Employment of optometrists is predicted to grow 10% from 2018 to 2028 – a rate that is faster than the average for all occupations.1 Regional areas of Australia and New Zealand in particular, can find it difficult to attract the best talent. So how can you position your practice to attract the best optometrists available?
Hiring workers that are the right fit for your practice is crucial to enhance productivity, competitiveness and teamwork. While there is no single, guaranteed approach to identifying and securing the best candidate, there are a few strategies that will maximise your chances:
INCLUDE YOUR TEAM IN THE FINAL DECISION
Making sure the candidate will be a good fit for you team is vital. If possible, invite the prospective employee in for a trial over a day or two to observe the way they interact with your existing staff and patients.
A robust induction program is integral to providing a good grounding for your new employee
CUSTOMISE THE BENEFITS
When you interview your prospective employee, find out about their personal interests and needs. With this information in mind, your job offer can include benefits that will be attractive to them. For example, if an employee loves to travel then offering extra days holiday per year may get them over the line. Think outside the box to ensure your team is happy and engaged.
SET YOUR NEW HIRE UP FOR SUCCESS
A robust induction program is integral to providing a good grounding for your new employee. If a staff member isn’t making the grade, it is often because the induction process wasn’t detailed enough and the employee wasn’t trained well in your systems, processes and culture.
ASK A RECRUITMENT AGENCY FOR HELP
A recruitment agency can save you time, help weed out and advise unsuccessful candidates and manage negotiations. More often than not they have a pool of qualified and talented candidates suitable for the job, which may negate the need to advertise the vacancy. This will significantly shorten the recruitment process while allowing you to consider the most qualified candidates available.
DO A THOROUGH BACKGROUND CHECK
Check the authenticity of referees and examine your prospective employee’s LinkedIn and social media profiles to ensure details that have been presented to you are accurate. Recruitment agencies specialise in background checking and can provide crucial insights.
IMPLEMENT RETENTION STRATEGIES
Even more important than hiring appropriate employees is keeping and developing your best talent. This saves time for your practice and will prevent business disruption. Enhancing employee engagement by giving them responsibility, feedback and providing sincere praise will increase their professional satisfaction. It’s not all about the money, it’s often about making people feel valued.
Leeza Williams is the Recruitment Consultant and Business Development Manager at Optom Recruitment and Locum Service (leeza@ optomlocumservice.com.au). She has enjoyed a long career in optometry, having worked with Visioncare Marketing, Paterson Burn Optometrists and People4Success, 2020 Laser Vision and Provision. Ms Williams has a Bachelor of Business from Monash University and Open University of NZ.
Reference
- www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/optometrists.htm
