Hiring healthcare employees that are excellent matches for the jobs in your medical facility should be a top priority. Without the talent and dedication needed to provide efficient, timely and quality care, your office could lose patients or be subject to disciplinary actions. You can likely hire the right person by knowing what is required for the job, and looking for candidates who have the qualities needed for your office’s success.
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Education and Experience
When reviewing resumes, you can quickly narrow down potential candidates by taking out the applicants who don’t have the education requirements for the job. Know the ideal level of experience you need in an applicant.
Medical Credentialing
Healthcare professions require certifications and/or licenses from a regulating board. For example, all doctors need licensing, certification and registration through a state’s Board of Medicine. If candidates do not maintain their medical credentialing as required for their profession, they will not be allowed to work.
Skill Set
List the specific skills you need from a candidate before you start sorting resumes. If you’d prefer to hire a medical assistant who can readily use electronic records without much training, prioritize the applicants who have listed this skill. If your practice needs a nurse who is bilingual, you can put resumes listing “Spanish speaking” in a separate file for further consideration.
Additional Questions to Answer Before the Interviews
Your selection process may go more smoothly if you know what specific traits will make the hired candidate an asset in your office. Ask these questions before interviewing:
- What specific personality traits would be needed in this setting? Some traits to look for in medical workers are reliability, attention to detail, a solid work ethic, a positive attitude, kindness, and compassion.
- What qualities do new employees have that help them fit into the work culture at the facility?
- How should potential hires respond when asked how they work with other staff and patients?
Get feedback from the other members of your team, including supervisors and clinical staff who might have suggestions for what to look for in an applicant.
Attract the Right Potential Employee
Advertise the position in a variety of publications on internet job search engines and social media platforms. Update the “available positions” page on your company’s website. If you are in charge of the hiring, you might consult with marketing experts who can help you choose where and how to place your job postings. Here are some suggested sites that attract many job-seekers:
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- Health eCareers
- Health Jobs Nationwide
Start the Interview Process
It may be convenient for both parties if a phone interview is conducted first. This initial contact is good because you can get an idea of the person’s demeanor and social abilities. Once you have narrowed down your group of top choices, you can schedule a face-to-face interview. You should already have a list of questions ready that have somewhat easy answers, but also include tougher questions targeting how they would respond in on-the-job situations. Some questions or requests you might want to include:
- What are your career goals?
- What attracted you to this position?
- Give an example of a situation where you had to work on a team at work.
- How have you handled complaints from patients?
- How have you resolved or attempted to resolve conflicts with co-workers?
Choose the Ideal Employee
You are ready to hire! You have an applicant who has all of the requirements, personality traits and competence your office needs. If you follow an organized hiring process like the one suggested above, you can feel confident that you found the right person for the job.
