A medical practice is nothing without its employees. In order to have a business that runs smoothly and is ready for anything, you’ll need efficient and capable staff members.
Your office staff will be working directly with patients and family members–many of whom are in the middle of a medical crisis and need delicate handling. Lives are on the line in the quality of your work. This is why finding the right staff is so crucial.
Not sure how to find the right people for the job? Here are some tips to make your office staff hiring process smooth–so you can identify the right candidates for the position.
1. Start With a List
Start by building a wish list of all the qualities that you want to see in a perfect candidate. If you have a job description, start there and build outward.
By having a ‘shopping list,’ it will be easier to identify the candidates that really stand out and check all the boxes that you’re looking for.
Every job in a medical practice requires a variety of skills. Write down everything that your new employee will need to know, minimum education requirements, and don’t forget to include qualities like organization, dedication, and good communication.
2. Creating a Job Description
Now it’s time to create an official job description. Decide what skills and experience you’ll need a candidate to have before they take the job–and what skills you can teach during training.
Your job description should include:
- Primary job function
- Responsibilities
- Education and previous experience
- Skills, abilities, and knowledge
In order to weed out unqualified candidates, put any required experience in the job description. This could be up to several years of customer service jobs, experience with medical software applications, or experience working in another medical facility.
Other factors that you should look for are the ability to be productive, strong customer service skills, good communication, and experience interacting with children, geriatric patients, and patients with mobility challenges or other disabilities.
3. Starting the Recruitment Process
Now it’s time to post the position and start finding your candidates. Before you begin, develop a list of interview questions that you plan to ask.
Be sure to have some basic questions to get a sense of their character, as well as questions more specific to your medical practice. Here are some sample questions you can use:
- Can you tell me about yourself?
- Why do you want to work here?
- Why did you choose to work in the medical field?
- What qualities make you a great (job position)?
- Where do you see your career in five years?
You can also pose questions that include examples of challenges your employee might face in the workplace. Knowing how they would respond or react to these challenges can tell you a lot about how good they are at thinking on their feet.
Then you can start posting your position. Seek out platforms that will attract the most highly qualified applicants. This can include social media, Linkedin, university websites, and national recruitment websites like Indeed.com or Careerbuilder.com.
4. Evaluating the Candidates
Once you’ve posted your job description and application, you can begin accepting candidates. Give yourself a reasonable deadline at which point you’ll start considering applications. Try to identify a pool of qualified candidates that you choose to interview.
First, put aside any applications that don’t meet the minimum requirements. You can also disregard applications with numerous spelling errors or a poorly written resume.
Next, sort your remaining candidates into three groups.
One group is candidates that you don’t want to interview. The other is candidates that you definitely want to interview. And the third group consists of candidates that you are unsure about.
Out of the second and third groups, select several top candidates to contact for an interview.
5. Narrowing Down the List
Once you have the top qualified candidates, it’s time to narrow down the list. Start out with phone interviews.
Listen for good communication skills and ability to think quickly. Also, evaluate the way they discuss their job history–ask about what they learned from their previous jobs and how they plan to apply that to this position.
These are the most valid predictor of future behavior as an employee. Cut down any candidates that struggle to talk on the phone or give shallow, vague answers.
6. Investigating Each Candidate
If the phone interviews go well, bring the top candidates to your office. Ask the prepared questions and include role-play challenge scenarios.
Always check references–and confirm the history of their work experience as well as their performance details. Perform a background check if necessary.
Personality traits should also be included in your consideration. Leadership, integrity, diversity, and high ethical standards are important factors in how an employee will engage with patients and their families.
7. Recruiting the Best Candidate
At this point in the process, you should have narrowed your pool to one or two finalists. You can assemble a panel or committee of highly ranked employees to help you in the final decision.
This is a good time to obtain a criminal background check, examine the references, and verify credentials. Once you’re sure that the decision is right, you can extend a formal offer.
It’s also a good time to start preparing for the employee’s first day. This post offers some tips that can help employees prepare their medical scrubs.
Office Staff Hiring For Your Medical Practice
Finding the right employee isn’t easy. But it’s one of the most important parts of building a successful practice–and you can make the process easier with these office staff hiring tips.
Don’t be discouraged if a candidate doesn’t work out. With enough hard work and dedication, you’ll find the perfect person for the job.
Looking for more tips to take your small business to the next level? Check out our blog to learn more!
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