5 Must-Consider Factors Before Hiring Your Next Associate

1. Change your hiring mindset

One of the key mistakes osteopaths make when hiring is hiring on an as-needed basis. We all know that finding associate is hard, but it’s even harder finding an associate that perfectly fits your practice. This famous advice from the transitional business world, always be hiring, tells you to not wait until the last minute to start hiring for these 5 reasons.

Continuity of talent

Having a steady stream of applicants allows you to replace practitioners who leave or retire as well as reducing the disruption caused by practitioners leaving or retiring. By always hiring, you can quickly fill open positions with high-quality practitioners and maintaining the volume of patients treated every week.

Competitive advantage

Being able to quickly fill open positions with practitioners who best fit your practice gives you a competitive advantage over other local clinics. This is because top talent can bring new ideas, skills, and energy to a clinic, which can help it adapt to changing times and grow. Additionally, having a high-quality practitioners can help you attract new patients through word of mouth and retain existing patients.

Cost-effective

Hiring on an as-needed basis often results in higher costs, as businesses may have to pay a premium to fill positions quickly. Continuously hiring allows for a more cost-effective approach. This is because you can take your time to find the right osteopath, rather than feeling pressured to fill positions quickly.

Proactive vs. reactive

Continuously hiring means that you are proactively seeking out candidates, rather than waiting for practitioners to leave and then scrambling to fill the positions. This is a more proactive approach, and it can help you anticipate and prepare for the future.

Improving the hiring process

By always hiring, the process of finding and supporting new practitioners becomes more efficient and effective, as you’re always in practicing and improving the process over time. This can include streamlining the application process, creating a more efficient interview process, and developing a more effective new practitioner support program. Continuously hiring also allows you to experiment with new recruitment methods and technologies, and to adapt to changing market conditions.

2. Focus on the needs of your existing team

Depending on the role you’re looking to fill, the answer may lie within one of your practitioners. For example, if you’re looking to grow the practice by expanding the opening hours or you have a practitioner who wants to reduce their hours, you may have an existing practitioner that would take on those hours.

3. Know your values, mission and vision

When you write down the values, mission and vision of your clinic and orientate every decision you make around them, you’ll improve all aspects of your practice ten fold. Hiring is no different because when you understand what you’re looking for, you can not only attract practitioners who resonate with those values, but you’re able to keep the qualities you’re looking for in mind throughout the hiring process.

For example, if your vision includes being in-tune with the local community, you know you’re looking for someone who lives locally as they understand the local culture. Whereas, if you highly value time management and someone turns up late to their interview, that’s strike one.

If you’re looking to understand your values, mission and vision, read Start With Why by Simon Sinek or allow us to uncover your true purpose with our branding process.

Clinic culture is critical

A 2021 Cliniko review states that osteopaths, as well as speech pathologists and myotherapists, are the most likely profession to be look for a new role, with 23% wanting an improvement in workplace culture. So, if you don’t want to end up back at square one again after hiring a bad fit, clinic culture is critical.

4. Review your online image

The new generation of osteopaths always look at the digital presence of a practice before they even think about working there. It’s a great reason to take a look at your website, social media and Google Business Profile.

By following the 8-point checklist below, you can ensure that your website is effectively communicating the message that you are hiring an associate for your practice, and that it’s providing potential candidates with the information they need to apply for the job.

Job listing

Create a clear and detailed job listing that includes the job title, responsibilities, qualifications, and application instructions. Make sure that the listing is prominent on your website, and that it’s easily accessible from the homepage.

About us

Update the “About Us” section of your website to include information about your practice, including your mission, values, services, and team members. This will give candidates a sense of what it would be like to work at your practice.

Join the team

Create a “Join the Team” page that outlines your clinic culture, benefits and perks, and the hiring process, in addition to the job listing.

Team page

Add an associate to the existing team page, with a photo and a brief bio, which will give potential candidates an idea of the type of person that would fit in well with your team.

Testimonials

Include testimonials from current and former practitioners, which will help to build trust and credibility with potential candidates.

Contact information

Make sure that your contact information, including your email address and phone number, is prominently displayed on your website. This will make it easy for potential candidates to get in touch with you.

Social media

Update your social media profiles to reflect that you are hiring an associate and link them to your website’s career page.

Online reputation

Check your online reputation by doing a quick search of your practice name and check for any negative reviews or comments. Address any issues or concerns that are brought up.

5. Reconnecting with previous applicants

Have you ever had an osteopath apply and you felt like they were the one who got away Reconnecting with previous candidates can be a valuable step in the hiring process, as it can save time, resources, and improve the overall quality of your candidate pool. Additionally, it can help to strengthen your practice’s brand and relationships with potential future candidates. Here’s 7 reasons why.

Time-saving

Reaching out to previous candidates can save time in the hiring process, as you will already have a pool of qualified and interested candidates who have previously expressed interest in your practice.

Familiarity

By reconnecting with previous candidates, you will have a better understanding of their qualifications, experience, and fit for the practice.

Cost-effective

Reaching out to practitioners who applied in the past can be more cost-effective than starting from scratch, as you will not have to spend as much time and energy on recruiting and interviewing new candidates.

Positive impression

Reconnecting with previous candidates can leave a positive impression on them, and they may be more likely to consider working for your business or practice in the future.

Talent Pool

Keeping track of previous candidates can help to build a talent pool that you can tap into in the future, which will save time and resources in recruiting new practitioners.

Branding

Reaching out to previous candidates can help to build your practice’s brand by showing that you value the candidates you’ve spoken to and consider them for future opportunities.

Referrals

Previous candidates can also provide valuable referrals to other qualified candidates that may have the skills you are looking for.

Summary

By taking these factors into consideration, you can evaluate potential candidates and make informed decisions that will benefit your practice in the long term.