Here are thoughts from Local Eye Site on strategies and things to look for while recruiting for a position in your practice.  Paying attention to these details will help you make better hiring decisions.

A contributing factor in differentiating between the mediocre and good candidates is to consider whether or not this person really wants to work for your company, or are they just looking for a job?  A great opening question is “what can you tell me about our company?” or “why do you want to work for our practice?”  Sit back and listen.  I’ve interviewed MBA students with no clue why our company exists or what services we provide.  The silence can be very awkward, but telling.  Conversely, I’ve interviewed candidates that have personally used our site in the past to find work, and later to recruit, and that experience shaped their desire to work for our company.  I believe those kinds of connections, although not always possible, can create a foundation that increases the odds of a long-term fit.

Another great question is “what have you done to prepare for this interview?”  Interview preparedness is also very important to me because I believe it’s a marker of the types of candidates willing to go the extra mile, and sometimes points to those passionate about what you do.  A very prepared candidate can represent a great recruiting opportunity.  Most experts agree that the cost of turnover represents at least 100% of annual salary.  That’s an expense we’d all like to avoid, and one way to decrease the likelihood of turnover is to hire people that are passionate about ophthalmology, and more specifically want to work for your practice.  If your candidate can’t tell you much about how they’ve prepared, or at least a well thought-through reason why they want to work for you, perhaps it’s a sign they are not the right fit, so I would encourage you to proceed with caution.

A great sign of preparedness is when the candidate asks insightful questions.  Good questions from the interviewee can be markers of several things:

1. He or she spent time researching the position.  It’s likely that if you’ve prepared, then a question or two has come to mind.
2. An active mind.  Active minds often have good ideas that can help your business down the road.
3. A candidate with options.  You would expect the best candidates to be sought by more than one practice, and if they have options, they will probably come with questions geared to help them make the right choice.

Cover letters are an old staple that seems to have lost favor, but assuming they are well written specifically for my position, I still like when candidates provide them.  I received one recently that began with “I am writing to express my interest in the Marketing and Sales Support Professional position listed on the LES website.”  The letter went on to succinctly explain how the applicant’s background and experiences translated into an ability to excel in this position.  Call me old fashioned, but this tells me that this is a candidate that actually wants to work for MY company (as opposed to just wants A job), and is probably the type of person that is willing to go the extra mile to do a great job.

I’m also a fan of transparency.  What I mean is that I prefer when people are open about gaps in their resume, or situations they wish had gone differently in their careers.  Let’s face it, most of us have had a professional situation in our past that we’d rather not discuss.  Those struggles don’t have to be a strike against the candidate however because they may contribute to the maturation of the candidate, and how the candidates handles the discussion may help you separate a person’s willingness to be open about their mistakes from those that are more liberal with the truth.

Lastly, give yourself more time to recruit, more experience with the candidate, and when possible, recruit pro-actively.  It’s difficult to find the a great fit for your job, and your company’s culture.  It’s not likely that you can consistently make great hiring decisions when recruiting in a rush.  How many times have you met with your candidate, and have you met with them in different environments?  Have you solicited help from others in your organization with regards to making a decision about this candidate?  Do you have a pipeline of candidates for the future?  Perhaps you could even have a few candidates complete a project for you prior to making the employment decision so that you get a feel for their style.  The more robust your experience with the candidates, the more likely you’ll make the right hiring decision.

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Top Ten Interview Tips from LES

The tables have been turned a bit here at Local Eye Site. Typically, we’re facilitating hiring for our customers, but now we are the hiring party. Over the last few months, we have been interviewing quite a few candidates for a Marketing and Sales Support position we plan to fill in early 2012. We’ve seen a lot, good and bad. Here’s a list of “to-do’s” and “to-don’ts” that every job-seeker should consider.

1. For goodness sake, educate yourself about the company you are interviewing with. If you don’t have a clue what they do, then you might as well go home. Nothing says, “I didn’t prepare for this interview” more than watching a candidate squirm in their seat trying to guess at why your company exists (this is #1 on the list for a reason).
2. Prepare examples of work you’ve done in the past that demonstrate your ability to do this job. If that doesn’t quite do it…
3. Offer to complete a project for the employer at no charge that will prove your ability to exceed their needs. Trust me, that will give the employer a warm fuzzy, and you a leg up on the competition.
4. I want YOU to want MY job. Being prepared, and knowledgeable about a specific opportunity and company is a good sign. Put yourself in the employer’s shoes. Would you rather hire someone that is looking for just any old job, or would you rather hire someone that is actually excited about your company and your opportunity.
5. First impressions are a big deal. Remember, the employer is meeting lots of people, and has to make a tough decision based on limited exposure. Do what your Mama told you…sit up straight, make eye contact, be attentive, be knowledgeable, be excited and give a firm handshake.
6. Write a cover letter specifically to the employer that explains why you are the right person for the job. The cover letter is an old staple, but you would be surprised what a small percentage of job-seekers take the time. If you’re looking for a competitive advantage, here’s an easy one.
7. Come prepared with great questions. It’s hard to believe that you really want this job, but you don’t have a single question about it? I’ve answered every single curiosity or concern…really?
8. Smile. I know you’re nervous, but wouldn’t you rather work with energetic, happy people. I would.
9. Transparency. Maybe I’m not like everyone else, but I want the truth, and I can handle it. We all have something in our professional background that we wish had gone differently. It’s okay. What I can’t deal with is wondering if I can trust someone to tell me the truth.
10. Follow up. Your Mama probably told you to write thank you notes too. Listen to your Mama-she knows what she’s talking about.

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One of the great things about eye care is the opportunity to touch and transform lives through vision.  We love being part of an industry that provides a platform to help others in a way impactful beyond physical provision.  Within the ophthalmic, optometric and optical sectors there are many meaningful endeavors aimed at providing for those without the means to seek vision improving care.  I want to tell you about just one of those, the Lions Eye Clinic in Bonita Springs, FL.

About five(5) Years ago, the Bonita Springs, FL Lions Club elected to commit its substantial resources to the creation of an independent eye clinic for the medically indigent.  The clinic provides comprehensive eye care examinations and therapeutic care for adults and children who have no public or private health insurance and meet the Federal measure with income of <200% of the poverty level guideline.  The clinical and administrative staff is composed of experienced professionals, one of which is Local Eye Site friend, Michelle P. Herrin, COMT, CO.

Michelle approached the LES booth at ATPOs ACE meeting in Orlando this past October to tell us about the Lions Clinic.  The clinic is in need of technical support, like the kind that Michelle provides 2-3 hours at a time.  The clinic is expanding from two rooms to four, so is in need of help from Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Technicians, as well as a need for more equipment.  They currently treat pterygia, but hope to expand to cataract surgery in the future.

We salute Michelle, and the other volunteers at the Bonita Springs Lions Eye Clinic for their healing work, and ask for your support on their behalf.  Is it any coincidence that the Gospels mention Jesus work healing the blind?  In one story, Jesus heals a man that was blind since birth.  The disciples asked why this man had been born this way, and Jesus responded, “so that the work of God may be displayed in him.”  It’s clear that the volunteers at the Lions Eye Clinic are providing more than just vision care.

Healing Work

Care to volunteer at the Lions Clinic, or donate equipment?  Let us know by emailing info@localeyesite.com and put “Lions Clinic” in the subject line.  Thanks!

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Guest Blogger: VisionWeb

It takes a lot of work just to develop, manage, and maintain a practice. So considering what to do when you want to take your practice to the next level can be overwhelming. We (VisionWeb) work with eye care practices every day to help them find and implement solutions that improve their business, so we have been able to pinpoint a few areas of focus that can have a big impact on long-term success. We’ve also been researching and learning about trends and issues, both in the industry and outside it, that are relevant to your practice and can play a role in your success.

1. Have I Embraced Online Claim Filing or Just Accepted It? By now, you get it, filing claims online is efficient and it’s the way of the future. And it’s the way payers want you to submit claims, so you have to do it, right? Well, yes but if that’s you’re feeling about online claim filing, you’re really missing out! The shift to online claim filing has ushered in a new set of tools that you can really use to get to know your practice. That’s what we want you to think about! Don’t just look at online claim filing as a mandated burden; make it really work to your advantage.

Insider Tip: Switching between several sites can be confusing for multiple users, and you miss out on a lot of information this way. Using a single source for claims submission, reports, and remits makes online claim filing work for you and not just payers.

2. Could I Be Getting More Out of My Practice Management Investment? Whether you already have a system, or if you’re thinking about purchasing one, you need to get the most of it! Think of your practice management system as the brain of your practice. Is everyone using it? Are you putting all of the features to good use? Does everyone know how to use it?

Insider Tip: Many systems offer a library of training materials for your staff, which can be invaluable. Find out what’s available so that everyone is trained. These resources may even be free, and that will pay off!

3. Am I Buying the Frames My Patients Can and Will Buy? How often do you re-evaluate your frame strategy? How do you go about selecting frames that your patients will buy? Are you doing anything to make sure that they can buy the frames you carry? Since trends change so often, this is an important area of focus.

Insider Tip: Review of Optometric Business is a great resource for this aspect of your practice. Use their benchmarking data to set goals and evaluate your practice.

4. How Can I Take My Patient Relations From Good to Great? You may be wondering why we would include patient relations in a discussion about practice success, but interactions between your practice and your patients have a direct impact on your bottom line, so you want to make sure those interactions are great, right? After all, happy patients come back year-after-year, and they send their friends and colleagues to you. That’s important when you consider that 36% of consumers report that they found their eye doctor through a referral from a friend or coworker! Relationship building is more important in business today than ever.

Insider Tip: When your staff is happy, your patients will be able to feel it. Fostering a positive environment behind the desk works wonders for customer satisfaction.

5. What Does Social Media Mean to Me and My Patients? Do you know what people are saying about your practice? With the rise of social media, consumers are turning to the internet more than ever to voice their opinions about their experiences with businesses. Having a strong internet presence, and knowing what people are saying about your business, is vital to success. Let them talk about you on Yelp, use 4Square to become a destination, let them get to know you on Facebook, and use Twitter to interact and make lots of new connections.

Insider Tip: Treat social media like an extension of your practice. It’s all about interacting and engaging. You create meaningful relationships when you truly incorporate social media rather than thinking of it as a short-term fad.

It may seem obvious, but it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks, and before you know it a quarter or even a year has flown by. Making a conscious effort to consider your practice and the things your practice needs, on a regular and frequent basis, will work wonders for your practice!

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Many thanks to Duke Eye’s Health Center Administrator, Evelyn Kelly, for her kind words about Local Eye Site. Duke Eye has been a valued customer of LES’ for 4 years.  We very much enjoy working with Evelyn and the whole talented team at the Duke Eye Center!

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iPad2 winner Jennifer Freeman and LES' Bill Valdespino

We had the pleasure of being a sponsor of the JCAHPO and ATPO Annual CE program in Orlando this week during Academy.  I was blown away by the professionalism and enthusiasm of this group despite the fact that it was a weekend, and the 2,500 or so COAs, COTs and COMTs were in a classroom virtually all day.  We spoke directly to hundreds, if not thousands of these pros and the message was similar across the board - they take pride in their skills and in their work ethic.

Medical writer and editor, Barbara Boughton has reported in EyeNet Magazine that “for more than a decade, there has been a shortage of ophthalmic technicians in most cities in the United States. Indeed, it is estimated that there’s a need for an additional 6,000 ophthalmic medical personnel, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives.”

So, given the state of the economy and high unemployment rates, one would think that this shortage would be easing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.  In many of the conversations we had with the techs attending the ACE meetings, we repeatedly heard that they are having all sorts of difficulty finding strong technician candidates. The tone of these conversations is difficult to explain; it was one of pride and accountability. These folks have standards and a work ethic that they expect newcomers to the industry to embrace. They expect their peers to take their skills and certification seriously while representing the profession honorably.

Jennifer Freeman, an Ophthalmic Technician serving at Dover Air Force Base summed it up beautifully as we celebrated her winning the Blackout Bingo Grand Prize. Smith said of her tech career, “I do it because I love it.”

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Dear LES Community,

You may have read some recent news with regards to Local Eye Site (LES), and our new partner, Jobson Medical Information (JMI).  JMI touts more than 50 years in business as the leading information and communications service provider in the eye care industry.  I wanted to communicate directly about this exciting event to be clear about the positive impact this partnership will have on our business, and the service we provide you, our customer.  Press Release

In May of 2010, we announced a relationship with JMI, in which LES would “power” job pages on the websites of well established JMI brands, such as 20/20 Magazine, Vision Monday, Review of Ophthalmology, Review of Optometry, SightNation and Review of Optometric Business.  This relationship established the foundation of the “LES Power Network,” the network of eye care sites to which jobs posted on LES are fed.  Additionally, JMI agreed to provide significant exposure for the LES brand through the vast reach of their electronic and print communications.  The result has been an explosion in volume and targeted exposure of LES jobs and greater amounts of traffic from eye care professionals, resulting in a more powerfully effective product for job-seekers and recruiting organizations.

After more than a year of successfully working with JMI via our original agreement, it became apparent that our synergistic business strategies would benefit from a closer relationship.  Therefore, we gladly welcomed JMI on board as partners in the LES business in September. We are thrilled because we share a vision to leverage technology and industry targeted exposure to provide eye care related organizations with a streamlined staffing solution that gets the job done with unmatched efficiencies.

For nearly four years, the eye care community has embraced the LES mission to build a  solution from the ground up that would revolutionize the way eye care organizations recruit.  I wanted to communicate today, because it’s important to note that our new relationship with Jobson Medical will only enhance our ability to follow through with that mission.  Thank you for your continued support, and for being a part of the LES community.

Sincerely,

Brad McCorkle
Founder
LES

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I was recently reading a report by The Adler Group and LinkedIn’s Recruitment Insights team titled “The Job-Seeking Status of the Fully-Employed.”  The whitepaper included a lot of metrics from a survey they conducted in September of 2010 seeking a better understanding of the job seeking behavior of professionals in the U.S.

83% (4,543 people) of the respondents in the survey categorized themselves as “fully employed,” but not “self-employed.”  The whitepaper then made the statement that “this is the group most companies want to target for hiring purposes.”  We’ll pause here because it’s important to note that there wasn’t anything in the study that backed this statement statistically, it was just an assumption on the part of the writers.  An assumption most likely steeped in experience, but an assumption never the less.  It is a popular notion that the fully-employed are the most desirable candidates, and a fact that the unemployed have more difficulty finding work than the already employed, but it’s worth considering, do the fully-employed always make the best candidates?  My experience is that more times that not, but certainly not an absolute.  I’ll let you ponder that question, and we’ll move on to other findings of the study.

1.  Most fully-employed are not actively looking for jobs, but most are “open to discussing opportunities.”

2.  If someone is actively looking, finding them early in their job-seeking process drives up the overall “quality” of candidates.

3.  If you want to target the fully-employed when you recruit, you aren’t going to find them on “static” job boards.

4.  The more active a fully-employed job-seeker, the more “junior” is their tenure.

5.  The vast majority of fully-employed Senior Managers are not actively looking.

6.  Just because someone is fully-employed, and says they are not looking, that does NOT mean they are completely satisfied with their job.

The predominant message in this piece was, if you want to recruit the fully-employed, passive-seeker then you need to adjust your recruiting strategies in order to target those professionals (and be aware that most of the solutions out there primarily attract the active job-seeker and unemployed).  ”With 60% of the fully-employed professional workforce either “tiptoers” or “explorers,” most corporate recruiting departments need to focus on ways to proactively influence and convert these harder to reach candidates.”

Does that messaging ring a bell?  Since 2008, Local Eye Site (LES) has been committed to and executing upon a strategy that gives employers in the eye care industry a very easy way to recruit both the active and passive, employed and unemployed eye care professional.  Jobs posted to LES primarily reside on localeyesite.com, and we get our fair share of the active job-seeking eye care professionals to our site.  However, what LES provides beyond your posting on localeyesite.com is what truly sets up apart.

The LES Power Network is a collection of industry publications, websites and associations that receive, display and promote a feed of LES’ customer jobs after they are posted on LES.  In addition to representing the industry’s largest audience of ECPs, what makes our Power Network uniquely powerful is that your job is served to ECPs in the places they already congregate for education, information, communication and to stay abreast of industry happenings.  The result, you guessed it, is that LES serves your job to a large audience of the passive and active, employed and unemployed ECPs. All you have to do is post your job on localeyesite.com.  We take care of the rest.

The LES Power Network includes career pages on ATPO/JCAHPO, ASORN, Review of Ophthalmology, Review of Optometry, 20/20 Magazine, Vision Monday Magazine, SightNation, Review of Optometric Business, and more.

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When it comes to recruiting staff for your practice or organization, do you consider the various characteristics and “selling” features of your job.  If not, then you are missing the opportunity to speak the language of many good candidates, and therefore, diminishing the likelihood of landing the best fit.

As you consider this question, remember that most of us have been greatly influenced by the generation we were born to.  Our workplace today consists of at least three generations, the Boomers (born 1945-’64), Gen X (1965-’78) and Gen Y (born in the 80’s or early 90’s).  Like any generation, members of these groups have grown up with influences that have shaped their concerns, values and interests.  Part of this shaping is that the boomers and the subsequent generations think very differently about the workplace.

Independence, flexibility, diversity, and “work-life balance,” are characteristics more likely to motivate Gen X, and to an even greater degree Gen Y.  Gen X and Y individuals typically are not intimidated by technology, can be aggressive, inquisitive, demanding, and predictably will challenge your dress code!  Boomers on the other hand are often most interested in stability, loyalty, traditional management structure, and will probably be more focused, but less likely to be tech savvy.

So, what does this look like when translated to recruiting language?  I found a couple of examples from job postings that I believe exhibit organizations that captured language that will appeal more so with one generation than the other.

Language more likely to resonate with Gen X or Y

“Each of our physicians provide the types of eye care that they feel comfortable with. We have doctors treating cataracts to strabismus, glaucoma to lasik, refracting for glasses to performing retinal lasers, providing contact lenses to blepharoplasties. We provide care to neonates thru centurians in both of our large fully equipped offices.”

Language more likely to resonate with Baby-Boomers

“A career in the Eye Care industry could provide you with long-term employment stability. Proven within our organization, many employees have been here for 10, 20 and some even over 30 years.”

Despite the fact that the oldest group of boomers are reaching retirement eligibility age, recruiting messaging to this generation continues to be relevant.  The boomers are working longer than their previous generation, and many of them have no intention of retiring any time soon.  At Local Eye Site, we’ve employed several Gen Y’ers who comfort level with technology has been a tremendous asset, but we’ve also employed more than one boomer, and we currently work with a part-time CFO that is a boomer.  His knowledge, experience and connections have proven to be very helpful for our business.  Here is what he had to say about his experiences with a multi-generational workforce:

“I know for a fact that I have difficulty understanding how a very attractive dollar amount is frequently rejected because the administrative structure of the work (no flex time, can’t work from home, feeling that collaboration is a waste of time) is not conducive to a Gen X or Y priorities.  One candidate rejected an offer we once made because he didn’t see us doing enough “give back” activity to the needy/community.  While I view all the elements of a great work environment important, they are not the drivers to me that they are to younger employees.  Our generational thought is geared to work VERY hard, put in lots of extra time, sacrifice family for the good of the company, salute the corporate hierarchy, and keep your mouth shut.  Hardly the priorities of today’s 30-year old, who can be your best employees.”

There is no question that generational diversity is a reality in today’s workplace, so learn to speak the language of all of these groups in order to cast a broader net.  Your results depend on it.

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