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Introduction
As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work, and this is especially true for healthcare. Managing a private practice team is one of the most important aspects of running a successful health practice, as it ensures that you have knowledgeable staff who are equipped with the right expertise to be able to handle any challenges thrown your way (and we know there’s a lot of that in healthcare!). The right employees will boost your productivity, approach situations with logical thinking, as well as act with empathy, and ensure that you’re on track to accomplishing your business goals and growing your practice. However, we acknowledge that this can sometimes be easier than it sounds, and pulling together your dream team can take some time and energy to collate. If this concern sounds all too familiar, don’t worry! We’re here to help consolidate your knowledge and understanding, and set you on the right track.
Assess the need for having an employee in your private practice
Before you start drafting your list of prospective employees, it’s important to evaluate whether you actually need them or not. It’s quite common for private practices to often be run by one therapist, especially in today’s market where there are significant shortages of qualified professionals within the mental health industry. Additionally, many practice management platforms, as well as telehealth products, work toward helping professionals start their own businesses. You can access a variety of helpful tools without any expertise or outsourcing to make it work. However, hiring additional therapists is a great way to expand your professional network, have a higher client intake, solidify your business and boost your rank. You can learn from their experience, make wider connections, and cater to a larger number and more diverse clientele, which is always welcome. Hiring additional talent as a means to help eliminate therapist burnout, and add value to your private practice tools is also a good idea. Prior to committing to a new hire, it’s recommended that you set aside the time to assess whether you have the time and money to bring on additional staff members.
Tips for hiring the right candidate for your private practice
If you decide that hiring employees is the best way to go, then it’s important that you consider the following information. While anyone can hire new employees, not many can hire well. Finding the right candidates has its own art and nuances to it, so it’s critical that you incorporate the following tips to make sure they are the right fit.
Assess the position that you are hiring for
Make sure that you spend time ensuring that the position you’re advertising for is one that is needed. There are a multitude of aspects involved in running a business, and so it’s important that you’ve evaluated all these areas, and analyzed what is needed to increase efficiency. It can be beneficial to write down all the tasks you manage, and from there, you can ask yourself what positions would be useful, with the job description aiming to fill these gaps.
Consider and set up an application process
You should have a good application process in place to ensure that you’re able to hire your ideal employee that ticks all your boxes. You should highlight the mission and values of your practice, and perhaps create a rubric that outlines the traits you’re looking for. That way, you can measure all applicants against your specific criteria so you know exactly what you’re looking for. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask the applicant to get a good screening!
Consider the cost of hiring
Every person you hire is a significant dent in your paycheck, so it’s important that you spend your money wisely. In fact, before you even begin this process, you need to make sure that you have sufficient funds to be able to invest in their help. A useful rule of thumb is to think about the costs of hiring and whether you have the 3x the amount of financial support to be able to hire that person. This must encompass advertising for them, employer taxes, additional equipment, and benefits, all in addition to their salary.
List your requirement in niche hiring websites
A niche hiring website is a great way to advertise the role without being buried in hundreds of other job postings. Niche websites can also bring in real hidden gems, which makes the effort all the more worthwhile.
Get your current employees involved
If you have any other current employees, it’s always a great idea to get them involved to ensure that the new hire fits the work culture, and gets along professionally with your staff. They can be a valuable sounding board to provide second opinions, and offer you feedback on whether they may be a good match with the requirements of the role; especially if they will be working together!
Build a solid interview process
Each interview process can look a little different depending on the size of your team, as well as how much time you have to spare. It’s recommended that you conduct an initial phone interview to ensure they meet the minimum job requirements, and from there, you can then schedule a formal interview. This usually takes around an hour and requires you to spend time coming up with valuable interview questions so you can really get to know your prospective employees. If you’re feeling confident following the interview, feel free to make an offer, given that they tick all your boxes. A third interview can also be a great way to know them informally.
Hire your perfect candidate and make an offer
Once you’re confident, create an offer package that includes an offer letter, salary, an NDA if needed, and other essential manuals. This way, you can clarify any questions or concerns they may have, and get started right away. Make sure you include an expiration date so the client knows that you’re ready to begin! You can also send a welcome package for that extra touch.
Set up an onboarding process
Naturally, you’ll also need to set up an onboarding process to guide your new employee through the ins and outs of your practice. All relevant forms must be signed and filled out, and you all should be on the same page when it comes to your practice.
How does Carepatron help with better practice management for employees?
Hiring a new employee is a great way to elevate the quality of your practice, however, we acknowledge that it can sometimes be difficult to show them the ropes of your business. This is especially true if you have a lot of procedures and processes in place, as this can be very overwhelming, with an abundance of information that the new staff member must remember. As a result, you may want to consider a practice management tool such as Carepatron. Used by over 10,000+ healthcare professionals, Carepatron is one of the leading solutions when it comes to managing healthcare tasks, with the software working round the clock to simplify your workload and streamline your operations. You can keep all client documents and notes in one place, with HIPAA-compliant software ensuring that all data is kept safe and secure. Additionally, you can also process payments and invoices from an easy-to-use portal, with a friendly user interface. No matter your technical capabilities and skill set, you can access all there is without compromise or hours of training time. Practice management tools like Carepatron can make your life ten times easier, and help you train new employees in the nick of time, with absolutely no hassle.
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