Don't Let Staffing Mistakes Destroy Your Practice

You can be the most skilled, business-savvy, patient-friendly doctor in the world, but if your team fails to make the grade, your practice will suffer – big time. Here are four common staffing mistakes, their potential consequences and how to correct them.

Mistake #1: Hiring good people without a strategy. It doesn't matter if you find the most qualified candidate in the world if your business strategy lacks clarity. Without a clear mission statement, focus and action plan, your staff won't be able to make your vision a reality; even worse, they could become frustrated with your drifting ship and move on to another practice.

The Fix: Define your brand and how each practice member's job responsibilities support that brand. Hold regular staff meetings and outline quarterly goals to keep staff engagement high.

Mistake #2: A poorly defined / executed hiring process. From posting an ad to reviewing applications, interviewing candidates to discussing salary, the hiring process needs to be highly detailed, well-thought-out and organized – for your benefit and the benefit of potential hires.

The Fix: Before you even place your first ad for a new position, ask yourself these questions: What will their specific job duties be? What am I looking for in this person in terms of their ability to handle the job? What level of skill set / experience do I need as a starting point? What happens if I don't find anyone on the first pass (i.e., make sure you don't settle by making a quick decision to hire the "best of the worst").

Mistake #3: Lack of accountability (on your end or theirs). Without two-way accountability, staff aren't able to develop the knowledge base and skills your practice needs; or they fail to master your training, but their substandard performance goes unaddressed.

The Fix: Provide comprehensive training to each employee and then hold them accountable. That means rewarding them when they excel and disciplining them when they fail.

Mistake #4: Hiring a resume, not a person. Your ideal staff member is far more than a list of accomplishments and previous job positions. Hire an amazing resume who doesn't agree with your practice philosophy or doesn't mesh with your company / staff culture, and problems will rear their ugly heads, sooner than later.

The Fix: Outline your practice vision and goals clearly during the interview, and ask questions that reveal whether the job candidate will be a good fit. Include key staff members in final interviews so they can provide you with feedback in making your hiring decision.

Do It Right

You may not think you have the time or energy to dedicate to these and other staffing issues, but trust us, you, every staff member, your practice – and your patients – deserve it.