In recruiting, the goal is to attract candidates who are qualified for the position and will stay with the company long-term. Along with rapidly changing technology, evolving employee expectations (such as the ability to work remotely) necessitate that practices revisit traditional methods of recruiting. While creating a modern hiring strategy will require you to invest time and resources, refreshing your recruiting methods to attract the right type of applicants will pay dividends.

This article provides tips for evaluating and updating your talent acquisition process.

1. Define your value

As you evaluate your practice’s recruitment process, the needs of your organization will be paramount — but don’t stop there! When re-imagining your hiring protocols, consider the needs of potential employees and contemplate your employee value proposition — what do you have to offer that sets your practice apart? If you are unsure, ask a few long-term employees what they value most about working for the practice. An example of a value proposition might be as follows: “We are dedicated to creating a safe and happy work environment for our team members. We support their growth through continuing education allowances and creating career paths within our organization. We recognize that your success is our success.”

Once you have formed a clear idea of the perks your current employees enjoy, consider how to articulate them to candidates. After all, you spend a considerable amount of time conveying the value of your practice to your patients — why not do the same with your job candidates? You never know when something nominal, such as flexible lunch hours, could be the deciding factor between you and your competitor. Remember, an employee is selecting you as much as you are selecting them.

2. Communicate clearly

Choosing to move forward with a particular candidate does not necessarily mean other interviewees do not have a place with your company in the future. To avoid burning any bridges, remain transparent throughout the hiring process. Incorporate the tactics below into your interview protocols to ensure your company maintains a professional reputation:

• Always treat candidates with respect.
• Express gratitude to anyone who is considering working for you.
• Keep candidates engaged by responding in a timely manner at each stage of the hiring process.
• Communicate how the process works and where candidates stand. Kindly update interviewees who will not be advancing.

3. Revise job descriptions

Job descriptions play a vital role in the recruiting process — they must accurately convey the required skills and key functions of the job, along with the value of your company. When revising job descriptions, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is your company’s value proposition to employees communicated clearly? Do you address how your company meets employee needs?
• Does the description create enthusiasm for the position? Will the right type of candidate be compelled to apply based on the description?
• Is a brief statement about your organization and brand included?
• Are your core values woven into the job description?
• Have you highlighted your culture and why people enjoy working there?

4. Create a referral program

Assuming you have created a great culture and work environment (see “Recruiting starts with a positive work culture,” below), your current team members will be your best recruiting advocates.

When revising your recruitment process, consider the benefits of rewarding those team members who help you fill valuable positions (monetarily or otherwise). I have personally witnessed a practice create and put in place a successful employee referral program. This practice offered a monetary reward of $250 to the referring employee when their recommended candidate was hired. The referring employee was then awarded an additional $250 once the new employee completed 6 months within the position.

5. Network, network, network

Networking continues to play a crucial role for anyone looking to spread the word about an opportunity within their practice. In the current environment, this is largely done digitally.

Expand your reach by familiarizing yourself with digital mediums (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) that can target the types of candidates you desire. Review training videos and tools offered by career-focused platforms (e.g., LinkedIn) that detail how to use their features to reach quality candidates.

You may also want to consider posting your open job description on professional society pages or industry-specific career centers, such as IJCAHPO, ASOA career center, and AAO career center. Many local community or career colleges have health-care programs with related job boards on which you can post, as well.

6. Take advantage of technology

Other technology resources to improve your recruiting process include:

• Database technology. Databases, or a collection of information, such as names and email addresses of previous applicants to the practice, are a great way to stay in touch with past candidates and create resources for future jobs. You also can tap into the databases of other recruiting platforms to find quality candidates, such as Indeed.com .
• Online skills testing. Several platforms now offer an upfront “skills-screening” step. These basic math, English, and reasoning tests can help ensure only those candidates who meet your minimum requirements will advance in the interviewing process.
• Personality/behavioral testing. There are several personality/behavioral mapping tests available. These tests allow you to map success factors for various roles by using your current employees as a baseline. From there, you can customize your personality/behavioral testing to screen according to the success factors you’ve uncovered.

7. Develop internship/apprenticeship programs

Internship or apprenticeship programs serve the dual purpose of allowing you to proactively keep potential candidates in the pipeline while simultaneously providing a service to community-based local trade schools — many of which will work with you to formalize such a program. By allowing potential future employees to build a working relationship with you during their internship, you can evaluate them in real-time and build a database of candidates. This way, if you do not have a position open when someone has completed his or her program, you will be able to reach out if a suitable position becomes available.

Recruiting is an evolving process

A continuous improvement mindset is important for success in all aspects of your practice. This includes your recruiting process. Extra effort in updating your process and approach will yield the long-term benefits of increased productivity, reduction in turn-over rates, and well-matched, happy employees. Satisfied employees lead to satisfied, happy patients and an overall better work environment that, in turn, attracts more talented candidates. OP

Ms. Waddle is a principal and senior consultant with BSM Consulting.