic and so are your staffing needs. Take a good look at the way your current office staff works together and identify areas for improvement. For example, consider the impact that increased insurance filing and advanced technology has had on your practice.

After reevaluating your needs, you may discover that you don't have to replace the person who's leaving. Or, you may decide that you need to hire two people for greater efficiency.

Practice consultants have formulas for gauging how efficient your staff is. (To see how your practice stacks up, check out "How to Measure Staff Efficiency" on page 13.)

What will be the new staff member's responsibilities?

Write or revise a job description for each position in your practice. It doesn't have to be complicated, just complete. Make sure everyone knows who reports to whom and who does what.

In our office, we use a grid that lists everyone's position and their primary, secondary and tertiary duties. This ensures that all duties necessary for the practice to operate are always covered. Crosstraining staff also helps by ensuring that employee absences don't affect patient care.

How much can I afford? First, determine your costs for salaries, overtime, bonuses and benefits for your staff. Then determine how much you can afford to spend on new staff and what talent you can reasonably obtain for that amount.

Be sure to factor in whether the position will be exempt or nonexempt from overtime. Non-exempt positions need to be compensated at time-and-a-half for all hours worked over 40 in any work week pot including vacation days, sick days or holidays).

Some experts and industry surveys suggest that the total amount you spend on employee salaries and benefits shouldn't exceed 18% of your practice gross. Local surveys along with Chamber of Commerce information and the local want ads can help you determine if you're within market parameters for wages and benefits.

Another factor to consider is raises, which affect staff efficiency as well as your budget. Basing raises on longevity alone rewards staff for maintaining the status quo. Don't let that be good enough. Instead compensate for exemplary performance through a set pay scale and bonus plan.

Hire the right person for the job

You've established what you need and what compensation you can offer. plow comes the fun part- interviewing candidates.

How do l cut to the chase? Review your job description and list the necessary skills and characteristics the applicant should possess. This helps keep resume screening objective. Once you've chosen several resumes, assess applicants' phone skills, interests and salary requirements through phone interviews to narrow your search even further.

In our practice, one person reviews resumes and screens candidates by phone. Then, she selects two or three applicants for the doctor to interview.

I've narrowed the field but how do I choose the best candidate?Resumes and phone screenings can tell you a lot about potential employees, but that doesn't compare to meeting them in person. It's important to see how applicants relate to you, to other employees and to patients. For this reason, seat applicants in the waiting room when staff members are present and observe their interactions. How applicants interact with your staff often will mirror how they'll interact with your patients.

When interviewing applicants, focus on their skills and attitude, not merely on their resumes. Look for a level of maturity, cooperation, adaptability, initiative, achievement and confidence that fits your needs. Every position has a "best fit" personality type, but you have to look for it.

This is where the 80/20 rule comes into play-talk only 20% of the time; listen to and assess the applicant's responses during the other 80%. Ask open-ended questions and use the interview to let applicants sell themselves to you.