Practice Management Alert

Setting expectations is key for everyone involved.

While hiring a new team member is often a chance for mutual growth and opportunity, few people are excited about the nitty-gritty work that the hiring process requires.

If you feel like you have to start from scratch every time you advertise a job opportunity, your organization could benefit from making hiring a more “process”-oriented endeavor, said Karen Billings, MPA, CPCO, CPB, during a HEALTHCON2021 presentation.

Write An Honest Job Description

If you don’t already have at least an outline of job descriptions for every role in your organization, create one, Billings said. Billings talked about her experience working in government and for state agencies, and how having this sort of basic information available ahead of time simplifies the hiring process.

“It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to have a lot of detail, but you need to know what those folks are expected to do,” she said.

When a position becomes vacant, it’s a great time to look at the position and figure out what someone in this role actually does, she said. “You have to think about the person who was doing the job and what they did, and whether that is actually included in the position description.”

This is especially true for positions where the same person has filled the role for a long time: what the employee does and what the job description says probably don’t quite match.

Make sure you’re also including the requirements necessary for the job, like language skills, a valid driver’s license, which certifications a prospective employee may need or need to pursue.

Including a salary and mentioning any benefits in the job advertisement may be helpful for both you and the applicant — that way, no one wastes time pursuing an interview for a salary they don’t find suitable.

Before you post the opportunity, know how long you want to advertise the job and how many applications you’re willing to consider.

Establish and Use Matrices, Reference Checks

One way to reorient your hiring so it’s process-based is to make use of matrices and templates.

For example, when screening applicants to the job, create a table to use as a matrix so you can easily compare candidates’ qualifications. This way you can see which candidates have a degree, which have the certification you’re advertising for, and even which aspects of their previous experience align with position you’re advertising.

Keep an eye between the lines too: Observe grammar and punctuation, and look for gaps in employment or mention of dismissals, Billings said. She recommends making this screening decisions using only the information on or attached to the job application.

You can delegate tasks to the people on the team, like assigning someone to perform reference checks. “I highly encourage, if you’re not doing reference checks, do them, do them, do them,” Billings said. Decide who’s performing the reference checks and what that process entails.

Consider writing a sort of script for anyone performing reference checks: The checker should identify themselves and the organization, check whether that moment is an OK time to chat or if an appointed time would be better, assure the reference that the candidate listed them as a reference and consents to the check but that all information is confidential, and provide information about the job in question, Billings said.

The checker should ask the reference about the capacity in which they worked with the candidate, and then verify that the person performed the duties they were assigned. But use this conversation to suss out the information that can make or break a work relationship but may not show up on a resume: what it was like to supervise or work with the candidate or which unique skill the candidate brought to the organization, and whether the reference would ever hire the candidate again, Billings said.

Overprep the Interview Process

Before initiating the hiring process, you want to know what you’re going to ask the potential employee in the interview. Cross compare the interview questions to the job description you’ve already prepared, Billings said. Some folks also jot down answers to questions.

Establishing a team to participate in the hiring process is important. One thing to consider: Making sure no one on hiring team is personally interested in the job, Billings said.

If you have other people fulfilling similar roles to the one you’re advertising, consider including them on the panel. You want their feedback for how the prospective employee may handle the responsibilities, but you also may want to try to gauge their chemistry, if they’ll be working together a lot.

Also make sure you know in advance who will make the ultimate decision in the hiring process.

With the ongoing pandemic, you also need to decide whether you’re interviewing candidates virtually or in person, and making sure you have the technology and equipment to manage either situation effectively and safely.

If you get to the interview process and have multiple qualified and personable candidates, you may consider conducting two rounds of interviews. “I’m a big fan of two interviews, especially when I have to candidates that are really close and, like, oh man’ they’re so good, this one has this and this one has that!” Billings said. Taking the time to conduct more than one interview may give the right candidate the chance to rise to the top.