With high turnover and staff burnout sweeping the healthcare industry, medical practices have sped up and expanded their recruiting efforts, hoping to secure the right team for the long term. If you’re a medical office manager that’s caught in this hiring whirlwind, you’ll want to follow these best practices to ensure you’re not only attracting motivated candidates but also selecting the most qualified, patient-focused members for your team.
How to Boost Your Employee Selection Process
Going through the hiring process only adds to your ongoing workload, which can easily lead to focusing on “filling seats” instead of being diligent about finding the best talent.
Here are a few best practices to help you select the right team members.
1. Start by rejecting resumés that are sloppy, incomplete, or improperly written.
2. Rate each applicant as an A, B, or C based on their resumé, letter, work experience, and education. This will help prevent having to re-read resumés unnecessarily.
3. Conduct an initial screening to see how they can handle themselves over the phone and to narrow down your selection.
4. Schedule a second interview and conduct it in private. Use this interview to expand on interview questions and/or to meet your team. Aside from being qualified, you want the candidate to be the right fit for your team as well.
5. Ask opened ended questions, so that the candidate is encouraged to talk, give examples, or share stories of handling conflict or problem-solving. These questions also let you get to know the candidate and see if they fit the team dynamic at your practice.
6. Ask job-related questions only to ensure you maintain an environment that is fair and legal during an interview. Read our blog for examples of questions that spell trouble.
7. If you’re unsure about hiring a candidate after two interviews, consider having them meet the team or have another manager conduct a third interview.
8. Check references on candidates being considered for hire. This could screen out candidates who are dishonest or have serious problems that are not addressed in interviews.
9. Make a decision and offer as soon as possible. Chances are candidates are job hunting and may have their options open. Avoid losing top talent due to a complex hiring process or worse yet, procrastination.
10. Keep the paperwork on your second-choice candidate for a period of time in case for some reason the first applicant does not show or simply does not work out.
Hire the Best for Your Practice
From recruiting candidates to making an offer, learn how to advance your hiring process when you enroll in our Medical Office Manager Certification program. Not only will you elevate your skills in personnel management, but you'll also receive instruction and guidance in practice management, financial management, compliance, and managed care delivery system.
Learn more about our CMOM program and enroll today!