One of the highest areas of interest, is "How do I find GOOD staff?" Here are some tips regarding one specific area of finding staff.
We have seen great success with temp agencies and private job placement agencies. There are several reasons why working with these types of companies can be advantageous: a) the cost of promoting, screening, interviewing is borne by the agency, b) the time needed to promote, screen, interview, hire, etc., is primarily taken up by the agency and not your office, and c) most agencies usually have a guarantee of some sort of the person working out and recourse if the person does not work out.
Below are some suggestions on how to best work with these types of companies.
- 1. Meet with the representative of the placement agency that is most local to your office. Invite them to visit your office to get a feel for the office and the kind of culture that you have specific to your office. Let the representative know about the qualifications of the employee that you are looking for. Be as specific as you can. Show them the job description of the position you are trying to fill so they have a good understanding of what type of person you need. Make the requirements as clear as possible - for example if you are looking for a receptionist, you need someone with excellent communication skills. As this representative is going to go to work for you to find the best candidate for your office, get her/him the best information you can on what you need and want.
- 2. Discuss with the representative the fees and benefits involved in hiring an employee through them. Most companies offer a 90-day program that has a variety of benefits. The employee works in your office but remains an employee of the temp agency or placement agency. During this trial period, an hourly fee is paid to the company that is just slightly greater than what you would normally pay a direct hire. The benefit to you is that you are not paying the taxes, fees and accounting normally associated with hiring and paying an employee. You are also not covering health insurance. For most employers, this option works out quite well. During this trial period, you have a resource for addressing performance concerns with the agency and determining if the person will work out.
- 3. Ask to interview the prospects that they send you prior to hiring them. Take the time to interview them just like you would a direct hire. The most obvious benefit to you at this time is that the prospect has already been screened by the agency and is qualified to work in your office. All you have to do is decide if this is the kind of person you want to work with in your office.
Be willing to interview several prospects before selecting the right one for your practice. Just because they are qualified does not mean that they will fit well with your team. Your greatest enemy at this point is any desperation you may feel to get someone hired right away. Remember that hiring the wrong person for your office can become a bigger problem and waste more time and money for you and your staff than taking a little more time to find the right fit. We have a variety of testing procedures that we use with our clients to help in this final evaluation process.
Silkin Management Group has been in business for over 25 years, delivering practice management consulting and training to over 4000 health care offices throughout the United States and Canada. For further information on Silkin visit our website at the Silkin Management Group Home Page.
I invite you to share any thoughts through our Discussion Forum at the Silkin Facebook Page BY CLICKING HERE.
Larry Silver
President, Silkin
Silkin Management Group Home Page
Visit our Facebook Page
Silkin Management Group Press Room
Solutions Magazine
No comments:
Post a Comment