In my travels I hear there are few experienced technicians available and, when there are, they are often not as qualified as the practice is led to believe. Often, with the exception of relocation or a return to work after a hiatus, there is a good reason a candidate is available to begin immediately. And, if we are fortunate enough to find qualified individuals, how will we train them when on-the-job training is almost a thing of the past?

The challenge to hiring and training “the right candidate” is that there are not enough hours in the day. Clinics run at full steam five or six days per week and allow overtime pay only under extenuating circumstances.

Time to get creative

To overcome the challenge, consider creative ways to develop your clinical staff. You might first look for candidates in areas of your practice other than the clinic who may be curious to learn the clinical side. The advantage here is that you have witnessed their work ethic and they have learned some ophthalmology. In terms of training, cross-train scribes to become technicians (if you have not already done so). In each of these cases, training can occur slowly when, for example, a doctor is on vacation or at a conference or patients cancel due to weather conditions. When this occurs, staff can help to the best of their abilities and return to their regular positions as the session winds down.

Beyond your practice, join forces with other practices to teach basic knowledge and skills after hours. Or, align with a community college to establish an introductory level course to this exciting field; it can be offered as few as one evening each week. The class may suit newer hires to area practices and attract adult students looking for a new career. Also, you can offer to be an externship site for a local Medical Assisting program; invite the placement person to observe your clinic for a few hours to fully understand the scope of the job.

An attractive return on investment

It is necessary to justify training the way you justify a new piece of equipment. With time and effort, you will see the return on your investment without the repeated expense of recruiting — not to mention the time it takes to find a good hire.

The questions likely going through your mind are, “How much will I have to pay them? What else will a new hire expect?” For the answer to these questions, I suggest you review our annual subscriber survey article (page 8). OP