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:
- 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.
- An active mind. Active minds often have good ideas that can help your business down the road.
- 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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